and word of Christ no Decree of God shall ever hurt him 2. Though the Decree of God be as determinate in other matters as in that of Salvation and Damnation yet no man rests upon that God hath fixed the period of every mans life His days are determined Job 14.5 the number of his months is with thee thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass Now will any man neglect his meals because God hath determined his days Will he say If I eat and drink I shall live never the longer if I never eat more I shall not dye a day the sooner There is no man so bereft of sense as to leave his life upon the decree of God without using means to preserve it for 3. The Decree is not only of the end but also of the means Faith and obedience are as much decreed by God as eternal life Hence ye read of being chosen to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth 2 Thess 2.13 And the Apostle to the Ephesians says God hath chosen us in him viz. Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy Ephes 1.4 Holiness is as much decreed as happiness There is no such thing in all the Scripture as Election to Salvation separate from faith and holiness The means and the end go together the Scripture is not made up only of promises for the incouragement of hope but of directions for the furtherance of holiness And therefore 4. Though the Kingdom of Heaven be prepared by the Decree Matt. 29.34 yet it must be sought by an early diligence in duty Though it is Gods good pleasure to give it Luk. 12.32 Matt. 6.33 yet it must be our work to seek it though it be designed for us yet it must suffer violence by us and we must take it by force Matt. 11.12 or we shall never injoy it notwithstanding Gods choice and Christs purchase The land of Canaan a type of Heaven was a land of Promise but yet they cannot possess upon the promise without fighting their way to the inheritance 5. In the day of Judgment God will not proceed with men upon Election and Reprobation but upon their obedience or disobedience to his Law He will render to every man according to his deeds To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honour Rom. 2.7 8.9 and immortality eternal life But to them that are contentious and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath It is said God will judge the world in righteousness Acts 17.31 Now righteousness in judgment is to distribute to every one according to his works God will vindicate the justice of his proceedings in that day by making the Word the rule of his Judgment to all that are under it John 12.48 And every mans Conscience a witness in the case Rom. 2.15 Let no man therefore deceive himself by groundless conclusions about the secret Decrees of God and so indulge himself in a sinful neglect of duty to the eternal ruine of his Soul Object 2. Another stumbling-block that lies in the way of young ones to hinder their taking up the Yoke of Christ is this That early Religion seldom comes to any thing They that mind Religion young seldom hold out long A young Saint and an old Devil * Angelicus juvenis senibus satanizat in annis Answ The design of the Devil and wicked men in this Objection is to decry early holiness as if it were time enough to seek after God and grace when we are dropping into the grave Now to such I would say three things Answ 1. This Objection is founded upon a notorious falshood for it supposes that true grace is utterly loosable that a Child of God may perish for ever which the Scripture doth expresly consute Where the seed of God is once sowed in the heart it never dies it is never lost nor plucked up it remains in him 1 John 3.9 Solomon says Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it Prov. 22.6 So that this Proverb of a young Saint and an old Devil is none of Solomon's 2. It is true that where a profession of Religion is taken up in Hypocrisie it commonly ends in Apostasie So that it may be said A young Hypocrite and an old Apostate But where do you find that any that truly feared God did ever depart from him Obadiah feared the Lord from his youth 1 Kings 18.12 2 Kings 22.2 and as he began with God so he ended Josiah was good betimes at eight years old and he held it to the last He turned not aside to the right hand or to the left David was a young Convert and he died an old Saint Psal 71.5 Thou art my hope O Lord God thou art my trust from my youth there is his beginning My flesh and my heart faileth Psal 73.26 but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever there is his ending I might instance in Samuel Jeremy John Timothy c. these began with God in their youth took up the Yoke betimes and so they continued all their days He that chuses God for his chief good and highest Lord at first finds so much happiness in him that he will never leave him at last Besides the Covenant of God is sure and one branch of it is I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me Jer. 32.40 3. Should not the great uncertainty of life silence this Objection We have no security for another day much less that we shall live till the keepers of the house tremble and the grinders cease and they that look out of the windows be darkened c. As Solomon elegantly describes old age Eccles 12.3 Our candle may blow out as well as burn out One dies in full strength being wholly at ease and quiet his breasts are full of milk and his bones moistned with marrow Job 21.23 24. And shall we be afraid of taking up the Yoke of Christ too soon Or suppose you should live to old age yet such as turn their backs upon Christ while they are young it is rare if ever they come to take up the Yoke of Christ when they are old as a young Saint will never leave Christ so an old Sinner will hardly ever embrace him Or if he would it may be too late his season of grace may be past It is storied of Hannibal Plutarch that when he could have taken Rome he would not and when he would have taken it he could not And is it not the case of many When they may find Christ they will not seek him and when they would seek Christ they cannot find him when they may have mercy they don't prize it and when they would have mercy they can't obtain it He that in his youth reckons it too early
and blessed Spirits in a state of Glory but yet it is a state of subjection and obedience they are all under a Law they have many immunities we have not They are freed from all infirmities of the flesh from the necessities of meat and drink freed from dying but they are not freed from homage and duty to God They are under a Law there Psal 103.20 Bless the Lord ye his Angels that excel in strength that do his commandments hearkening to the voice of his word Their state of Happiness doth not exempt them from obedience therefore they owne themselves our fellow-servants Rev. 22.9 Revel 19.10 I am thy fellow-servant And that petition in the Lords Prayer Mat. 6.10 Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven shews that they are under a Law of obedience though in a glorified state Look into the starry Heaven and all the Host there are under a Law Sun Moon and Stars observe their courses and vary not from their appointed motions He hath made a decree which shall not pass Psal 148.6 Look into the lower Heaven and you shall find a governing Law there Psal 148.8 Fire and hail snow and vapor stormy wind fulfilling his word Who can govern the wind that blows where it lists Joh. 3.8 or give a Law to an unruly tempest that bears down all before it and yet these fulfil his word He makes the storm a calm Psal 107.29 Look lower to that raging and unruly Element the Sea no Potentate on Earth can bridle one wave Xerxes presumed he could tame the Hellespont but it knew not his power nor felt his wrath neither could his three hundred stripes allay the fury of its waves nor his fetters thrown in bind it from raging It is storied of Canutus our Danish King that when his Courtiers would have flattered him into a belief of a kind of Omnipotency in him he caused his Chair to be set by the Sea-shore at time of flood and sitting down commands the Sea thus I charge thee come not upon my Land nor wet my Robes But the Sea coming on without regard to his Command made him glad to retreat whereupon he crys out How vain and weak is the power of Princes None but God can set bars and doors to it as it is Job 38.10 And what are these bars and doors not the sands nor banks nor rocks so much as the Law of Heaven for so it follows in the next words Hitherto shalt thou come but no further and here shall thy proud waves be staid v. 11. This is the bound it can't pass over other banks and bounds it can and hath passed as in Noahs Deluge History reports of many sad inundations of the Sea no bound can hold it but this Law of Heaven Thou hast set a bound that the waters may not pass over that they turn not again to cover the earth Psal 104.9 So that all Creatures are under a Law according to which all their motions are guided and governed Now these Laws differ according to the differing nature of the Creatures that are under them all are not capable of Moral government but Man is being a creature fitted with intellective and elective powers Therefore the Law by which he is governed is the Moral Law with the superaddition of Gods revealed will to all that are under the Gospel And the will of God is revealed two ways in his Word and in his Works The one is voluntas de nobis Gods will concerning us The other is voluntas in nobis his will in us to be done by us in the one consists our active