the Conscience which we are loth should be touched But if we be sincere with God we will keep our selves from all even from our own Iniquity Psal. 18. 23. such as is most incident to us by temper or custom of Life or course of our Interests to baulk or break with God out of private Reasons of Pleasure Honour or Profit or any corrupt Interest is to prefer these things before God and to set up another chief Good in our Hearts and to prefer it before his Favour Thus in General 2. They place all their Godliness and Righteousness in outward Observances or external Discipline and so their Religion is more in the Flesh and in the Letter than in Heart and Spirit As the Pharisees rested in outward Worship only or some external Rules without the inward and real Duties either of the First or Second Table Mat. 23. 25. They cleanse the outside of the Cup and Platter but within they are full of Extortion and Excess And Vers. 28. Ye appear outwardly Righteous unto Men but within ye are full of Hypocrisy and Iniquity And every where they are represented as painted Tombs without but had much hidden Uncleanness and Corruption within There was an outward formality and shew of Religion when they denied the Power thereof They should join Obedience to God and Love to their Neighbour with their outward Sacrifices but these things were of little value and esteem with them Now what Sacrifices were to them that External Ordinances are to us And what their Rituals were the same is the Mode and Garb of Profession among us And therefore External Profession or the performance of External Duties according to our way is not a sufficient Testimony of true Godliness For Christ saith Mat. 5. 20. Except your Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Their Righteousness was an out-side Righteousness without that inward Constitution of Soul which doth belong to a renewed Heart and yet carried on in such a way and applauded by Men that the Jews had a saying That if but two Men out of all the World went to Heaven the one should be a Scribe and the other a Pharisee Oh Christians 't is one thing to approve our selves to God who searcheth the Heart and another thing to approve our selves to Men who look only to the out-side and fâ—ir appearance without A renewed Heart that is unfeignedly set to please God in all things is more than all the Pomp of External Duties And therefore we should study to give Evidence of this by making Conscience of Obedience as well inwardly as outwardly growing in Holiness all the days of our Lives This will be comfortable to us and this will be approved of God hereafter even such an Holiness as is manifested in all the parts of our Conversation in outward Carriage and secret Practice common Affairs and religious Duties In the Worship of God and Charity and Justice to Men Phil. 3. 3. We are the Circumcision which worship God in the Spirit and have no confidence in the Flesh. When there is a serious Bent and the true spiritual Affections of a renewed Heart towards God and Man and we do not rest in outward Duties but are still growing in internal Grace Faith Hope and Love and are still purifying the Heart and Life that we may constantly glorify God and do good to Men. This is that which is over and above the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees our Duty is to serve God in the Spirit and to bring the inward Man in subjection to him without which Externals are of little worth 3. They were more in love with Ceremonies than with Substance Sacrifices which belonged to the Ceremonies of the Law were in high esteem with them but Godliness Justice and Mercy were of little regard And as outward things were preferred before Inward so the lesser things before the weighty As to their Duties tithing Mint and Annise and Cummin but they have omitted the weightier Matters of the Law Justice Mercy Faith These ought ye to have done and not to leave the other undone Matth. 23. 23. Formality and Hypocrisy maketh Men wise about that which is least to purpose They make a business about Ceremonies but neglect the Substance of Religion They enlarged their Phylacteries which were Scroles of Parchment on which the Law was written but took no care of having the Law of God written upon their Hearts Hypocrisy is an odd trifling Zeal which runneth out upon little things So for avoiding Sin Matth. 23. 24. They strain at a 〈◊〉 and swallow a Camel More scrupulous in a little Sin than a great in small Sins very scrupulous in greater Matters very adventurous And because this is one of the main things here intended I shall give you Instances and Reasons 1. Instances to prove that Hypocrites have such an odd Conscience that straineth greatly at a small Sin We have them every where out of the Word of God Herod's making Conscience of his Oath but not of shedding Innocent Blood The King was sorry nevertheless for his Oath 's sake c. Matth. 14. 9. he caused Iohn the Baptist to be beheaded A Sinner is holden in Bonds which he might lawfully break rather than Herod will break his rash Oath Iohn shall lose his Head Of such an odd Complection is the Conscience of Carnal Men. So the Jews when Iudas laid down the hire of his Treason and cast the Mony at their feet Mat. 29. 