Hearts to consider That of our Saviour Mat. 7. 21. Not every one that says in profession Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of my Father that is in Heaven That of St. Paul Gal. 6. 15. In Christ Jesus i. e. in the Profession or Religion of Christ neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Vncircumcision but a New Creature or as it is Chap. 5. 6. but Faith that worketh by Love or as it is 1 Cor. 7. 19 But the keeping of the Commandments of God Lastly that of St. John 1 John 3. 7. Little Children let no Man deceive you he that doth righteousness is righteous As if he should say take heed 't is an easie thing for a Man to slip into such a deceit as this Namely to think that if he has but some measure of knowledge in the matters of Christ and a Belief of the Doctrine of Christ if he has but the Name of Christ in his Mouth and a Profession of him in his Life with some attendance upon him in his Ordinances that then it is enough enough to righteousness enough to acceptance here and to Salvation hereafter Yea but let none flatter himself into so gross a deceit For he that doth righteousness is righteous He only shall pass for such in Gods account that brings forth the real Fruits of righteousness in the conscionable care and discharge of his Duty towards God and Man in every kind For as it is Acts 10. 34. God is no respecter of Persons but in every Nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted of him And Rom. 2. 7 8. God shall one day render unto every Man according to his Deeds To them that by patient continuance in well-doing seek for Glory and Honour and Immortality shall be Eternal Life But unto them that obey not the Truth but obey unrighteousness to them indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every Soul that doth evil Ye hence see what is it shall carry the main stroke with God what is it that shall weigh with God and cast the ballance of his favour to us another day Namely a beginning in Faith and a patient continuance in well-doing in short an obeying of his Truth in righteonsness And I would to God this it were a thing more preach'd and press'd upon the Consciences of Men and more practised in the lives of men For it will be found a true saying of His what ever his Judgment was otherwise in reference to the thentimes I say it will be found a great truth what I meet with in a fast Sermon delivered six and thirty years ago where speaking of the Duty of the Ministers he has these words Says Mr. Herbert Palmer his Sermon before the House of Commons June 28. 1643. P. 35 he ' When we all have preached up Repentance to which let me also add Obedience as much as we have preached first Confidence and then Faith we shall then be reformed and saved but I doubt not till then Tit. 1. 3. This Word or Witness true Thirdly and lastly by what has been said of the several Parts and Branches of Evangelical Obedience we may be able to make Judgment how much of it goes before the Grace of Pardon and Justification and what it is â—ust follow and come after Obedience to the Truths of Christ by â—elieving them and Obedience â—o the call of Christ by returnâ—ing and resigning up our selves to â—im These are clearly and fundamentally necessary as antecedents â—o our justification And beâ—ides what has been said were there no other Scripture save that only in Rom. 8. 30. it were enough to prove it Where 't is said by the Apostle That whom God calls them he justifies Them and them only does he justify whom he first calls that is calls a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quoe quando nobis contingit praedestinationem nostram ex effectu cognoscimus Paraeus And that this is the Judgment of our Church appears plainly from the 17th Article of Religion Wherefore they which be indued with so excellent a Benefit of God be called according to Gods purpose by his Spirit working in due season They through Grace obey the Calling they be justified freely they be made Soâ—s of God by adoption effectually so calls as that they fully answer to his Call neither can the words with truth bear any other sence So that the Blessing of Justification belongs to none but such as are the Called of God that is such as obey his Call by a sincere repentance towards God and Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ And upon this measure b It is for the honour of Christianity to maintain that God for Christ's sake is ready to admit the Heirs of everlasting damnation into the Inheritance of everlasting happiness in never so short a time as we can believe they can change their resolution from following sin to prosess that Belief and Conversation which Christianity importeth Mr. Thorndike Epilog L. 2. c. 30. P. 256. of Obedience without more ado the true Believer who thus far answers the Call of God a The sincere undertaking the trust of a Christian really entitles him to the promises of the Gospel Mr. Thornd ibidem L. 2. C. 7. P. 38. It would be a disparagement to that Fountain which God has opened for Juda and Jerusalem that there should be â—â—y sin which it cannot cleanse supposing the change sinâ—â—re which the undertaking of