such a one as makes conscience of every Command great or smal Every one comes from the same authority James 2.11 For hee that saith the one saith also the other And whatever hath the stamp of God the authority of Heaven upon it though it seem never so small hee dare not disobey it where there is a beam of Gods Majesty sitting upon the face of a command hee will submit to it Men you know will not refuse the Kings Coin though the peece bee never so small if the Kings impression bee on a penny it calls for acceptance as well as a piece so if the authority of God bee stamped upon the least command a sincere heart will yeeld subjection to it as well as the greatest Mat. 5.19 Hee who breaketh the least of these Commands shall bee the least c. Hee who stands with God for small things when hee will not forbear an Oath a cup a ragge for Christ how should you yeeld to the greater A man may do the smaller and yet neglect the greater As the Pharisees who tithed Mint and Cummin but the great things of the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 legis the love of God fear of God these are not regarded But hee who doth the greater will not neglect the smaller Thirdly Hee will obey God in affirmative Commands as well as negative Commands Hee doth not only look upon what God would not have him do but hee examines what God would have him do Dives was cast into Hell not for oppressing Lazarus but for not shewing mercy upon Lazarus not because hee took any thing from but because hee gave nothing to him There is many a mans Religion lies meerly upon negatives Hee is no swearer no drunkard no unclean person as the Pharisee hee oppresseth no man defrauds no man But if you ask him for the affirmative commands there hee is nothing art thou holy art thou humble art thou a beleever art thou a sanctifier of Gods day lovest thou God fearest thou God Alas these sins because they are minoris infamiae not so scandalous as the other are therefore hee makes them nullius culpae no sins at all these gnats hee can swallow without any straining at them c. 4. Hee will obey God in the Spirit of the Command as well as in the letter of the Command There is an intra and an extra in every Command of God One part of the Law binding the flesh the other part enjoyning the spirit You see how Christ sets it down Matth. 5.21 Thou shalt do no Murder there 's the letter of the Command Thou shall not bee angry with thy Brother without a cause there is the Spirit of the Command Thou shalt not commit Adultery there is the letter of the Command Thou shalt not look on a woman to lust after her there is the Spirit of the Command An unsound spirit looks no further than the bare letter of the Command that part which bindes the flesh or outward man only and if hee do but observe that in the gross hee thinks hee hath done well but now a sincere heart hee looks to the spirit of the Command and if hee do not observe that hee hath no peace if you keep the whole Law in the letter and give way to your selves to fail in any and do not sincerely indeavour to obey all according to the spirit your spirits are unsound Hee that will see God with comfort must not only obey the letter of the Command but must bring his heart to the sincere Obedience of the spirit of the Command 5. Hee will not only obey God only in the Matter but in the Manner not only in the substance but in the circumstance of the Command Hee is not only conscionable to obey God in what hee commands but his heart is wrought to a conscionableness in the Obedience An unsound heart looks no further than the substance of the Command if hee have but prayed if been at Church hee thinks all is well hee looks no further But now a sound spirit hee looks to the circumstance as well as the substance the manner as well as the matter of the command When hee prayes hee labours to pray fervently faithfully When hee hears hee will hear humbly fruitfully when hee obeyes hee desires to obey willingly chearfully c. Wee say bonum est ex integrâ causâ but malum ex quolibet defectu Take any action if either the Principle whence it doth arise bee not good that the action arise from corrupt Principles self-love carnal fears or if the purposes bee not good that the aims and ends bee carnal or if the circumstances bee not good it spoils the action If wee pray and pray not fervently if wee heat and hear not fruitfully if wee obey and obey not willingly if wee shew mercy and do it not chearfully if you sanctifie the Sabbath and not with delight all is worth nothing There are some circumstances accessory some necessary some wherein the being and some wherein but the well-being of a duty doth consist And if you abstract these from them the duty it is worth nothing Take away fervency and humility from Prayer take away faithfulness and fruitfulness from hearing take away willingness and delight from Obedience all is nothing worth So much for the first Character of sincere Obedience Universality 2. Character Sincere Obedience is such an Obedience Rightness of which doth 1. Come from a right spring 2. Is wrought by a right Rule 3. In a right manner 4. To a right end I put