6 7. It is not lawful said they to put it into the Treasury because it is the price of Blood Pretending to be afraid to offend in the least things when they had offended in the greater They bogled not at betraying Innocent Blood and yet they would not meddle with the Gain when it was thrown back to them Another Instance of the like Conscience is Iohn 18. 28. Then led they Iesus front Caiaphas into the Iudgment-Hall and it was early and they themselves went not into the Iudgment-Hall lest they should be defiled but that they might eat the Passover They were careful to avoid legal Pollution and yet they were at the same time seeking the Life of the Lord of Glory Just such another fit of Conscience cometh upon them a little after Iohn 19. 31. They went to Pilate and desired that the Bodies might not hang upon the Cross on the Sabbath-day lest their great Feast should be defiled And thus you see that through Formality and Custom Men may be strictly bound in Conscience to perform the Duties of Ceremonial or External Worship whose Consciences notwithstanding never scruple to violate the most weighty Precepts of the Law Just of this Nature was that solemn Case of Conscience Zech. 7. 1 2. about the keeping of their Fasts when the Prophet telleth them they had higher Matters to mind the executing of Iudgment and shewing Mercy and breaking off their Oppressions vers 10. The
so much as a sound sense of Religion and a solemn exercising our selves to Godliness maketh us see and loath our selves and pity oâ—hers I find the Pharisees Enemies ever to the â—reeness of God's Grace to Sinners and the Work of Repentance And that the bringing of poor Sinners to Salvation was the great eye-sore They call Christ a â—ine-bibber and a Friend of Publicans and Sinners because of his social and free but sanctified Converse with all sorts of Men Mat. 11. 18. He would not take such a strict form as Iohn did because he would not seem to justify their Pharisaical Rigors So again Luke 15. 2. This Man receiveth Sinners and eateth with them Because he went to them as a Physician to heal their Souls Christ refused not familiarity with the poorest and worst as was needful for their Cure and would not observe the humour of proud Pharisaical Separation by the Parables of the lost Sheep and the lost Groat but confuteth it sheweth that this is the Spirit of the Elder Brother who envied the Prodigal's Return And telleth them in another place that Publicans and Harlots enter into the Kingdom of Heaven before them Mat. 21. 30. pleadeth the Case of the Woman against Simon the Pharisee Luke 7. 30. If this Man had been a Prophet he would have known who and what manner of Woman this is that touched him Luke 7. 47. Christ telleth him She had much forgiven her for she loved much Well then a penitent broken hearted sense of our own being indebted to Grace and tender compassion towards others that yet go astray discovereth the true Spirit of the Gospel But to stand aloof from others by a foolish singularity Isa. 65. 5. which say Stand by thy self come not near to me for I am â—â—lier than thou Some though impure and prophane counted all others unholy and unclean but themselves This inclosing Spirit is the Spirit of Pharisaism An outside strictness without that Faith Love Charity Meekness Usefulness and Humility which is the very Soul and Life of Christianity Usually Gifts and outward strictness puff up Men with a vain conceit of their own Righteousness and a censuring and despising others This one Text sheweth us both the Spirit of Pharisaism and the Spirit of Christianity The Pharisees who abounded in External Observances censured Christ for his free Converse disdained these penitent People whom he invited to a better Life But now true Religion maketh Men humble and lowly in their own Eyes by acquainting them with the desert of Sin and their own Misery and maketh Men pitiful and compassionate towards others more ready to help than to censure them and to use all ways and means to do them good But when Men would shine alone in the repute of Holiness they are envious to those who penitently return to their Duty as those Servants who had wrought all the day envied those that came in at the last hour Mat. 22. 12. or as the elder Brother envied the Prodigal or Simon the Pharisee repined at Mary Magdalen's observance of Christ. They esteem much of their own Works Merits Sufferings and Righteousness O take heed of this Spirit The use of this Bâ—anch is to press us to regard Internals more than Externals and the Substantials more than the Ceremonials of Worship and a broken-hearted thankful sense of our Redeemer's Love before a Legal Righteousness Inward Worship is Love Fear and Trust outward Worship is Prayer Praise Hearing Reading Outward Worship is not a Duty at all times but inward Worship is a Duty at all times for we should always love God and delight in God and trust in God Outward Worship may be omitted for a Work of Mercy and in case of invincible Necessities but inward Worship may never be omitted never dispensed with We always owe Love and renewed Obedience to God and must depend upon him and delight in him Outward Worship may be counterfeited and External Worship without Holiness is highly displeasing to God and never pleasing but when 't is in conjunction with it Hypocrites may abound in Externals but Hypocrites will not delight themselves in the Lord nor heartily devote themselves to him so as to serve please and glorify him the inward Graces cannot be counterfeited but the outward Expression may 2. Be more careful of the Substantials than of the Ceremonials of Religion and to mind the Power of Godliness more than the Form The Substantials of Religion are the Love of God and our Neighbour The Circumstantials are those ways of Worship which God hath appointed whereby we are visibly to express our love to him Now our main care should be in the first place to be intirely devoted and subject to God That was Iob's Character One that feared God and eschewed Evil Job 1. 