Christianity professes Mr. Thornd ibidem L. 2. C. 5. P. 22. presently enters and passes into a state of favour and acceptance with God As for the third Branch of Obedience consiâ—ing in a course of holy Actions and in a continued observance of the particular Rules of the Gospel God stays not for this God does not suspend the Grace or benefit of Justification till the Person has run through a course of Obedience through all the Precepts and Instances of a Holy Life but forthwith bestows it on the faithful Believer upon his first Faith and Obedience unto Gods Call provided it be real and sincere which God can see and discern though Man cannot And therefore this last kind of Obedience i. e. to the particular superstructive Rules of a Holy Life though it be necessary in its place for we stand bound to it by the Law of Faith by the Rule of the Gospel and are obliged to it in the vertue of Gods general Call yet if we speak of it in relation to our Justification with God 't is not required as an antecedent to go before it but as a consequent to come after it as the Evidence that must prove and testifie the effectualness of that Call and our sincere obeying it For he that would be found a Tunc veraciter fideles sâ—mus si quod verbis promisimus operibus complemus Gregor in Evangel Hom. 19. true to that Call he must and will pursue and prosecute it through all the
pure Offering shall be offered to my Name for my Name shall be great among the Heathen Excellently does St. Chrysostome Orat. secunda contra Judaeos urge this Place against the Jews It is not said says he my Name shall be great in Israel as Psal 76. 1. In Juda is God known his Name is great in Israel but great among the Gojim among the Heathen or Gentiles And again not in one two or three Cities or Countries but in every place yea and from the rising of the Sun to the going down of the same Thereby shewing says he that as far as the light and course of the Sun reaches over the Earth so far should be the course and compass of the Gospel But then secondly another grand Effect that followed the promulgation of the Gospel was the Conversion of the Nations of the Gentiles to the Faith and Worship of the True God And is not this from first to last frequently mentioned with and as it were limited to the coming of the Messia Gen. 22. 18. In thy Seed i. e. Christ Gal. 3. 16. shall all the Nations of the Earth be blessed Gen. 49. 10. The Scepter shall not depart from Judah till Shilo till Christ the Peace-maker come And presently he adds And to him shall the gathering of the People be Aggregatio or Obedientia populorum erit ei as it is in Arias Montanus So in Psal 2. 8. says God to his Christ Ask of me and I will give thee the Heathen for thy Inheritance and the uttermost parts of the Earth for thy Possession i. e. for thy Church and People A Psalm which even the Rabbies themselves expound of the Messia says Solomon Jaerchi To these I shall add but one more that in Isa 2. Verse 2 4. where 't is said That in the last Verse 2. days i. e. in the days of the Messiah says the same Rabbi Solomon the Mountain of the Lords House that is the Religion of the Messia shall be established on the top of the Mountains shall be advanced above all others and all Nations shall flow unto it that is to be enriched with the knowledge of Gods Will and Ways as it follows in the third Verse For out of Zion shall go Verse 3. forth the Law The Law of Faith Rom. 3. 27. and the Word of the Lord out of Jerusalem for so was it commanded To be preached unto all Nations beginning at Jerusalem Luke 24. 47. And then it follows And he that is Verse 4. the Lord shall judge among the Nations i. e. shall rule and govern them by the Scepter of his VVord and Gospel From all which Places nothing more evident than the predicting of the calling and conversion of the Gentiles as to be at the appearing of the Messia And it is as evident that these Prophecies have been accomplished in the preaching and progress of the Gospel the Event has verified the Prediction For no sooner was the Sun of Righteousness fully risen but the Idolatry of the Pagan World began to fall as Dagon before the Ark till at length the Worship of their false Gods was destroyed their According to the Prophecies Isa 2. 19 20. Jer. 10. 11. Isa 25 6 7. Temples demolished their famous Oracles long ceased and gone and the Knowledge of the One True God and his Son Jesus Christ set up and advanc'd in the room of them And this was that same Shaking of the Heavens Movit Coelum Angelorum Syderum testimonio quando incarnatus est Christus movit terram ingenti miraculo de ipso Virginis partu movit Mare Aridum â—am in Insulis in Orâ—e tuto Christus annuntiaretur Ita movâ—ri omnes Centes vidâ—mus ad Fidem Aug. de Civ Dei L. 18. C. 35. and the Earth yea and of all Nations spoken of Hag. 2. 6 7. that is The universal Change and Mutation that was to come over the Face of the Earth as to the Matter of Religion But so much shall suffice to be spoken of the first Remarkable in the Text i. e. The large spread and extent of the Gospel In being made known unto all Nations I shall now pass unto the second 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justin M. P. 265. The same is mentioned Rom. 1. 