obedience in the other our passive active obedience respects his Precepts passive respects his Providences and obedience is as truly manifested in the one as in the other in patience as in Holiness for as in Holiness we owne God as the supreme Law-giver so in patience we owne him as the supreme Lord who hath absolute Dominion over all Creatures and all Events And this is the Yoke of Jesus Christ And it hath six essential Properties belonging to it which do so describe the Nature of it as that it may be distinguished from all other Yokes First It is a pure Yoke and needs it must for it is a Yoke put on us by that Law which is a Transcript of the Holiness of God The Apostle James calls it pure Religion Jam. 1.27 And it is so whether you look to its Precepts or its Promises First To its Precepts The commandment of the Lord is pure Psal 19.8 Holy just and good Rom. 7.12 No Doctrine so holy no Precepts so pure Secondly To its Promises They are pure Promises First In regard of the matter of them they do not flatter us with sensual delights and brutish pleasures 1 Pet. 1.4 but secure to us an undefiled inheritance not a Turkish Paradise full of swinish sensualities but a sinless felicity made up of visions of God and likeness to him Secondly In regard of the end and design of them which is to purifie the heart and promote the sanctification of the whole man He hath given us exceeding great and precious promises that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature 1 Pet. 1.4 No Religion in the World can rightfully lay a claim to this Character of a pure Religion but the Christian Reformed Religion Compare it with the Religion of the Jews the most like to be a perfect Religion of any because it was a Religion of Gods setting up but yet that had its imperfections their Sacrifices wherein it chiefly consisted Heb. 10.1 could not make the comers thereto perfect and therefore it is done away Compare it with the Religion of the Heathens And how corrupt hath that been in all ages and in all parts What a numberless number of Gods have been found among them a Varro reckons up more than 30000. Some worshipping dead men for Gods b As Belus or Bel or Baal whose image was set up after his death by his Son Ninus who was the first Idolater Diodor. Plutarch says the Egyptian God Osyris was a man such was Saturn made a God by his Grandson Faunus such was Mercury Vulcan Apollo Mars c. Cicero in his Book De Natura Deorum shews that all their Gods were but men Some worshipping dumb Creatures c As the Egyptians c. Some worshipping Sun Moon and Stars d As the Arabians c. Some worshipping Herbs and Plants And some worshipping Devils it is a filthy Religion making Gods of them who made themselves Devils e As the Americans and the old Romans and Grecians under the name of Pluto Proserpina Cerberus c. Compare it with the Mahumetan Religion and what is that but a mixture of Jewish Heathenish and Popish vanities little of truth to be found in it A Religion not known in the World till 600 years after Christ a Mahomet was born under Mauritius the Emperor An. Christi 591.
It is true that a hearty resignation to God and a serious imbracing Religion by an unfeigned subjection to Christ always finds acceptance with the Lord Joh. 6.37 Him that comes to me I will in no wise cast out There is a double Negative in the Greek which serves to make the promise strong and to incourage faith against all doubts and fears 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will not not cast him out The promise doth not only import the safety of the estate of such as are in Christ but the welcome reception of all that come to Christ As he will not cast them out that are once united to him so nor will he keep them out who desire truly to close with him whenever it be sooner or later when ever the heart is willing God is ready A sincere obedience shall find acceptance at any time but the earlier we come the kinder shall be our reception and the greater our welcome and it must needs be so First Because we resist the fewer calls and invitations of God which are the expressions of his love and good will to sinners and as nothing provokes God more than when his love is slighted so there is nothing he is more pleased with than when the Soul is won by it to a readiness of obedience and that which pleases God heightens our acceptation Secondly We save God the labour to speak after the manner of men of using other means in which he less delights there are methods which God doth not love to be found in the use of which yet he is constrained to use for our benefit he hath his thorn hedges to stop our course reduce our wandrings and bring us to himself hence we read of his strange works and his strange acts Hos 2.6 7. Isa 28.21 Things which God delights not in but is forced to by the stubbornness of the Creature that he that will not hear the word and who hath ordained it may be made to hear the rod and who hath appointed it Mic. 6.9 Now by early imbracing the ways of Christ we happily prevent God in that work which is so contrary to his disposition as being more inclined to mercy than wrath Thirdly We gratifie him in the thing he loves and that is an early obedience Under the Law all Sacrifices were required to be young Deut. 15.19 All the firstling males that come of thy herd and of thy flock thou shalt sanctifie unto the Lord thy God And Exod. 22.29 Thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits and of thy liquors Mark It must be the firstling of the herd and the firstling of the flock and the first ripe fruits and the first liquors And why but to teach us by these Types how pleasing to God a timely conversion is and that if we would present our selves an acceptable Sacrifice to him it must be by an early subjection to the Yoke of Christ He loves a young Abijah a young Josiah a young Timothy a young Saint for a Sacrifice Joh. 20.2 Chap. 21.20 John is called the Disciple whom Jesus loved Joh. 13.23 And why did Jesus love none other of the Disciples but him Yes he loved them all and that both living and dying Joh. 13.1 Having loved his own which were in the world he loved them to the end But yet he loved John above all the rest and the reason that is given of it by some is because John was brought to Christ betimes of all the Disciples he was youngest when he took up the Yoke of Christ he loved Christ first and therefore Christ loved him best and as he had the highest affection for him so he made the greatest revelations to him All which shews the gracious acceptance of his early obedience It addeth greatly to the value of a gift when it is given readily and at first asking So when we give up our selves to the Call of God without shifting and hucking without demurrs and delays it puts a great value upon our obedience and makes it the more accepted with God Long standing off greatly provokes God and grieves the Spirit though we yield at last Many do by their lusts as Pharaoh did by the Israelites Exod. 5.2 he refuses to let them go Though God commands him till Judgment terrifies him into some kind of compliance and then he will let them go Exod. 8.28 but not far away that he may fetch them back again and when another Plague comes then he will let some go but not all Exod. 10.11 some must stay behind to be Hostages for the rest He never consents they shall all go till he is forced to it so that it was not thank-worthy when he did consent Many love their lusts more than Christ and will not part with them though at the Call of God till by judgment upon judgment he makes them weary of their communion and plagues them out of them the smart of Gods rod the coming of the evil day the wastes of nature the decay of strength the growth of diseases the prospect of another world the sense of a polluted nature a corrupt heart and a mispent life the fore-tastes of the wrath of God these set home by the Spirit may create such terrors in the conscience as may weary a sinner out of his lusts and bring him to Christ at last but he shall not have that welcome as the early Convert hath He shall be received and entertained but not made so much of as if he had come sooner He shall not have those comforts that an earlier Convert feels who took up the Yoke of Christ betimes and so hath walked in the fear of the Lord all his days His own conscience shall upbraid him and fill him with shame for the sollies of a mispent life if his bones are full of the sins of his youth Job 20.11 though they are pardoned in Heaven yet he may carry the pain of them to the grave with him and then he must needs lye down in sorrow Or if he meets with comfort in this life it may be long first and cost him many prayers and many tears much wooing and much waiting Though Christ when he stands at the door and knocks promises that if any man opens he shall sup with him Revel 3.20 Yet if Christ wait long for entrance the Soul may be made to wait long for its entertainment If his own Spouse deny him entrance he 'l deny her his presence if she suffers him to knock and call without admittance he will suffer her to seek and sue for a time without success Cant. 5.2 3 6. Delay God and God will delay you the longer you make him wait in the tenders of his Grace the longer he will make you wait in the expectation of peace and comfort Reas 5. It is the greatest business we have to attend to in the world and therefore is to be most minded and first entred upon It is the
