The Way to True Happiness, Sermon 19
The nineteenth SERMON.
MATTH. 5.9.
Blessed are the peace-makers: for they shall be called the sonnes of God.
WEe propounded three things unto you, out of these words: The first was, That peace-keepers are blessed. The next, That peace-makers are blessed. The third, That they are in a blessed estate, that are rightly called the children of God.
Of the two former already; wherein wee have called upon you in Gods name, and as you would have his blessing, and bee accounted his children, to study the peace; that is, to be at peace among your selves, and to advance peace among your brethren.
We were entred, the last time, upon the third point, sc. That they are in a blessed case, that are rightly called Gods children.
This wee have proved by Scriptures and Reasons, and proceeded to Application: where wee exhorted you every one to secure this point to himselfe, that he is righty called the child of God. That this is possible, we have already made good, therefore be not wanting to your selves, but diligently endeavour it. And the rather, for that it is not onelyonly possible, but needfull too: first, in regard of our manifold temptations on every hand offering themselves; partly from a deluded conscience within, partly from envious wicked men without; who will assault our assurance, and because they themselves cannot derive their pedigree from God, doe therefore charge others with bastardy. Thirdly, the Tempter himselfe will not slacke to undermine us here, by casting doubts in our minds, as he dealt with ou… Saviour, Matth. 4. If thou bee the Sonne of God, &c. This hee usually makes his introduction to every particular temptation; therefore we must settle this, or else there can be no sound comfort in any of the promises.
Secondly, as our temptations are many, so our evidences are but few, our spirituall life is oft but weake, our pulse beats but low that way, our life lyes hid under many corruptions, many defects. Further, there is no grace of Gods Spirit but hath its shadow, its counterfeit; there is a false faith, a counterfeit love, &c. The Art of painting and dissembling is such, as that the hypocrite will have a shew, a shadow of every saving grace. Therefore, it is no more than neede, that every man should put himselfe upon the triall, and gage his owne heart, lest hee should in this maine point bee deceived.
Thirdly, as it is possible, and needfull, so it is also comfortable: for upon this pinne hangs all our comfort. If I be not the childe of God, what is all the world to me? I am not in case to live, I dare not dye. On the other side, if this be settled, it will answer to all discouragements whatsoever. My services are weake, but yet I am a childe: my graces feeble, but I am a childe: my desires are faint, my wants many, mine enemies strong, but yet I have God to my Father, &c. This answers all.
Fourthly, neither is it lesse profitable than comfortable; whether you respect the wages or the work. For wages I can lay no claime to any promise, pleade no right to any blessing, till I am secured of this, till this be settled; the heart puts off all comfort, till this be made sure: What tell you me, will it say, of these excellencies in God, of these promises to his people? the point is whether they belong to me, all hangs vponupon this pinne: so that there can be no comfortable clayme to any good, till wee bee certaine that wee are rightly called the children of God. Indeed godlines in generall hath the promises of this life, and that which is to come, and is profitable to all things; but what's that to any particular person, till this be settled?
And as in respect of wages it is profitable, so also of the worke: for we cannot obey God out of a childlike affection, till we be assured we are children: till Gods love descend on us, being shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost, ours cannot ascend to him. we cannot love him till we apprehend that hee loves us; and so all our services are either mercenary, or they are slavish. But when this is once assured, I can goe to God as to my father boldly, & with comfort, & all shall be accepted, because my person is in acceptation; and that is the thing that God lookes unto: the question is not what I doe, but who I am that doe it. If I am a child, though my services be never so weake, never so wanting, it shall passe and bee accepted.
Lastly, it is a very great honour to a man that can assure himselfe he is the child of God.
And first in his descent and pedegree; God is his father, Christ his elder brother, all the Prophets, Apostles, and Saints both in heaven and earth are of his kindred. Thus in his alliance hee is honourable.
Secondly, in his attendance, which is most honourable; for all the creatures are his servants, & the glorious Angels themselves are but ministring spirits, sent out for the good of them that are Gods children.
Next, in his inheritance he is honourable: For such are Princes in all Lands, Psal. 45. Heires of God, and coheires with Christ; they inherit the whole world, together with faithfull Abraham.
Now then sith it is possible to be assured ye are Gods Children, sith againe it is so needfull, comfortable, profitable, honourable; therefore let us all bee intreated to set upon it, to study the point close, and never to give rest to our selves till wee have concluded this, that we are rightly called the children of God.
Question. But how shall wee come to this assurance?
Ans. Consider first, what acts of love God doth to us. Secondly, what acts we doe againe to him; for love is a thing that will reciprocate, as we see it betweene father and child: we must find Gods love to us, and ours againe to him, and hereby we shall approve our selves children of God.
But here it must bee remembred that there is a twofold love in God; first, a common love, which he beares to all the creatures. Secondly, a speciall love, which hee placeth upon his owne: (like as there is a double providence of God, first generall, which extendeth to all, secondly speciall, which he exerciseth only toward his children:) we may not conclude any thing to our selves upon those evidences that seal up a generall love of God only, or his generall prouidence; but ground upon such as are signes of his speciall love, or else wee doe nothing.
Here therefore see to it, that first you be not deceived with such false generall notes, as conclude onelyonly a generall love unto you, but secondly labour to find in your selves such as seale up Gods speciall louelove to your soules.False notes of our being children. Of those false signes there are first some that agree to the ignorant and common sort of people. Secondly some agree to hypocrites.
For the ignorant person.
Object. God that made me (saith hee) will surely save me, and there hee rests without taking any further care for his soule.