all together that I may not multiply too much 1. Sincere Obedience ariseth from a right spring 1. Spring a sound Obedience ariseth from sound Principles A soul renewed a soul universally sanctified and principled from above Such as the Principle is such is a mans Obedience dead Principles and but dead Obedience unsound Principles and unsound Obedience A mans actions can go no higher than his Principles There must bee a good tree before good fruit the person must bee good before the actions can bee good if there bee a crack in the person all is naught Now this sincere Principle which is the spirit of all our Obedience it is nothing else but an entire and spiritual frame of Grace and Holiness set up in the soul whereby a man is renewed and changed Which is called in Scripture a new Creation a writing of the Law in the heart Regeneration Renovation Resurrection from death to life and a forming Christ in the soul As it hath a respect to the heart the seat of these Principles it borrows five names It is called 1. A sound heart in opposition to an unsound a false spirit 2. A perfect heart in opposition to an Hypocritical spirit 3. And a single heart in opposition to a doubleness of spirit 4. An honest heart in opposition to a deceitful heart 5. A whole heart in opposition to a half a divided spirit which God hates And
Peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom also through Faith wee have access into this Grace wherein wee stand rejoycing under the hope of the Glory of God Rom. 15.13 The God of Hope fill you with all Joy and Peace in Beleeving Where there 's Faith there 's Joy If Faith of Evidence Ubi Fiducia ibi Laetitia there Joy doth naturally result and arise from it If but Faith of Adherence there Joy is hid and secret though it doth not appear The seed of Joy is hid as yet under the Clods of Faith but in time it will break forth and appear Joy is there though it bee not seen There may bee a divorce between Faith and actual rejoycing for a time but there can bee no divorce between Faith and the Matter and Ground of Rejoycing not between Faith and the Affection of Joy My Joy shall none take from you Thus you see Faith is an Heart-chearing-Grace It fills the soul with such a Joy as nothing is able to bereave the soul thereof It is not Losses Crosses Poverty Sickness Prisons Persecutions which are able to take away this Joy of Faith 1. Faith will inable a man to rejoyce in Bonds to rejoyce in Tribulations and Sufferings for Christ as the Apostle saith As Sufferings abound the Consolations shall superabound As if all the floods of Consolation did issue from the spring of Sufferings 2. It will inable a man to rejoyce in sicknesse Faith will bee our best Cordial and let in such a beam of Gods love into the Soul as will chear and comfort the heart in this condition warm and inlighten it not only inlighten but warm the heart in this condition 3. It will inable a man to Rejoyce in Poverty in Calamity in Famine You see Habakkuks confidence Hab. 3.17 18. Although the Figtree do not blossome nor shall there bee fruit in the Vines though the labour of the Olive shall fail and the field shall yeeld no meat though the sheep bee cut off from the Fold and there bee no Bullock in the stall yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my Salvation Though the waters of Calamity should rise so high as to drown up all his comforts yet hee could rejoyce in God In the absence of all worldly comforts Faith can let in springs of Consolation from God to rejoyce the Soul If God if Christ if Glory can rejoyce the heart Faith will not want matter of Joy in the saddest condition It is an Heart-chearing Grace Faith will present to man Soul-rejoycing-grounds There are these five grounds of Rejoycing 1. Our Election Hence Christ saith Rejoyce that your Names are written in the Book of Life 2. Our Redemption 3. Our Justification 4. Our Sanctification 5. The Promises and Hopes of Glorification And Faith presents all these grounds of rejoycing It makes a discovery to the soul that wee are Gods chosen such as hee hath elected that wee are his Redeemed ones such as hee hath purchased that wee are his Justified ones such as hee hath pardoned that wee are his holy ones such as hee hath sanctified and shall bee hereafther glorified And when such a report is made to the soul from Heaven when Faith hath been in Heaven and brings this news down to the soul how can it bee but the Soul must rejoyce and bee filled with all Consolations Object But alas you will say Who are more sad who are more disconsolate than Beleevers are And therefore how is Faith an Heart-chearing-Grace Ans 1. Beleevers may rejoyce and thou not discern it It is a Joy which is not known but by experience Hence the Apostle saith It is a Joy that passeth all understanding None know it but they who feel it A stranger doth not intermeddle with this Joy As they cannot feel it so they cannot see it and therefore are no Competent Judges whether Gods people are joyfull or whether they bee sorrowfull 2. But to answer further You say Beleevers are sad and disconsolate people 1. All Beleevers are not so They are