quenched and so quench it that it can never be kindled again Many do in this sense out-live their day of grace by sinning away the motions and strivings of the Spirit for though he strives long with many and longer with some sinners than others yet he will not strive always The Lord said My Spirit shall not always strive with man Gen. 6.3 Nay the Spirit may not only cease striving when the Ordinances are removed but he may cease striving while the Ordinances are continued and then the day of grace is past though the means of grace abide The general and revealed day of grace may possibly last as long as life lasts and the sinner may sit under the Gospel-call all his days and yet the secret and particular day of grace may be ended the Spirit may never strive more but leave the sinner to his lusts This is denied by some and hardly believed by any let me therefore make it out that so the danger of sinning away your particular day of grace may be a prevailing reason why you should mind Christ and his Yoke betimes lest you defer it till it be too late I shall therefore make out the truth of this five ways First By the unerring evidence of Scripture instance Was not Ishmael a sad instance of this truth He was descended of a godly father was in Covenant with God had the Covenant-seal upon him Gen. 17.26 injoyed all the means of grace for Abraham was King Priest and Prophet in his own house And therefore he was not without the strivings of the Spirit and yet for all this he is cast out of the Church and out of Covenant Cast him out saith the Lord Gal. 4.30 Now this casting out is a cutting him off and depriving him as a just punishment of his scoffing spirit of the means of grace Gen. 21.9 Gal. 4.29 and especially of the strivings of the Spirit of God And this was done when he was not above twenty years old Oh what a dreadful instance is this How should it awaken young ones that sit under the means of grace and fill them with trembling Here is Ishmael standing out against the strivings of the Spirit and losing his day of grace at twenty years of age So that his day of grace lasted but few years for he was thirteen years old when he was circumcised Gen. 17.25 and so sealed with the Covenant-seal and therefore he was but seven years under the priviledges of the Covenant Now how old are you How long have you been sealed with the Covenant-seal How long have you been under the means and have had the Spirit striving with you Surely much longer than ever Ishmael had and therefore how dangerous is thy case if thou art not yet come under the Yoke of Christ And what think ye of Esau Did not he sin away and out-live his day of grace Why else is it said That he would afterward have inherited the blessing and was rejected For he found no place for repentance though he sought it carefully with tears Heb. 12.16 17. His time for the blessing was past and gone he came too late and so lost it and was rejected and no tears could recover it again Now there is a great Mystery in this and it instructs us in three great and concerning truths 1. That by many the greatest blessings are less minded than things of smaller moment Here 's Esau preferring a morsel of meat before his birth-right 2. To prefer temporal benefits before the greatest spiritual blessings is an evident argument of a profane spirit For therefore Esau is called a profane person because he sold his birth-right a Type of spiritual blessings for a morsel of meat 3. He that neglects to secure to himself spiritual blessings when they may be had his judgment shall be to seek and mourn after them when it will be too late to find them Esau first sells the blessing profanely which God had bestowed and afterward seeks it with tears and is rejected And when was this that Esau thus profanely parts with his birth-right It was very early in the days of his youth This is easily gathered from the story of his hunting which ye have in Gen. 25.27 and so to the end of the Chapter where it it said that the boys grew and Esau was a cunning hunter v. 27. and coming faint out of the field v. 29. he desires his brother Jacob to feed him v. 30. Jacob offers him bread for his birth-right v. 31. Esau being very faint at the point to die the Text says v. 32. sells him his birth-right for bread and pottage Thus Esau despised his birth-right v. 33. And this was very early as soon as the boys were grown up So that Esau survived his day of grace many years The Spirit of the Lord left striving with him betimes And was it not the sin of the poor Jews Did not they out-live their day of grace Luke 19.44 Oh that thou hadst known in this thy day the things which belong to thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes Secondly If a man may fall away from the Faith once professed and that totally and finally then may he sin away the strivings of the Spirit and so out-live his day of grace Though a man cannot fall away from the work of grace finally yet from the word of grace he may though he cannot utterly depart from faith implanted yet he may from the faith professed The Apostle says 1 Tim. 4.1 That the Spirit speaks expresly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith Now when a man comes to depart from the Faith the word of faith the Scriptures and the profession of faith and that finally then the Spirit strives no more for his Conscience the next verse tells you is seared with a hot iron Thirdly It is evident in that God sometimes gives men up to their own lusts Psal 81.11 12. My people would not hearken to my voice and Israel would none of me had no will to me so the Hebrew and what follows 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So I gave them up to their own hearts lusts and they walked in their own counsels And what is it for God to give a man up to his lusts but to let sin and corruption have the whole rule and sway in the Soul without the wonted checks and restraints of the Spirit This is called letting him alone in sin Ephraim is joyned to idols let him alone Hos 4.17 that is let him take his own course and pursue his lusts till God deal with him once for all Fourthly It appears in that judicial hardness of heart blindness and impenitency that he gives some up to which renders all the Ordinances utterly ineffectual like rain falling upon a rock that runs off without fruit Nay in this case the Ordinances do not only not soften but they harden for where God hardens every thing hardens every word every rod every
which the Gospel brings upon impenitent sinners Their Judge will be severer Their Hell will be hotter Their Season of Grace and time of the Spirits striving will be shorter For he will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth Rom. 9.28 Secondly The more profligate and desperate in sinning men grow under the Gospel the sooner will the Spirit cease striving For a man may and many a man doth by his own sin shorten his day of grace and provoke God to strive by his Spirit no more Eliphaz speaking of the sinners of the old World says They were cut down out of time and their foundation overflowed with a flood Job 22.16 And therefore what shall we think of England's Priviledges Will they last long I am afraid they will not considering the desperate wickedness of the Nation that reigns in all sorts this may justly cause God to cut them down out of time and cause a flood of judgments to overflow their foundations The abominable pride gluttony drunkenness uncleanness swearing lying Covenant breaking oppression injustice perjuries together with the Errours Heresies Schisms Blasphemies Idolatries and Atheism of the day and I will add the unrighteous persecution of the Ministers and Members of Christ for nothing but their adhering to the word and Kingly Office of Christ these things I fear have brought the Nations day and mercies to a near period And though I speak it with trembling yet I must say it That without a speedy repentance the Lord will shortly do one of these two things either he will remove this generation from the Gospel or else he will remove the Gospel from this generation Thus you see where the force of this reason lies delay of so great a Duty is greatly dangerous whether you look to the indisposition it works or to the uncertainty of life or to the uncertain duration of the day of grace which may be sinned away and then if you would come to Christ you cannot Then shall they call upon me but I will not answer Prov. 1.28 29 30. they shall seek me early but they shall not find me for that they hated knowledge and did not chuse the fear of the Lord They would none of my counsel they despised all my reproof Salvation is not a thing to be had at your time but at Gods time and Gods time is now in your youth Most agree that it is a reasonable thing that sin should be forsaken that the Yoke of Christ should be taken up but not so soon it is too early and this is it upon which most men perish they slight Gods time When I would have healed Israel then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered Hos 7.1 A man never discovers more iniquity and more love to sin than in setting light by Gods time of healing The foolish Virgins would fain have entred in with the Bridegroom but when they should have entred their oyl was to get and when they would have entred the door was shut Mat. 25.10 Ye read in Revel 10.1 2 6. of an Angel that hath in his hand a little book open and he swears by him that lives for ever and ever that time should be no longer This Angel is interpreted of Christ and the little book in his hand is the Gospel and