5. Rom. 16. 19. 2 Cor. 10. 5. St. Austin calls it Obedientiam credendi Aug. in Joâ—n tract 29. Considerable in the Text which is more practical and that is to the main Scope End and Drift of the Gospel in being thus made known and that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 says the Apostle For the Obedience of Faith This as ye see is here mentioned as the whole design and intent of the Gospel to frame us to Obedience to the Obedience of Faith For as the Sum of the Gospel on Gods part are the Mercies and Benefits therein tendered and promised so the Sum and Substance of all that it requires on our parts to whom it comes is To believe and obey it This then being the Total of what is expected at our Hands in order unto Life here and Salvation hereafter namely the practice of Evangelical Obedience it will highly concern us in the first place to enquire into the nature of this Obedience and in the next vigorously to pursue it And that we may understand it the better we should here consider three things First The parts and Branches of this Obedience Secondly The Principles and Properties of it Thirdly The Assistances and Encouragements given thereunto The first of these I fear will take up our time at present First then This Evangelical Obedience or the Obedience of Faith it consists in three main Branches or Particulars The first is Obedience to the Truths of the Gospel by receiving and retaining them The second is Obedience to the Call of the Gospel bidding us to Repent and Believe and return unto God The third is Obedience to the more special Rules of the Gospel appointing us in every kind how to live and walk in our Converstions First then The prime and leading part of our Obedience 〈◊〉 lies in yielding the assent of our Minds and Judgments unto the Truths of the Gospel When we captivate our Reasons to the plainness and simplicity of the 2 Cor. 11. 3. 2 Cor. 10. 5. 1 Cor. 4. 6. Gospel for there is Obsequium Fidei as well as obsequium Viâ—â— When we give up our appreheâ—sions to be shaped and our Judgments to be filed as it were and framed according to theat form sound words 2 Tim. 1. 13. according to that Mould of Doctrine Rom. 6 17. delivere to us in the Gospel Now that our assenting 〈◊〉 and embracing of the Truths 〈◊〉 the Gospel is a piece and part 〈◊〉 our Obedience will appear froâ— these few Considerations First 'T is a thing under command Mark 1. 15. Believe the Gospel John 12. 36. Believe in the Light John 14. 11. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father
in me With many the like Passages Now where there is a command on Gods part the Thing commanded to be done must needs be an Obedience on our part Secondly Faith is an assent upon Authority yea upon the highest and greatest Authority In believing of the Positive Truths of the Gospel Faith goes not upon the sight and evidence of the things in themselves but upon the Revelation Testimony and Authority of Gods Word 1 Thes 2. 13. Ye received the Word not â—s the Word of Man but as it is in Truth the Word of God This is it that Commands and captivates the understanding into a compliant persuasion Sic dicit Dominus Thus and thus saith the Lord. Since then Authority is the Ground and Basis of Faith in perswading Obedience must needs be the Act of Faith in assenting in submitting to that Authority Again thirdly Faith or Assent it comes from or depends upon an imperate Act of the Will and upon that score puts on the Nature of Obedience True indeed we do not believe with ouâ— Wills * See Dr. Stillingfleets Rational Account P. 137 138. against T. C. as some of the Pontificians seem to teach For no Man really believes as he list oâ— meerly because he please but upon evidence of Grounds and Reasons But yet since those Evidences will never produce Faith unless we bend and hold our Minds to a due and serious attention to them as 't is said of Lydia a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysostom in locum God opened her Heart to attend and so to believe Acts 16. 14. And since it is the Heart or Will b Recté Tho. Anglus in Sono Buccinae p. 197. Voluntas applicat intellectum ad cogitanda motiva cum sollicitudine desiderio veritatis that under God commands and fixes the Attention both unto the Matters and Motives of Faith it evidently follows that though we do not formally believe by our Wills yet â—ot a Non potest intellectus credere quando vult si absque eo quòd velit nunquam credat White Sonus Buccinae P. 201. See Dr. Stillingfleets Rational Account Pag. 138. without our Wills and that the assent of Faith though it be not the immediate Act of the Will yet 't is undoubtedly under God the Effect of the Will enforcing the Attention against all carnal fears or interests that would divert us from the Faith Upon which score the infidelity of Men seems to be resolved into their unwillingness John 5. 40. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ye will not come unto me i. e. you will not believe or become my Proselytes by Faith Again fourthly and lastly Consider that our assenting to the Doctrine of Faith 't is expresly call'd by the Name of Obedience in Scripture 1 Pet. 1. 