11. To do that we do out of love to him obeying his Laws as our Rule and depending upon his Rewards as our Happiness And as to Men let us be faithful and walk holily in our Places Callings and Relations being just and kind unto all but having an exceeding dear love for our fellow-Saints and everlasting Companions This is more pleasing to God than the costliest Sacrifices than all our Flocks and Herds or any outward thing that we do for him I take notice of those words of God to Solomon when he was building him a magnificent Temple 1 Kings 6. 11 12. And the Word of the Lord came to Solomon saying Concerning this House which thou art building if thou wilt walk in my Statutes and execute my Iudgments and keep all my Commandments to walk in them then will I perform my Word to thee which I spake to David thy Father God hath more respect to Solomon's faithful Obedience than to that glorious Building So far do Morals exceed Ceremonials in Religion 3. That you prefer a broken-hearted thankful sense of our Redeemer's Love before legal and conceited Righteousness of our own Christ's love to Sinners is that which the Pharisees mainly stumbled at An external shew and fair pretence of a good Life which had no bottom of Regeneration was the superficial Righteousness of the Pharisees Nicodemus who had been of that Sect wondred when that was pressed upon him Iohn 3. 4 5. an outward Conformity which was more in Shew than in Substance in Form and Fashion than in Power was their Religion abstaining from gross Sins as Murder and Adultery but not purifying the Heart from Lusts. Murder they made Conscience of but not of Envy Malice and Hatred Theft but not Covetousness and close Extortion Adultery but not Wantonness or looking upon a Woman to lust after her as you may see at large Matth. 5. Thus Christ presseth us to exceed the Pharisees who turned all Obedience into an empty Formality wherein they puffed up themselves as meer Men and so had never been at the Market of Free Grace all their Wares were their own and their Righteousness of their own spinning and therein stood upon their own Bottom
Godward there is no looking back There must be no more consulting with Flesh and Blood The Divine Instinct must be obeyed speedily and wholly and Christ followed without Reserves and Conditions Of these in their order I begin with the First And it came to pass as they went on the way a certain Man said unto him Lord I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest c. In which words observe 1. The Time It came to pass as they went on the way a certain Man said to him 2. A Resolution professed Lord I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest 3. Christ's Reply And Iesus said unto him Foxes have Holes and the Birds of the Air have Nests but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head 1. The Time In Matth. 8. 19. 'T is when Christ had a mind to retire and had declared his purpose to go into the Desert In Luke when he stedfastly set his Face to go to Ierusalem Both may agree the one more immediatly the other more remotely first to the Desert then to Ierusalem About that time a certain Man seeing Christ about to remove from the place where he then was offereth himself to be one of his Disciples This certain Man is by St. Matthew said to be a Scribe Men of that Rank and Order had usually a Male Talent against the Gospel and are frequently coupled with the Pharisees Men covetous and of a bitter Spirit This Man seeing Christ did great Miracles and hoping that he would set up a Temporal Kingdom he puts in for a place betimes that he might share in the Honours of it 2. Here is a Resolution professed Lord I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest Where take notice 1. Of the ready forwardness of the Scribe He was not called by Christ but offered himself of his own accord 2. Observe the largeness of the Offer and unboundedness of it Whithersoever as indeed it is our Duty to follow Christ through thick and thin In the Revelations Christ's undeâ—iled Company are described to be such as follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth Rev. 14. 4. That is obeyed him though to their great peril and loss Well then here is readiness here is largeness it is well if all be sincere Therefore let us see 3. Christ's Answer and Reply And Iesus said unto him Foxes have Holes and the Birds of the Air have Nests but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his Head By the tenour of Christ's Answer you may know what ails him and on what Foot he limped For this is spoken either by way of preparation to enable him to keep his Resolution or rather by way of probation to try the truth and strength of it whether it were sincere and sound yea or no As the young Man was tried Mark 10. 