it is said to be open because he makes known the whole counsel of God for our Salvation it is Christ that gives out the Gospel and means of grace and it is he that limits the time of mans injoying it beyond which he cannot injoy it for he sweareth that time shall be no longer CHAP. VII Containing the last Reason viz. from the good of Obedience It is a necessary good a profitable good an honourable good a comfortable good Reas 8 THE last but not the least reason is what is hinted here in the Text viz. the goodness of the undertaking there can be no greater reason of obedience than the goodness of it All true obedience springs from love and the object of love is good and when a man loves and obeys God because of the goodness of his Precepts this is excellent Thy word is very pure therefore thy servant loves it Psal 119.140 There is nothing proves our regeneration and being made partakers of the divine nature like this 1 Pet. 1.4 for then we have the same object of love as God hath Purity and goodness is the object of Gods love and it cannot but be so because of its suitableness to his nature and therefore to have the same object of love with God argues the Soul changed into the likeness of God Carnal minds have no relish of heavenly things They that are after the flesh savour the things of the flesh Rom. 5.8 That man is undoubtedly born of God that loves the word because it is good and obeys it because it is pure The great argument by which Duty and Obedience is inforced upon the Creature is the good of obedience Deut. 5.29 The Lord commanded us to do all these Statutes to fear the Lord our God Deut. 6.24 Hear it and know it for thy good Job 5.27 And Deut. 10.12 13. What doth the Lord require of thee but to fear him and to walk in his ways and to love him and serve him with all thy heart and with all thy soul To keep the commandments of the Lord and his statutes which I command thee this day for thy good And here in the Text It is good for a man that he bear the Yoke in his youth And the great motive upon which good men labour to confirm themselves in heart and life to the precepts of God is the goodness of them The commandment is holy just and good Rom. 7.12 The mandatory part of the word hath an inviting loveliness Manton on Psal 119. p. 456. As the promises of pardon and eternal life suit with the hunger and thirst of the Soul and the natural desires of happiness so the holiness and righteousness of the precept suit with the notions of good and evil that are in mans heart and this draws forth compliance and consent I consent to the Law that it is good Rom. 7.16 It is good for me to draw near to God Psal 73.28 There is no likelier means to prevail upon considering minds to come under the Yoke of Christ betimes than to let them see how much duty is their real interest and that obedience is not burden so much as blessedness for that there is an universal good in Religion It is a necessary good a profitable good an honourable good a pleasant good First It is a necessary good Nothing in the world is of equal necessity with this there are many things useful but this is that one thing needful So our Lord Christ says One thing is needful Luke 10.42 and that is subjection to Christ Martha was careful about his entertainment but Mary sate at his feet one
and honour are put together 1 Thess 4.4 That you should know how to possess your vessel in sanctification and honour Nothing can be so great an honour to a man as Religion and Godliness 1. This makes a man like God The truest resemblance that man can carry to his Maker is in Holiness therefore one says Godliness is God-likeness it is the image of God in man Eph. 4.24 That ye put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness And what greater honour than to resemble God especially in that which is the glory of all his perfections and that is holiness His holiness is his greatest honour and glory Who is like thee O Lord Exod. 15.11 among the Gods who is like thee glorious in holiness For this reason sin is the basest and most dishonourable thing in the world it blots out the image of God in man It robs him of his Holiness and what is a man without holiness Take holiness from an Angel and he becomes a Devil and man without holiness is like him 2. The Word every where puts such a difference and distinction between the godly and ungodly as speaks Religion to be very honourable Good men are called the precious The precious sons of Sion Lam. 4.2 Since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast been honourable Isai 43.4 And evil men are called the vile Psal 15.4 In whose eyes a vile person is contemned Dan. 11.21 In his estate shall stand up a vile person i. e. Antiochus And Jer. 15.19 If thou take forth the precious from the vile The righteous are called Wheat and the wicked Chaff Mat. 3.12 Others reprobate silver Jer. 6.30 Lam. 4.2 these fine gold others dross these Jewels Mal. 3.17 they bryars and thorns these a noble Vine Nay good men are called the excellent of the earth Psal 16.3 Outward ornaments or Titles of earthly Honour which set one above another in this world without the inward ornaments of Grace and Holiness are but like the Trappings of a Horse or the Chains of Gold about the necks of the Midianites Camels Judg. 8.26 they advance not a man one step above the beasts that perish 3. God himself honours such and he is the fountain of honour he whom God honours shall be honoured indeed 1 Sam. 2.30 Them that honour me will I honour Psal 91.14 15. I will set him on high because he hath known my Name I will be with him in trouble I will deliver him and honour him 4. True honour begins in Religion and ends there When a man begins to owne and serve God there his honour begins And when a man casts off Religion his honour is lost He that despises me shall be lightly esteemed 1 Sam. 2.30 Hold that fast which thou hast that no man take thy crown Rev. 3.11 A Crown is a token of the highest honour and what is the Christians Crown He hath two Crowns one present one future his future Crown is Glory 1 Pet. 5.4 His present Crown is godliness and sincerity in Religion if he falls from Religion his Crown falls 5. In that it is pretended to for by-ends where nothing of the truth and power of it is Having a form of godliness but denying the power What makes men hypocrites but because they would have the honour of Religion though they have nothing of the truth of it If a man would increase his trade and draw custom he pretends Religion If a man would draw Disciples after him in broaching any new Opinion he must be very strict and seem very religious for this gives a reputation to a person among the vulgar that judge by appearances and so promotes the Doctrine Now if Religion were not a thing of great honour and reputation men would never pretend to it that are enemies to the life and virtue of it 6. It is praised by them that love it not He that fondly hugs vice will yet commend vertue The Drunkard will commend sobriety he would not have his child or servant a drunkard The Deceiver commends Justice and though he practises deceit upon others he himself would not be served so He loves to buy by just weights and measures though he sells by false ones The Adulterer loves a chast wife and the filthy Strumpet would have her husband true to her bed though she be false to his 7. It puts honour upon a man in death The righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance Psal 112.6 The memory of the just is blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot Prov. 10.7 No man dyes in the bed of honour but he that perseveres in the ways of God whiles he lives Rom. 14.8 and dyes to the Lord when he dyes 8. Christ will put honour upon him at last When the wicked shall be cast out with shame and everlasting contempt from the glorious presence of God with a go ye cursed then shall the righteous be honoured with a come ye blessed of my Father c. And shall shine body and soul with the glory of Christ for ever O what an honour is it to be godly Let no man be ashamed of Christ and his Yoke What though Religion is scoffed at in the world it is only by them that know nothing of it and so are not fit to judge The Moon is never the less bright because the dogs bark at it It is sin that is the reproachful thing Prov. 14.34 Sin is a reproach to any people It is a dishonour Prov. 6.33 It is a shame Lest he walked naked and they see his shame Rev. 16.15 Sin is not a thing of good report is it any reputation to a man to be a drunkard unclean proud covetous profane Oh no. Sin hath an ill name in the world among all even sinners themselves unless it be among the vilest Torys and Debauchees and it becomes the more odious by their esteem and character If there be any honour in sin why do men hide it Why doth it seek corners and the covers of darkness They that are drunk are drunk in the night 1 Thess 5.7 The eye of the adulterer waits for the twilight saying No eye shall see me and disguises his face The morning is to them as the shadow of death if one know them they are in the terrors of the shadow of death Job 24.15 17. And Solomon says of the young man void of understanding that he goes to the harlots house In the twilight in the evening in the black and dark night Prov. 7.7 8 9. And why is not sin owned by its own name among its servants and abetters But it must be painted with vertues colours to render it taking This speaks it deformed and ugly in it self Covetousness is condemned of all I but frugality is a lovely thing and therefore griping and carking and caring and pinching is not covetousness but frugality A proud person is contemned of all I but neatness and decency is lovely