22. Ye have purified your Souls in obeying the Truth i. e. in a firm believing it Gal. 3. 1. Who hath bewitchâ—â— you that ye should not obey the Truth i. e. in not sticking to right Belief of the Gospel in the Article of Justification And so Rom. 10. 16. The Apostle having said They have not â—â— obeyed the Gospel expounds it â—â— the very next words by believing for Esaias saith Who hath believâ—â— our report So that 't is evident ouâ— very believing receiving embracing retaining of the Truths of the Gospel 't is a part and piece of our Evangelical Obedience All that I shall draw from this Head is only two short Inferences First is our assenting to the Matters of Faith a piece of Obedience then surely there is more of Disobedience in the World thaâ— some are aware of Even the forsaking or rejecting of Gospel Truths is a piece of Disobedience For Gods Truth comes with Authority comes in Gods Name and lays an obligation upon all that hear it or can hear it to attend and believe And therefore he that either shuts or casts it out of his belief he thereby refuses to be subject and obedient to God Who hindered you that ye should not obey the Truth says the Apostle to the erring Galatians This perswasion comes not of him that calleth you Gal. 5. 7 8. So that whosoever withholds or with-draws his assent or perswasion from such Divine and Evangelical Truths he therein with-draws his Obedience or Subjection Whatsoever Points of this nature we hear from the Gospel we must one day give an account of how we received or why we refused them For where God has a Mouth to speak we must have an Ear to hear and a Mind to attend and a Heart to believe or answer for the neglect of it Secondly Is this a part yea the first part of our obedience our assenting to Gods Truth ouâ— receiving and retaining it in opposition to Errour and corruption of Doctrine Then sure it is a thing of great consequence of what Faith and Belief or perswasion we are in matters of Religion that we mistake not 2 Cor. 11. 13 14. 2 These 2. 10 11. 1 Tim. 6. 5. 2 Tim. 3. 8. Darkness for Light Error for Truth that we embrace not Deceits and Delusions in stead of sound Doctrine the bold Fantasies and Novelties of corrupt Minds in stead of the Verities and Mysteries of Christ in stead of the Words and Truth of Soberness I say 't is a thing of some concern what we shut out or take in into our Minds as Matter of Faith because accordingly we shall be counted of the number either of the Obedient or Disobedient According to the soundness or rottenness of our Principles and Perswasions as to the main accordingly shall we be so John 8. 32. 2 Tim. 2. 25 26. far found either the Subjects of Christ or the Slaves of Satan of error and darkness Would we therefore be true that is obedient Servants unto God Here we must begin and hold on our course Labour for a sound establishment in the main Truths of the Gospel Read and meditate on the Scriptures of Truth as they are called Dan. 10. 21. Attend unto the guidance of those whose Office it is to divide â—nto you the Word of Truth Pray for the Spirit of Truth to 2 Tim. 2. 15. John 16. 13. â—ead you into all necessary Truth â—n a word as it is Prov. 23. 23. Buy the Truth and sell it â—ot that is spare no cost no â—ains in the getting of it And being gotten part with it upon â—â— terms barter not away the plain and pretious Truths of God for the meer fancies and bold presumptions of Men. Let the Word of Christ dwell Col. 3. 16. richly in you in all wisdom that ye may be strong and grounded Christians Not Children in understanding 1 Cor. 14. 20. Heb. 5. 13 14. 1 Tim. 3 9. but Men skilful in the Word of Righteousness and holding the Mystery of Faith in â—â— pure Conscience the best and easiest Depository for Divine Truth Quia facile male creditur ubi nâ—â— recte vivitur But I have done with the first
2. 11. The Grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared unto all teaching them and what does it teach them not only to know and believe but teaching to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live righteously soberly and godly in this present world and so to look for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ Verse 12. So that as we see the Gospel is not a meer revelation of supernatural Truths but a practical direction of Life and injunction of Duty in every kind even a Rule of guidance and government to the whole Man In so much that St. James tell us That if any one James 1. 26. seem to be religious and governs not his Tongue that Mans Religion is in vain And St. Paul tells us He that provides not for his 1 Tim. 5. 8. own hath denied the Faith i. e. contradicts his Christianity or Evangelical Profession Yea and so comprehensive is the Canon of the Gospel in this kind that even all that is the matter of our duty in any sort is taken in and adopted into the preceptive part of the Gospel The Gospel taken in its latitude inculcates and charges upon us all the Principles of Conscience all 1 Tin 1. 5. 9. the dictates of right sound and sober Reason all the Lessons and 2 Tim. 1. 