such as are 1. Under some present cross and affliction Gods hand is gone out against them though for good For all things work together for good to them that love God and are chosen according to his purpose But I say some present evil is upon them and this may sadden the spirits of the best for a time though this may bee their infirmity Paul had learned in all estates therein to bee content and if to bee content then to rejoyce unless it were Contentation by force sure not well pleasing to God If indeed their comfort did lye in the presence and injoyment of these outward things then no marvel if in the absence of them they were cast down I say If the floods of their comfort were maintained by such springs as these then no marvel if these being taken away they bee bereave of their Joy But seeing these things are too short either to breed or feed either to beget or fuel a Christians Joy why should the deprival of them so much affect the heart as to take away their Joy Have you not still the ground of Joy you have lost your goods but not your God You are deprived of your Comforts not of your Christ And therefore except you do make Gods of the Creature prize them too highly in your Judgement ingage your hearts and affections too much to them why should your Joy bee taken away You see Paul had learned in all estates to bee content and the Prophet Habakkuk before mentioned and why not you 2. Such they are as for the present are under some sad and sore Temptation combate with Satan and for the present their spirits are sadned and cast down 3. Such as are in deserted conditions God having withdrawn himself and hid his face from the Soul Than which there is no sadder condition in the World when not a Star but the Sun it self is rent from the Sky when not a single Comfort but the universal Comfort seems to bee gone This may sadden the spirit of Gods people for a time All Jobs crosses did not so much affect him as this The loss of his Goods of his Possession of his Children came not so neer him as the apprehension of the loss of his God Hee could lift up his head under all the other but here hee was ready to sink Such a Condition Gods people may bee in which may cause sadness of spirit as was David Heman Hezekiah and others 2. So secondly for those of Gods people that are thus sad and disconsolate it is not as they are Beleevers but as they are Doubters Their Trouble ariseth from Doubting not from Beleeving It is not Faith but the want of Faith which is the cause of their uncomfortable walking If Gods people would live more out of themselves and more in Christ if they would live more the Life of Faith and less the Life of Sense if they would
where Obedience is sincere it ariseth from such a spirit A sound perfect c. spirit 2. As it comes from a right rise so hee walks by a right Rule in his Obedience and that 's the whole will of God revealed in his Word if God saith do hee doth if God saith do not hee will not do If hee have no command from Heaven hee stands still like a ship becalmed and wanting a wind hee will not stir Those things which are motives to others move not him But when a command comes his sails are filled he is carried on with strength in obedience to it Col. 4.12 Wee have the same metaphor Bee filled with all the will of the Lord let the will of God his command bee the only motive that carries you on in the service of God Thus you see it was with David he had respect to the Commandements he had not respect to the world to men to his own ends advantages which are the spring of others obedience but hee hath respect to the Command he eyes that hee will obey if there be a Command A Sincere heart doth not only do things good in themselves and such as God hath commanded but hee doth them because God hath Commanded them Gods preceps are the ground of his practise Psal 119.4 5. Thou hast commanded us to keep thy Precepts Oh that my ways were directed c. 3 He obeys after a right manner c. 4 He levels his actions to right ends As nothing below God is the spring of his obedience so nothing below God is the end of his obedience Gods grace is the spring Gods glory is the end of all his obedience An unsound heart hath base and unsound ends credit repute profit esteem or the like Hee now makes not the world his end no not the world to come the salvation of his soul the end of all his obedience Indeed this is a secondary a subservient a subordinate end but not the ultimate end the primary the universal end Gods glory is the Sea to which all his actions like so many rivers move and bend It is true I grant that other ends may creep into the performance of good actions and that not only lower but baser ends than this But wee are to distinguish between a mans setled and his suggested end a mans setled end may bee one thing yet his suggested end bee contrary God reckons according to the setled end the universal purpose and frame of his spirit and not according to suggested ends It is in this case as it may bee with a man that shoots at a mark hee aims aright at the mark but there may come a jog upon the elbow which may carry the arrow another way than hee intended