the case is not the same for we are bound to answer Gods precepts but he is not bound to answer our requests and yet we make him tarry our sinful leisure in the business of duty though we think much to tarry his holy leisure in the case of mercy Secondly It is down-right disobedience he that delays a duty transgresses the precept and slights the divine Authority The season is as much a part of the command as the thing commanded If God says return ye now every one from his evil way Jer. 18.11 the now is as much a duty as the returning If the Father says to his Son go work to day in my vineyard Matt. 21.28 it is flat disobedience to defer it till to morrow for the time of working is as much a duty as the work it self Thirdly It is the highest ingratitude for Christ did not adjourn his love to us one day his heart was to us from everlasting I was set up from everlasting rejoycing in the habitable parts of the earth and my delights were with the sons of men Prov. 8.23.31 He gave himself in the Covenant of Redemption to dye for sin and redeem sinners from the first day that sin entred And therefore he is said to be a lamh slain from the foundadation of the world Revel 13.8 Though he came not to dye actually till the fullness of time Galat. 4.4 yet in the decree of God the Father and in the consent of God the Son he was a Saviour from the beginning and his Blood was as efficacious to Salvation before ever it was shed as after he was a Saviour and Redeemer from the first entrance of sin Adam Noah Abraham and all the Saints that lived before his Incarnation were saved by his Blood as well as we His love bears date from everlasting and it breaks forth very early in the overt acts of it to particular persons Christ begins with sinners betimes who knows how soon puts upon many of them a federal holiness betimes seals them for his betimes puts his spirits into them betimes and calls them to an actual close with him betimes it is hard to say how soon but it appears to be very early in that many have been converted from their very childhood as Samuel and Timothy and others O the earliness of the love of Christ and shall we adjourn our obedience as if we were afraid of closing with him too soon he took up our burden betimes and shall we delay the taking up his Yoke for the last work of our lives This is great ingratitude Fourthly It is manifest injustice and a fraudulent detaining of Christs right For whose you are his your strength and service is and are ye not the Lords hath he not redeemed you and that both by price at the hands of God and by power out of the hands of Satan ye are the redeemed of the Lord and therefore you are his your time is his your gifts and parts are his your affections are his your estates are his your strength is his your youth is his your body and soul are his your all is his and therefore not to give up your selves body and soul to him not to love and fear and serve him is a crying injustice Nay to delay it one day one moment is to deny him his right Many boast of their honesty they are just to all and wrong none yes you wrong your redeemer you are unjust to Jesus Christ and that is the highest injustice in the world To delay any man in that which is his right is a great sin the wages of the hireling must be paid at the day and it must be done before the sun be set Deut. 24.14 15. It is a maxim in the Law minus solvit qui minus tempore solvit not to pay at the time is to pay the less because there is so much advantage for improvement lost Is it such a sin to detain a servants right what is it then to detain our Lords right must we not withhold wages for a servants work till the sun be set and yet dare we withhold doing our Lords work till the sun of our lives is setting O what base injustice is this Fifthly It is altogether unreasonable there is no man living can give a reason to excuse him from this duty You cannot say it is the wrong way to Heaven for it is the way the Lord Christ hath directed and chalked out You cannot say it is a needless Yoke for there is no Salvation without taking it upon you You cannot say it is a dangerous Yoke for it hath salvation certainly intailed upon it You cannot say it is a fruitless Yoke Matt. 11.28 for it yields perfect peace and lasting joy to all that come under it You cannot say it is an impossible Yoke for as you have the command of Christ to undertake it so you have the promise of Christ to help and inable you to bear it So that you cannot give one reason why you should neglect it and therefore he that refuses to take it up is without excuse Whoever remains graceless in a day of Grace will be found speechless in the Day of Judgement Matt. 22.12 Sixthly It is downright madness for you refuse Heaven because you will not be holy You will rather lose the eternal injoyment of God than be made like God You will rather chuse to perish under the wrath of Christ than you will consent to come under the Yoke of Christ You will be contented to be damned so you may go a pleasant way to Hell And is not this madness to the height to chuse rather to perish eternally than be tied to love and serve your maker and redeemer O what a base and low opinion have you of God and Heaven how can ye degrade and dishonour him more If a man should publish it as his opinion that darkness is better than light that Hell is rather to be chosen than Heaven that he had rather be in an everlasting society with Devils and damned Spirits than with God and Christ in the glory above what would you say of such a one but that he talked like a mad man why then reflect upon your selves a little for mutato nomine do teâ— Fabula narratur you that prefer the pleasures of sin to the service of Christ that will renounce your part in God and Christ and eternal happiness to satisfie a base lust that will stake your Souls for a few minutes of sinful delights can any man be guilty of greater madness do ye know what ye do or what ye speak when ye say in your hearts this lust shall reign but Christ shall not reign let us break his bonds Psal 2.3 and cast his cords far away from us this is treason against the Crown of Heaven your Blood Luk. 19.27 your Life your Soul must go for this Those mine enemies that would not that I should reign over them bring them out and
slay them before me The Lord open your eyes that you may see the madness of this for most true is that of Solomon concerning sinners Madness is in their heart while they live and after that they go to the dead Eccles 9.3 Thirdly Now having shewed you the causes why so many do neglect taking up the Yoke of Christ and laid before you the aggravations of the sin let me lay down but three considerations if the hardness of your heart will suffer you to take them in First Consider what you will answer to Christ for slighting his Yoke do ye believe there is such a day coming wherein the Lord Christ will sit in judgment upon every Soul and in which every one must give an account of himself to God if ye do not ye do not owne the Bible ye do not believe the Scriptures to be the word of God for there is no truth more plainly attested in the Scriptures than this See Acts 17.31 Rom. 2.5 6. and chap. 14.10 11 12. 2 Corinth 5. 10.2 Thess 1.8 9 10. Heb. 9.27 James 5.9 Revel 20. 12 13. and many places more And if ye do believe a judgment to come pray tell me what you think the business of that day will be will it not be to take an account how you and I have carried it to Christ God hath sent him into the world to dye for sinners 2 Tim. 1.10 to bring life and immortality to light through the Gospel to fix the terms and conditions of life and salvation and these terms are subjection and obedience to Jesus Christ and his commands as King and Lord and the business of that day will be to take an account what complyance we have made with these terms not whether we have professed him and outwardly owned him but whether we have closed with him upon the conditions of the Gospel Now you that have refused or neglected taking up the Yoke of Christ how will you answer it to Christ in that dreadful Day 1. Will you say you were not called that you cannot for God hath called you many ways many of you have had calls by your Parents in a Godly education calls by instruction calls by counsel calls by correction calls by Godly examples many of you have been called by being placed in religious families under Godly Masters or Godly Tutors and Governours Mic. 6.9 Many of you have been called by afflictions by the voice of the rod of God all of you have been called by the dispensation of the Gospel for what is the work of Ministers but to call you to Christ to take up his Yoke Will you say you were too young that you can't for others as young as you have heard his call and obeyed taking up his Yoke betimes Besides it is your duty to make it your first work Matt. 6.33 Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness Will you say you have present concernments that must first be attended to that you cannot for there is nothing in the World of so great concernment as this Besides God hath made a promise of all other things to Godliness for this very reason that we might be incouraged to an early practice of it and to leave the neglecters of it without excuse Matt. 6.33 1 Tim. 4.8 Psal 84.11 Will you say you expected a