7. 1 Cor. 10. 15. 11. 13. Documents and Duties of Natural or Christian Morality even 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostle speaks Phil. 4. 8. Whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest or just or purâ— or lovely or of good report if there be any Vertue if there be any Praise I say all these and whatever else concerns the well ordering of our Hearts and Lives either in reference to God or to our selves or to our Neighbour is all urged and pressed upon us in the main of it in and by the Goâ—pel i. e. by the Rules and Preâ—epts delivered in the Gospel which is therefore called by St. Paul the Law a That is That Law according to which God will â—â—al with those that embrace Christianity Thornd Epil L. 2. â— 20. Pag. 158. To which add that of Bucanus Loc. Comm. Loc. 38. §. 10. â— 432. Non tam Legis vox quam Evangelii quod Apostoli praeâ—arunt norma futura est extremi judicii Juxta illud Joh. 3. â— Joh. 12. 48. Rom. 2. 16. judicabit Dominus de occultis hoâ—â—â—um ex Evangelio meo He shall judge the secrets of Men â—ccording to my Gospel or ex Evangelio mea as both he and 〈◊〉 and Piscator render it out of my Gospel Now if the Gospel shall be the Rule of Christs Judgment hereafter doubtâ—ess it is appointed to be the Rule of our Duty and Obediâ—â—ce here For as Bucanus adds Neque enim Sententia in â—dicio illo universali aliud erit quam manifestatio sive deâ—â—natio sententiae jam ante in hac vitâ ministerio Verhi proâ—atiatae de justisicatione condemnatione singulorum of Faith Rom. â— 27. not only a Rule but a Law and by St. Peter the Holy Commandment 2 Pet. 2. 21. This then being the Nature and â—â—atter of the Gospel a Law of faith a Holy Commandment the â—ain Work and Duty of a Chriâ—â—ian that he has to do is to conâ—orm himself to the several Precepts of this Law to the several Praescriptions of this Holy Commandment For hereby know we that we know him if we keep or observe his Commandments 1 John 2. 3. And again This is Love that we walk after his Commandments 2 John 6. that is when we make it our care and study both to know and obey his pleasure proving what is that good and acceptable and perfect Will of God Rom. 12. 2. And thus have I given you both a brief and entire account of the first Particular propounded i. e. of the Nature of this Evangelical Obedience as to the main Parts and Branches of it 'T is an Obedience to the Truths of the Gospel by receiving and believing them 't is and Obedience to the general Call of God in the Gospel by returning to him by closing with him by giving up our selves entirely to him as our Lord and Saviour Lastly 't is an Obedience to the special Rules of the Gospel chalking out to us a Way to live and walk in I have only now some few more Inferences and I have done By all that has been said then upon this Subject we may easily understand three things First That true and real Christianity stands not meer Words or Shows but Deeds not in a bare profession of Christ with the Lips but in a deep and thorough sebjection of the Heart and Will Life and Actions to the Commands of Christ John 8. 31. If ye continue in my Word i. e by Faith and Obedience then are ye my Disciples indeed And John 15. 8. Herein is my Father glorified that ye bear much Fruit so shall ye be my Disciples A true and genuine Disciple of Christ is known by his Fruits not by the meer Leaves of a fair and specious Profession nor by the meer Flowers and Blossoms of some good expressions but by the real Fruits of Obedience and Newness of Life This is the constant Character of those that belong to God in Scripture Rom. 6. 16. His Servants ye are to whom ye obey whether it be of sin unto death or of Obedience unto Righteousness Rom. 8. 14. They that are the Sons of God are led by the Spirit of God Now the Fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness righteousness and truth Eph. 5. 9. And therefore as on the one side where ever there are these Fruits of Obedience Holiness and Righteousness living in Gods fear walking in his ways doing and cleaving unto his Will such a one may rest assured that he is no longer a Servant of Sin but made free from Sin and become a Servant of Righteousness So on the other hand Let none pretend to the Name of a Christian if he do not shew the effects of it Shew me thy Faith by thy Works James 2. 18. shew me thy Heart by thy Life thy Religion by thy Conversation either disclaim having the Grace of Faith or else make it to appear by the Obedience of Faith For most evident it is that the Apostle Rom. 6. 17. comprehends the whole effect of Gods Grace upon their Hearts in their obeying the Gospel of Christ And therefore secondly Is this the full and right Character of a Christian Obedience to the Truths of God Obedience to the Call of God Obedience to the special Will of God Then how greatly do they deceive themselves who rest either in a bare knowledge of Christ or in a dull and dead Faith and Profession of Christ but short of a true real and thorough Obedience The Scriptures have sufficiently cautioned us against this deceit if we have but Eyes to read or Ears to hear or