21. One thing thou lackest go thy way sell whatsoever thou hast and give to the poor and thou shalt have Treasure in Heaven and come and take up thy Cross and follow me But he went away sad at that saying So here we hear no more of this Scribe our Lord knew how to discover Hypocrites Two things were defective in this Resolution 1. 'T was suddain and rash not weighing the Difficulties They that rashly leap into a Profession usually fall back at first trial Therefore we must sit down and count the Charges Luke 14. 28. 2. There was a carnal Aim in it He minded his own Profit and Honour Therefore Christ in effect telleth him you had best consider what you do for following of me will be far from advancing any temporal Interest of yours The Scribe was leavened with a Conceit of a worldly Kingdom and had an Eye to some Temporal Advantage Therefore Christ telleth him plainly There was no worldly Ease and Riches to be expected from him And so Non repulit valentem sed fingentem prodidit He did not discourage a willing Follower but discover a worldly Hypocrite saith Chrysologus The Doctrine we learn from hence is this They that will sincerely follow Christ must not look for any great Matters in the World but rather prepare themselves to run all hazards with him This is evident 1. From Christ's own Example And the same Mind should be in all his Followers John 17. 16. They are not of the World even as I am not of the World Our estranging of our Hearts from the World is an evidence of our conformity to Christ. Christ passed through the World to sanctify it as a Place of Service but his constant Residence was not here to â—ix it as a Place of Rest And all that are Christ's are alike affected We pass through as Strangers but are not at home as Inhabitants or Dwellers and if we have little of the World's Favour 't is enough if any degree of Service for God 2. From the Nature of his Kingdom His Kingdom is not of this World Iohn 18. 3 6. 'T is not a Kingdom of Pomp but a Kingdom of Patience Here we suffer with Christ hereafter we reign with him The Comforts are not earthly or the good Things of this World but heavenly the good Things of the World to come This was the Scribes Mistake 3. From the Spirit of Christ. His Spirit is given us to draw us off from this World to that which is to come 1 Cor. 2. 12. Now we have not received the Spirit of the World but the Spirit which is of God that we may know the Things which are given us of God The Spirit of the World is that which possesseth and governeth worldly Men and inclineth them to a worldly Happiness this is in all Men naturally Corrupt Nature doth sufficiently prompt and incline Men to look after the Honours and Pleasures and Profits of this World Iames 3. 15. the Apostle when he would describe the Wisdom which is not from above he saith that it is earthly sensual devillish this Wisdom cometh not from above Present Things are known by Sense and known easily and known by all But there is a Divine Spirit put into Christians which inclineth them to Things to come and worketh Graces suitable Some of which give us a sight of the Truth of those Things as Faith some a Taste or an Esteem of them as Love some an earnest Desire as Hope This Spirit cometh from God and Christ Ephes. 1. 17 18. And without these Graces we can have no sight nor desire of heavenly Things 1 Cor. 2. 14. The natural Man receiveth not the Things of the Spirit of God for they are Foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned They think 't is folly to hazard present Conveniencies for future Rewards and the truest Wisdom to live in Ease Plenty and Honour On the contrary the Divine Spirit convinceth us that there is no such Business of Importance as looking after eternal Life That all the gay Things of Sense are but so many Maygames to Heavens Happiness the terrible Things of the World are
take from them what they resign to him but they are not prepared for a submission to all Events Like those that make large Promises to others when they think they will not take them at their words So their Hearts secretly except and reserve much of that they resign to God But this is false-dealing and is shewn in part in murmuring when God taketh any thing from us 1 PET. 1. 9. Receiving the End of your Faith even the Salvation of your Souls THE Apostle here giveth a reason why Believers rejoice in the midst of Afflictions they are qualified thereby to receive Salvation yea in part have it already Receiving the End of your Faith the Salvation of your Souls In which words observe 1. The Benefit The Salvation of our Souls 2. The Grace which qualiâ—ieth us for that Benefit Faith 3. The respect between the Benefit and the Grace 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the End or Reward 1. The Benefit Which may be considered as consummated or as begun And accordingly the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must be interpreted If you consider it as to Consummation and actual Possession so we receive it at Death when our Self-denying Obedience is ended And for the present we are said to receive it because we are sure to receive it at the close of our