longer time in the World for this work but how could that be why should you expect what God never promised or why should God lengthen your days for you to spend in the service of your lusts you that would not repent of sin and turn to Christ in the time that God gave you for that purpose neither would you have done it if the Lord had lengthened your life to the age of Methuselah Therefore your mouth will be stopped Matt. 22.12 and you found speechless in that dreadful Day of account Secondly Consider you that will not come under the Yoke of Christ must come under the wrath of Christ You shake off this you cannot shake off that There is a two-fold dispensation of wrath to these Sons of Belial one in this World the other in the World to come 1. That in this World lies in giving them up to their own corrupt wills and lusts of their own hearts And this is wrath to the uttermost as it is call'd 1 Thes 2.16 There can be no greater expression of Gods wrath in this world than to give a man up to his own lusts And when a man sits under Gospel-seasons and hath sin disovered Christ tendred faith and obedience pressed upon him and yet will not hearken to the voice of God herein nor leave his lusts for Christ that man is very near to this judgment See Psal 81.11.12 My people would not hearken to my voice Israel would none of me so I gave them up to their own hearts lusts and they walked in their own counsels This is a dispensation of wrath in this world 2. There is a dispensation of wrath in the next world and that lies in the pouring out of eternal vengeance Now I pray consider this you can refuse present obedience but can ye refuse eternal vengeance you may say I will not come under Christ's Yoke but can you say I will not come under his wrath You read of some that call for the mountains to fall on them and hide them from the wrath of the lamb Revel 6.16 but all in vain How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation Heb. 2.3 mark if we neglect he doth not say if we reject and renounce it if we scoff at and deride it if we oppose and persecute it no but if we neglect it the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same as in Matt. 22.5 They made light of it If we make light of let slip shift off take no present care of our salvation what then how shall we escape that is there can be no escaping the wrath of God It is somewhat like that expression Rom. 2.3 Thinkest thou this O man that thou shalt escape the judgment of God Thirdly Consider where will you lay the blame of your destruction you can't lay it upon God for he gave Christ to redeem and save you You can't lay it upon Christ for he would have gathered you Matt. 23.37 and you would not he never cast you off till you cast him off You can't lay it upon the spirit for he would have convinced and converted and sanctifyed you and you have resisted and quenched him You cannot lay it upon your ministers for they have set before you life and death and declared to you the danger of sin and the necessity of holiness but you would not believe their report You can't lay it upon your ignorance for either you do know your duty and then your disobedience is inexcusable or you might know it if you would and so your ignorance is inexcusable You can't lay it upon your want of leisure and time for you
three heads and speak a little distinctly to each of them that so you may know how to make use of them in the tryal of your state The first is The enlightening the mind The second is The convincing the Conscience The third is The inclining the will 1. There is a saving illumination of the mind There can be no coming to Christ out of the darkness of a natural state till the light of God break in to shew us the way Spiritual things cannot be discerned by natural light The natural man receives not the things of the spirit of God 1 Cor. 2.14 for they are foolishness to him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned The object is supernatural God in Christ and the mysteries of the Kingdom and therefore cannot be discern'd but by a supernatural light Psal 36.9 In thy light we shall see light By nature we know little of God but nothing of Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 or the mind of Christ till God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness shine into our hearts The first creature that God made in the World was light and the first work of God in the soul is light The will of man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a rational appetite it is acted by the guidance of the mind and therefore God deals first with the mind and understanding of man And hence it is that Christ is made a Prophet as well as a King he doth not subdue the will meerly by an unaccountable power but by a saving light And because the mind must first be inlightned in this work therefore Christ first appears in the office of a Prophet not only revealing the will of God as a rule of obedience but inlightening the mind to see the reasonableness of complying with the rule He doth not only bring light unto the soul by the revelation of the word but he brings light into the soul by the communication of his spirit We have received the spirit of God that we may know the things that are freely given to us of God 1 Cor. 2.22 This I call a saving illumination for that light which the Lord works in such as are brought home to Christ is of a saving nature and hath saving effects First It is in its own nature as saving as any Grace in the will or affections for it is a work of the same spirit and wrought for the same end to bow the soul to Christ It is an essential part of that Image of God after which we are renewed Colos 3.10 And have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him So that this light differs not only gradually but specifically from the highest light that is in hypocrites and formal professors A hypocrite may have much notional knowledge great measures of light in spiritual things from the common work of the spirit but in the highest degree of it it is not saving for as to saving light so he is in darkness until now Secondly It hath saving operations and effects and that both as to believing and obeying First As to believing They shall all be taught of God and what then John 6.45 every man that hears and learns of the father comes to me This coming to Christ is believing and this believing is the fruit of Gods teaching so that this is a saving operation Secondly As to obedience As it is said of the two blind men whom Christ cured that as soon as they had received their sight straight way they arose and followed him Matt. 20.34 David says the sun arises and man goes out to his labour till the evening Psal 104.22 23. when the sun of righteousness arises in the heart it is so So that this is a saving operation Now let this be a rule of tryal for young ones have you been prepared for subjection to Christ by a saving illumination do you know any thing of being called out of darkness into his marvelous light 1 Pet 2.9 can you say I was blind John 9.25 but now I see the soul that is savingly inlightened it sees that in sin it never saw before it sees that in Christ it never saw before That soul is far from the Yoke of Christ that was never inlightened with the light of Christ 2. The second thing is the convincing of the conscience Where the soul is brought to take up the Yoke of Christ it is the fruit of through convictions There must be a threefold conviction wrought upon the sinner before ever he will stoop to Christ A conviviction of sin a conviction of righteousness and a conviction of judgment this is through conviction and all conviction short of this leaves the soul short of Christ And therefore when ever the spirit of God comes to convince the soul to conversion he convinces of all these as you see John 16 8. When he is come he will convince the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment First He convinces of sin This is the next end of illumination He sets up a light to see sin and then applys the guilt of sin to the Conscience for though a man lies under the infinite guilt of sin and the dreadful wrath of God for it yet till the spirit of God do set this home upon a mans Conscience he never sees his condition nor considers with himself what to do No it is the being pricked at heart that causes this Acts 2.37 When they heard this they were pricked in their heart and what then then they cry out men and brethren what shall we do And therefore the spirit first deals with a man about his sins so he did to the first sinners he opens their eyes to see their nakedness and shame their sin and misery before the seed of the woman is promised Gen. 3.10.15 There is one instance instead of a thousand and that is of Paul I call it so because he tells you that Jesus Christ set him up for a pattern in his dealing with sinners 1 Tim. 1.16 And therefore look how Christ dealt with him to bring him under his Yoke and so he deals with all Now the first great work upon Paul was conviction of sin The Spirit of Christ by the word set sin home upon his Conscience and there the work began This is meant by the coming of the Commandment Rom. 7.9 When the commandment came sin revived and I dyed You may see it more particularly expressed in Acts 9.3 4 5 6. There shined round about him a light from heaven and he fell to the earth and heard a voice saying to him Saul Saul why persecutest thou me and he said who art thou Lord and the Lord said I am Jesus whom thou persecutest it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks And he trembling and astonished said Lord what wilt thou have me do Here 's a light and a voice there shined