Or as it is with a man that sets out to go to such a haven he sets out aright and steers aright by his compasse but the winds blow contrary and carry him whether hee would not But then as the Apostle If I do the thing I would not it is no more I but sinne It was Bernards case hee had set upon a good work and levels his action to the glory of God that was his aim his end but there were other ends suggested pride ostentation vain-glory which hee observing encounters them in this manner Abi hinc nec propter te incepi nec propter te desinam Abi hinc c. get hence avoid you were not the ground of my beginning this work nor will I for you conclude this work And it would bee our wisdome when a man hath set his heart aright in the beginning when hee hath set out aright if any other ends bee suggested to reject them in the like manner being neither the spring of the action nor the end of the action Obj. But you will say further Is it requisite for the clearing of the sincerity of our hearts that wee have a continuall eye to the glory of God in every action wee do Is there required such an actual intention of the spirit in every particular action c. that he should aim at Gods glory Ans For the Answer of this I must lay down this distinction There is first an actual Secondly An habitual aime and intention For the first of these An actual intention of the spirit in every particular action that a man doth to the glory of God It is utterly impossible in the state and condition of this life it is possible for Angels and glorified Saints to do it for they are in Gods vision and it is all their work in heaven but it is impossible for us to do it here below no it was not possible for Adam in his innoâ—ency to do it But now secondly There is an habitual inclination in us in every action we do to aim at Gods glory though there be not the actual intention of the spirit in every action we do It is with us as with a man travelling towards a town hee thinks in the morning to go to such a town such a place hee aims to bee at at night and therefore sets out towards it and though hee doth not think of this every step hee takes yet it s his purpose in his journey to rest there at night Or as it is with a man who comes to Church his end is to hear the word of God yet in every word he hears spoken he hath not the thought of his end upon his spirit but he is there by vertue of his first intention So here though in every particular there bee not an intention of spirit to level this or that to this end yet it is the drift and habitual scope of the spirit that Gods glory may bee the end of his actions Nay Thirdly Though wee are not able to do it in the actual intention yet it must bee our care to renew our habitual intention and as farre as wee can to draw up these habitual purposes into actual levellings of these and these particular actions to the glory of God There are some go further in this than others Assure your selves the nearer you come to an actual intention of spirit for Gods glory in particular acts the nearer you are the life of heaven How ever let us so renew our first thoughts habitual intentions as that wee may thereby keep in the right path the right way till wee come to our journies end at night So much intention a Travailer holds up as to keep him in the right way to keep him from going into by paths although not so much as shall make him in every step hee takes to think of his first intention the end of his journey So much for the second Character 3. Character 3. Sincere obedience is a fruitfull obedience It is a growing obedience hee contents not himself with the measures hee hath but labours after perfection Phil. 3. vers 12. to the 15. I have not yet attained nor am already perfect c. A sincere heart hee aims at
that for the compleater deliverance of the Church So it follows They know not the thoughts of the Lord for he shall gather them They gather themselves together and yet saith the Text God gathers them They gathered themselves to ruine the Church and God gathers them to ruine themselves Hee shall gather them as sheaves into the floor and the fuller the load the more welcome to the Husbandman And then Arise and thresh 4. A fourth time wherein God doth wonderful things for his Church is When the enemyes of the Church are carried on with most rage and promise themselves most success against the Church and people of God You see that in the verses before the Text 9 10. when the enemy said in his heart I will pursue I wil overtake I will divide the spoil my lust shall bee satisfied on them I will draw my sword my hand shall destroy them Here they exprest their fury and rage and promist themselves good successe in all And this was the time for God to do Wonders you see in the next vers Thou didst blow with thy wind the Sea covered them they sank as lead in the mighty waters It was so in the Powder-Plot A Plot never to bee forgotten When they had intended to have blown up King People Nobles Commons Senators Senate Laws and Law-makers nay three kingdomes at a blast They could have buried all in one grave and consumed all in one Bonefire Here was their rage their