days We believe now that we shall at length have it and therefore rejoice with Joy unspeakable and full of Glory 2. If you consider it with respect to Inchoation or begun Possession We have an undoubted Right now and some beginnings of it in the Consolations of the Spirit Now we receive it in the Promises we receive it in the first Fruits which are some forerunning Beams of the day-light of eternal Glory 2. The Grace which qualifieth and giveth us a Title to this Benefit is Faith The word Faith is taken in Scripture sometimes for fides quae creditur sometimes for fides quâ creditur for the Doctrine or Grace of Faith The first Acceptation will make a good sense here namely that the whole Tenor of Christian Doctrine leadeth us to the expectation of and diligent pursute after eternal Salvation 'T is the whole drift of the Christian Religion But I take it rather for the Grace This is the prime Benefit which Faith aimeth at as I shall shew you by and by 3. The Respect between Faith and Salvation 'T is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the End or the word signifieth the Fruit and the Reward As 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken for an End and Scope the Scripture favoureth that Notion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I press towards the Mark or Scope Phil. 3. 14. And 2 Cor. 4. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Salvation of our Souls is the prime Benefit which Faith is not only allowed but required to aim at A Believer levelleth and directeth all his Actions to this end that at length he may obtain eternal Life Sometimes 't is put for the Fruit or Reward Rom. 6. 22. Being made free from Sin and become Servants to God ye have your Fruit unto Holiness and the end everlasting Life The issue of all the final result was your Salvation The Point that I shall inâ—ist on is this Doct. That the End and Reward of Faith is the Salvation of our Souls I shall open the Point by explicating three Questions 1. What is this Salvation of our Souls 2. What Right the Believer hath to it 3. What is that saving-Faith which giveth us a Title to it The last is most important 1. What is the Salvation of the Soul 'T is not meant of temporal Deliverance or an escape from Danger as some would affix that sense upon it but of eternal Life or our happy Estate in Heaven This belongeth to our whole Man the Body as well as the Soul but the Soul is the chief part of Man and that which is first glorified When Men come first into the World first the Body is framed and then the Soul cometh after As we see in the Creation of Adam first his Body was organized and then God breathed into him the Spirit of Life And we see it in common Generation when the Body is first framed in the Womb then 't is quickned by a living Soul This lower Region of the World is properly the place of Bodies therefore Reason requires that the Body which is a Citizen of the World should first be framed that it may be a receptacle for the Soul which is a stranger and cometh from the Region of Spirits that is above But when we must remove into these heavenly Habitations then 't is quite otherwise for then the Soul as a Native of that place is presently admitted but the Body as a stranger is forced to recide in the Grave till the Day of Judgment and then for the sake of the Soul our Bodies also are admitted into Heaven This is the ordinary Law for all private Persons Christ indeed who is the Head of the Church and the Prince of this World and that which is to come his Body as well as his humane Spirit was made a Denizon of Heaven as soon as he ascended He entred into Heaven not as a private Citizen but as King and Lord of the Heavenly Jerusalem and therefore carried both Body and Soul along with him But as to us first the Soul goeth there as into his ancient Seat and proper Habitation and afterwards the Body followeth Well then 1. at Death our Souls go to Christ and enter into a state of Happiness Phil. 1. 23. I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ. The Soul is not annihilated after Death nor doth it sleep till the Resurrection nor is it detained by the way from immediate passing into Glory but if it be the Soul of a Believer as soon as it is loosed from the Body it is with Christ Luke 23. 43. Verily I say unto thee to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise He asked to be remembred when Christ came into his Kingdom and Christ assureth him of a reception there that day as soon as he should expire 2. In due time the Body is raised and united to the Soul and then Christ will be glorified in his Saints and admired in all them that believe 2 Thess. 1. 10. Such glory and honour will be put upon those who are but newly crept out of Dust and Rottenness the Saints themselves and all the Spectators shall wonder at it 3. There is another Period in this Happiness Our everlasting habitation in Heaven near unto the Throne of God and in the presence of his Glory John 14. 2. In my Father's House are many Mansions There we shall also have the company of Angels and blessed Spirits and make up one Society with them Heb. 12. 23. To the general Assembly and Church of the first Born which are written in Heaven and to God the Iudg of all and to the Spirits of just Men made perfect This is the