what revenge 2 Cor. 7.11 Hence it is that he is so conversant and constant in the use of Ordinances his great end is to subdue and weaken lust under all First He uses the word to this end for this is the sword of the Spirit Eph. 6.17 and in conflicts either with corruption within or with Temptation without there is none to that No man was ever overcome either by Corruption or Temptation so long as he kept close to the word I write to you young men because ye are strong and have overcome the wicked one 1 Epist John 2.13 Here is an evidence of their strength their overcoming the wicked one But where lies their strength that is intimated ver 14. I write to you young men because ye are strong and the word of God abides in you and ye have overcome the wicked one The abiding of the word in the heart implies the power and virtue of the word taking hold of the heart and there it is mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds 2 Cor. 10.4 The abiding of the word in the heart includes every part of the word precepts promises and threatenings and the Believer makes use of all to subdue lust 1. The Precepts of the word where all sin is forbidden Hath God forbid sin and shall I indulge to it ought not his word to be my rule can I be true to God and transgress his Precepts what is sin but a transgression of the law 1 Joh. 3.4 and shall I dare to invade the rights of God and deny his Sovereignty Thus his heart stands in awe of the word Psal 119.161 2. The promises of the word he makes use of them to incourage hope and hope purifies the heart 1 Epist John 3.3 Hath God made such promises so many so great of this life of that to come and all to incourage the Soul to dye to sin and shall I live in it and so frustrate my hope in the promise Hath God so often promised Heaven and Glory to such as mortifie sin and shall I live to the Flesh and dye Thus having these promises 2 Cor. 7 1. he labours to be cleansed from all filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit 3. He makes use of the threatenings of the word as an incentive to fear for by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil Prov. 16.6 Thus the law of his God is in his heart so that none of his steps shall slide Psal 37.31 Secondly He uses the Sacraments for this end both Baptism and the Lords Supper 1. His Baptism he reflects upon it as a token and seal of that Covenant wherein God hath made himself over to him to be his God and in which God requires a forsaking of all sin and by his owning this Covenant he hath taken God for his God and devoted himself to live to his will and therefore looks upon himself as strictly ingaged against every lust and for this cause labours daily to put off the body of the sins of the Flesh Col. 2.11 2. The Lords Supper here by Faith he sees Christ Crucified for sin and how can this but make him hate sin and heighten his rage and indignation against it shall Christ dye for my sins and shall I suffer any lust to live that had a hand in his death Besides this Supper is a solemn renewing of Covenant with God and no man can renew Covenant with God but he must solemnly ingage to hate and renounce all the lusts of the Flesh Thus the Christian uses and improves every Ordinance to carry on the contest against sin that so he may mortifie and destroy it 4. His hatred of sin appears in his purposes and resolutions against it The Covenant with Hell and Death is now broken and he resolves never to say a confederacy to the lusts of the flesh any more When he is at any time surprized by sin as sometimes he is he hates it the more and it causes him to issue out a practical decree for God like that of David I said I will take heed to my ways that I sin not Psal 39.1 When once a man hath truly taken up the Yoke of Christ the resolve and bent of his Will is never to sin more Though a Believer cannot promise absolutely not to sin yet he may fully purpose not to sin So did David I am purposed my mouth shall not transgress Psal 17.3 No man can be said to hate sin that doth not purpose against it and he that doth not hate sin his heart is not right with God And this is one of those fruits of subjection to the Yoke of Christ whereby judgment may be made a posteriori Now I would to God that young ones would try themselves by this Character What is the disposition of your heart towards sin do ye make it your work to search out sin do ye labour to know more of your secret lusts and carnal frames and deceitful hearts this every one that is under Christs Yoke doth Do ye accuse and charge your selves home before God for sin and is it done freely and in sincerity and brokenness of heart this every one that is under Christs Yoke doth Do ye hate sin with a hatred of abomination I so as to loath and turn from sin and is it from all sin and do ye hate it with a hatred of enmity do ye pray against it do ye mourn under it do ye keep up the spiritual conflict striving against sin and using means of Grace and Ordinances to keep down sin this every one that is under Christs Yoke doth Is the bent and resolution of your soul against sin have you taken up fixed purposes never to live to the lusts of the flesh more thus every one that is under the Yoke of Christ doth By this then every one may make a judgment whether ever he hath taken up the Yoke of Christ or not 2. It may be known by living to God in a course of Holy Obedience Whoever hath truly put on the Yoke of Christ makes it his work and business to live to Christ there is such a Principle of grace infused that obedience becomes natural And this obedience is an infallible sign of your subjection to Jesus Christ and therefore a fit medium to try your State by For 1. What better Testimony can there be of our subjection to Christ than that which evidences the work of holiness in the heart Now obedience in the life is a sure evidence of the work of holiness within It is the natural fruit of the feed of God sowed in the good ground of an honest heart Holiness is an inward frame obedience is an overt act proceeding from it Holiness is the Divine Nature planted in us Obedience is the fruit that grows upon that Root Holiness is our Conformity to the nature of God Obedience is our Conformity to the will of God And nothing can prove our participation of the divine nature like our subjection
it is the only soyl wherein grace takes root and grows prosperously It is that one thing wherein only the true Chrian can outstrip the hypocrite it is that which crowns all grace with perseverance No wonder therefore that the Apostle is so earnest with God for this grace in behalf of that Church Phil. 1.9 10. Now this I pray that ye may be sincere And that David applies himself so earnestly to God upon this account as he doth Psal 119.80 Make my heart sound in thy statutes that I be not ashamed Hypocrisie ends in shame it is the glory of a Christians obedience when it is done in sincerity IV. It must be a constant obedience Tho there may through the strength of remaining lusts the imperfections of grace possibly be many particular unevennesses and sinful deviations in the course of the saints obedience as it was in Noah Lot David Peter c. yet in the main Job 17.9 he holds on his way I have inclined my heart to perform thy statutes alwayes to the end Psal 119.112 Not by pangs and fits but alwayes not for a time and then draw back but to the end Judas was a disciple and put on Christs Yoke for a while but Satan enters and the Yoke is cast off Simon Magus takes up Christs Yoke for a fit but Acts 8.21 his heart not being right with God he soon casts it off again There is a great deal of this volatile devotion in the world Many take up Christs Yoke early and cast it off again as suddainly their goodness is as was said of Ephraims Hos 6.4 as a morning cloud and as the early dew that goes away Or like the new moon that shines a while in the first part of the night but is down and disappears before half the night be gone But blessed are they that keep judgment and he that doth righteousness at all times Psal 106.3 Now when obedience is thus circumstanced when it is done willingly fully sincerely and constantly then it is done in a right manner 4. See that your obedience to Christ hath right ends it is a known maxim non actibus sed finibus pensantur officia Duties are not weighed and esteemed so much by acts as by ends Though a good end cannot justifie a bad action yet the best action is corrupted by a bad end Jehu is imployed in a good work a work well pleasing to God a work to which he was called of God 2 King 9.6 7. viz. the destroying the house of idolatrous Ahab And yet when he had done it God threatens to avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu Hos 1.4 God first anoints Jehu for that work to shed the blood of the house of Ahab and then bid him go and do it and then declareth his acceptance of it when done 2 King 10.30 Thou hast done well in executiting that which is right in mine eyes yea promiseth to reward him for doing it 2 King 10.30 Because thou hast done to the house of Ahab all that was in mine heart thy children of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel and yet after all this threatens to avenge this blood upon Jehu's house What should be the reason of this Because though the work was good yet Jehu's end was bad It was