fury And did they not also promise to themselves as good successe in their way Had they not then in their purposes disposed of Crown and kingdom and all the Chief Offices and Revenues in the Land And now was the time for God to shew a wonder for the deliverance of his Church which you know he did A wonder of wisdome in the discovery of the Plot and a wonder of mercy in disappointing of it 5. When Gods People are brought low when all humane helps fail when the Arme of flesh is weak when the stream of second Causes is dry Then is Gods time to shew a wonder for their releif when wee cannot be releeved without a wonder then God works wonders for our relief You see this Deut. 32.35 36. The Lord shall judge his People and repent himself concerning his servants when hee seeth that their power is gone and there is none shut up nor left When Israel was brought to those straits the Red-sea before them the Egyptians behind them and mountains on each side them then saith Moses fear not stand still and see the salvation of the Lord Exod. 14.13 As if he had said you are now in straits your extremities are great and now is the time for God to help now is Gods time to do wonders for you There are two times 1. Mans Time 2. Gods Time Mans time is when ever wee are in need when ever we are in trouble but Gods time is only when all helps fail when no releif is in the arm of flesh then all is in God God is ever ready to put forth himself in desperate cases because then his mercy and power will bee most conspicuous his People most thankfull and deliverance most glorious It is an old experienced Truth Mans extremity is Gods opportunity The depth of Mans misery calls in for the depth of Gods mercy It may bee observed in all Ecclesiastical Histories that when deliverance approached then was persecution the hot rest The Scribes and Pharisees blasphemed most when their Kingdome was neerest to ruine In this like the Devil who roars most when his time is shortest The greatest darknesse is before the morning watch when the morning is darkest then comes the day when trouble is greatest then comes deliverance You know when the task of bricks was doubled then was Moses sent to deliver The Ancient Tragedians when things were brought to that strait that there could bee no possibility of humane help imagined they used to bring down some of their Gods out of the Clouds and thence was the phraise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was not much differing from that among the Jews In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen Gods promises are never neerer fulfilling than when to sense and reason they seem furthest off from fulfilling This was Abrahams case when at Gods command hee was about to sacrifice his Isaca 6. The time when God doth wonders for his Church is When God doth give and hold up a mighty spirit of Prayer in his People to seek You see this in the deliverance of the Church out of the Babylonish captivity In which deliverance God expressed many wonders of mercy to his Church At which time God raised up A mighty Spirit of Prayer in them to seek As you see in Dan. 9.2 3. And this was prophesyed in Psal 102.13 14 15 16 17. Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion for the time to favour her the set time is come Why how shall wee know that Now is the time hee shews in the 14th verse For thy Servants take pleasure in the stones and favour the dust thereof that is they mourn and they Pray And therefore it is time for thee to help and deliver as you see in the 17th vers Thou shalt regard the Prayer of the desolate and not despise their Prayer As when the Lord hath an intent to destroy a People he doth either expresly charge them not to pray for them as hee did Jeremy chap. 14.11 Pray thou not for this people and chap. 7.16 Pray not thou for this people neither lift up cry nor Prayer for them neither make intercession to mee For I will not hear thee Or hee doth secretly dead and straiten their spirits that they cannot Pray So when hee doth stirre up the hearts of his People to seek him It is an evident demonstration that God will do great things for that People Hee hath told us that Hee will not forsake them that seek him when the eyes and hearts of Gods People are big with sorrow then is Gods mercy big with deliverance ready to be delivered Wicked men have a measure of sin to fill as God said of the Amorites The iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full And Christ to the Scribes and Pharisees Fill you up the measure of your Fathers Mat. 23.22 When the Harvest is ripe then will God put in his Sickle Joel 3.13 put in the Sickle for the Harvest is ripe for the wickedness is great In a word God hath a bag for the sins of the wicked Job 14.17 And God hath a bottle for the tears of his servants Psal 56.8 Hee bags up sins and hee bottles up tears And when once his bag is full of the transgressions of the wicked and his bottle is full of the tears of the Saints Then shall salvation come to Zion then will God stir up himself for the relieving and succouring of his Church When wicked men are ripe for Destruction the Church ripe for