not done in zeal for the Lord as he pretended 2 King 10.16 but his end was to get the Kingdom I observe hence two things 1. A man may possibly do that very thing which is commanded by God and yet not do the will of God He may serve his own lusts in doing what God requires 2. God may reward a work in this world and yet punish it in the next A work may be materially good and so may have a reward here and yet our end in it may be carnal and corrupt and for that God may punish it hereafter It is a very mischievous thing for a man to subject a good work to bad ends Our Saviour speaks of some that pray to be seen of men Matt. 6.5 and that devour widows houses and for a pretence make long prayers Matt. 23.14 a bad end to a good action And what follows therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is a base contempt that is put upon God when his worship is made a pretence to vile ends Some preach Christ out of envy Phil. 1.15 What work more spiritual what end more carnal this is prostituting Religion to serve our lusts and so make Gods stream to turn the devils mill Or as if we did set up another God besides him as every carnal man doth for he that hath no higher end in all his actions than himself is a God to himself Hence it is that corrupt and false Teachers are said to make their belly their God Phil. 3 19. because their highest end in all they do in the matters of Religion is to feed their belly and to gratifie their carnal appetite in worldly pleasures and preferment a Scripture never more verified then in this day It is of great concernment therefore that in all we do our intentions and ends be right for 1. Our ultimate end doth greatly influence all our actions they are greatly guided and governed by that If a mans end be carnal and selfish it will influence every duty every act of Religion He brings forth fruit to himself in all Hos 10.1 If a mans end be the eternal injoyment of God as his chief good and utmost felicity why then all his duties and performances are directed to his Glory that whatever he doth may please God He lives to the Lord and dies to the Lord. Rom. 14.8 2 Cor. 5.9 He labours that whether present or absent he may be accepted of him 2. A mans state in grace is discovered by nothing more then by fixing a right end Grace is not discovered by what a man doth but by the end he doth it to One sayes three things must concurr to denominate a man truly godly That he be sure to make God his portion That he be nothing in point of self-righteousness That he have a change of his utmost end A man cannot call his most spiritual action an action of grace unless he doth it to a holy end True wisdom lies in three things 1. In propounding and fixing a right end 2. In the chosing proper and suitable means 3. In a diligent use of these means to the attaining to this end and you have all these pointed at in that of the Apostle Phil. 1.11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ to the praise and glory of God Fruits of righteousness must be our work as the means which must be done by Jesus Christ by whom we have strength for performance And they must be done to the praise and glory of God as our end 3. There is nothing in our best duties and performances that
promises God promises that he will be our God and we promise to be his people He Covenants to teach and guide and rule us by his Laws and we Covenant to take him for our Lord to hearken to him and obey his voice in all he commands us He ingageth that he will never turn away from us to do us good Jer. 32.40 And we ingage that we will never depart from him but will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever Mic. 4.5 So that there is an Everlasting obligation lyes upon you to duty and obedience You have sworn and cannot go back As David sayes I have sworn and I will perform it that I will keep thy righteous judgments Psal 119.106 Now one part of the Covenant is to answer another you look that God should always bless you and provide for your good and God looks that you should always serve him and promote his Glory You expect that God should perform all his promises of Mercy and Blessings and God expects you should be true to all your promises of Obedience and subjection For he said surely they are my people children that will not lye so he was their Saviour Isa 63.8 Now therefore renew your resolutions of service and subjection Cleave to the Lord with full purpose of heart Act. 11.23 Resolve in the strength of Christ never to cast off his Yoke nor count his Commandments grievous You cannot rationally expect the Blessings of the Covenant unless you perform the conditions of the Covenant The stipulation on our part must answer that of Gods And therefore as ever you would have God to be your God and Guide unto death Ps 48.14 Rom. 14.18 resolve living and dying to be the Lords Direct 9. Maintain a holy filial fear of God in the world this is an excellent preservative against Apostacy By the fear of the Lord men depart from evil Solomon sayes Prov. 16.6 and he tells you Chap. 14.27 The fear of the Lord is the fountain of life whereby men depart from the snares of death And backsliding from Christ is one of the great snares of death Direct 10. Think much of the day of recompences and of the glorious reward of perseverance in that day Be thou faithful to the death and I will give thee a Crown of life Rev. 2.10 non incipientibus sed perseverantibus corona tribuitur It is not mercenary service to quicken our selves to obedience by the hope of a recompence Omnis amor mercedis non est mercenarius It is said of Moses he had respect to the recompence of reward Heb. 11.26 And David sayes I have hoped for thy salvation and done thy Commandments Psal 119.166 He incouraged himself to duty by the hope of Glory And it is said of Christ himself that for the joy that was set before him he indured the Cross Heb. 12.2 Hope of that glorious recompence is of great force to quicken us to perseverance And to the same end doth the Apostle urge it 1 Cor. 15.58 Wherefore my beloved Brethren be ye stedfast unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as you know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. CHAP. XVIII Contains matter of Counsel to Christless sinners with motives and directions to further it 2 Exhortat TO such as have never yet taken up Christs yoke and I am afraid I now speak to many Though many are called to Christ yet few close with Christ and submit to him There are threescore Queens fourscore Concubines Virgins without number Cant. 6.8 How many are sons of Belial without yoke They are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 under no law but that of the Flesh and under no yoke but that of lust I am now to deal with you whether you will hear me or no I know not you have hitherto turned a deaf ear to all the calls of God and Christ I am now from the authority of this Text to give you one call more and I do in the name of the great God call and invite every sinner of you this day to come to Christ and take up his Yoke And this is no other then the very call that Christ makes in the Gospel Mat. 11.28 29 30. Come to me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest to your souls for my yoke is easy and my burden is light Come to me that implies believing Take my yoke upon you that implyes obeying Faith and Obedience can't be separated every one that believes in Christ must obey the commands of Christ If you come to him you must take up his yoke Pray consider it is the counsel of the Lord Christ who knows what is for our good He knows there is no life no salvation no happiness no Heaven without it this is implyed in that rest he promises they shall find rest in so doing which supposes that without taking up his yoke this rest can never be had Again it is his counsel who can and will reward all that practise it and therefore makes this promise ye shall find rest to your Souls Mat. 11.29 And pray mind here is a twofold rest promised one in ver 28. Come to me and I will give you rest that is a rest by believing another is ver 29. Take my yoke upon you and I will give you rest that is a rest in obeying So that the former is a peace which flows from justification and pardon of sin and therefore promised to the weary and heavy laden And this is the fruit of Faith in Christ and therefore promised to all upon coming to him The latter is a peace which flows from Sanctification and this is a fruit of Obedience to Christ and therefore promised to them that take up his yoke And mark what kind of rest it is that Christ promises ye shall find rest to your souls So that it is not an outward rest but an inward spiritual rest the outward man may have less rest and peace under Christs yoke then ever your obedience to Christ may make the world hate you reproach you persecute you therefore Christ sayes In the world ye shall have trouble Joh. 16.33 but in me ye shall have peace This finding rest to your souls under the yoke of Christ implyes 4 things which greatly commend Christs service 1. Liberty It holds but Christs yoke to be a yoke of Spiritual Liberty His service is perfect freedom and therefore the Gospel by which this yoke is put upon us is called a law of liberty Jam. 1.25 There is nothing more consistent then obedience to Christ and freedom of Spirit Deo servire summa libertas Pray which are most free the good Angels in Heaven or the evil Angels in Prison and chains of darkness are not the good Angels and yet they are in a state of