Ans. But this is too generall an argument to secure a man of his salvation, for God made all things, even the Devill himselfe, who was at first an Angell of light, and of Gods owne making: Therefore this will doe thee no stead. For God that made thee without thee, will not save thee without thee (as it was sayd by a Father:) He requires that thou should'st be a working instrument together with him of thine owne salvation, & not thus to lay all upon him.
Object. Yea but the ignorant man will further say. I know God loves me, for hee blesseth mee, and seales up his love to me by many testimonies thereof, as health, long life, prosperity, good name, and fame amongst my neighbors; for I could have the hands of twenty of them for mine honesty &c.
Ans. This argues love indeed, but yet no more than a common love; these are things that God gives many times to his enemies: hee blesseth all the creatures with health, strength &c. and as for wealth & substance, these are things that for most part lye without the pale of the Church. Besides, heauen is not made of gold and silver, & such like gawdes: therefore rest not thy selfe satisfied in these, if thou have no better evidence.
Object. Yea but I have something more to say than this: God blesseth me not with wealth onelyonly &c. but with good life; for, I am neither whore nor theefe, but deal squarely & uprightly with all the world &c.
Answ. This is well, but not all, it is not enough that you say: you know what our Saviour tels Nicodemus, Iohn 3. Except a man bee borne againe hee cannot see the kingdome of God: and in the Epistle to the Hebrews, cap. 12. Without holines (saith the Apostle) none can see God. It is not enough for a man to be a tame man, a civil man, a just man, but he must bee a holy man, a new man, another man, if he meane to see God, if he desire to goe to heaven.
Object. I, but (hee will say) God blesseth mee with the best blessings of his house, therefore sure he loves mee: for I live vnderunder a good Minister, & I come duely to Church, I am there with the first, and stay after the last, and I say my prayers morning and evening, and serve God day and night.
Ans. All this we commend as good, but yet all this wil not serve the turn, if there be no more. For what saith our Savior to such as should come unto him at the last day with Lord, Lord in their mouths, and many great matters that they had done? (for they had prophesied in Christs name, and in his name they had cast out devils, & they had eate and drunke in his company, and in many such like respects they would clayme acquaintance of him.) Well, shall our Sauiour say, is this all you can say for your selues? if so, I must needs professe unto you that ye are strangers to me, whatever you pretend, I never knew you, depart from me ye workers of iniquity. So you see how he disclaims them utterly: for not every one that can use words of prayer, and make profession, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; (for who cannot do that?) but he that doth the will of my father, saith Christ. Not he that talkes of it, but that doth it, and that doth the whole will of God in every part and point of duty, paying not men their owne only, but God his due too, of inward and outward worship, being as well holy towards God, as righteous towards men, forsaking sinne as well as confessing it, and vsing all Gods ordinances conscionably & carefully, as well as that of prayer. This is the man that shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; therefore build not your assurance upon such sandie grounds as these, lest as the unwise builder &c.
But passe wee on from these to the second sort of false and deceivable signes, which respect those wee call Hypocrites, a more refined kind of people than the former: and they stand much on such signes as these.
Object. O saith one, sure God loves me, for it is not mine owne opinion only that I am beloved of God, and in a good estate, but others also, even many good Christians favour me, yea many of your great Preachers too, have a good conceit & opinion of me, &c.
Answ. All this may be, and yet thy case bad enough; for that which is highly esteemed among men is many times an abomination in the sight of God, Luke 16.15. And he is not a Iew, that is one outwardly, but hee is a Iew indeed that is one inwardly, whose praise is not of men but of God, Rom. 2. Men see no farther than the outside, which if it be faire and louely to looke upon, they are bound by the judgment of charity to censure wel of such a one; but if thou wilt goe upon sure grounds, looke not so much what men thinke and speake of thee, as what God who judgeth the heart, thinkes of thee, & what thine own conscience saith being brought to the barre of Gods word.
Object. Yea, but sure I am the child of God, and beloved of him, for I am not as some others are: I cannot bee charged with any such scandalous & outragious evill actions, as such & such are spotted withall.
Answ. Here is the voice of a Pharisee. A christian man that is truely so, doth not use to talke in such high language. This vying with others, and preferring a mans selfe above others, with, I am not as other men, nor as that Publican, and I would bee much ashamed to bee overtaken with such & such foule and reproachfull evils, savours strongly of a proud Pharisaicall spirit: Indeed it is well, I must needs say, that a man can free himselfe from grosse and scandalous actions, but yet one thing is much wanting, humility, and mercy. And let me tell you once for all; Proud innocency is worse than humble sinne, and I had rather see a man tainted with many sinnes, if hee bee humbled for them, and strives against them, than another puffed vp and bragging to others of his freedome from grosse and notorious enormities.
Object. I but (will some say) I am not onelyonly free from all grosse sinnes, but I have received many gifts and graces of Gods spirit, for I have a good measure of knowledge, and am able to repeate you a Sermon, almost word for word; besides that, I have faith, and am able to pray, &c.
Answ. There are graces of two sorts. First, Common graces, which even reprobates may have. Secondly, Peculiar, such as accompany salvation, as the Apostle hath it, proper to Gods owne children only. The matter is not whether wee have the first sort of graces, for those doe not seale up Gods speciall love to a mans soule, but it must be saving grace alone that can doe this for us. Now that's saving grace that tends; first, to humbling of the man in whom it is: Secondly, to mercy towards others: Thirdly, to edification of others, &c. Search then, is the grace you speake of in your selves such, as that the more you know, the more you understand, the more you beleeve, the more humble you are, and base in your own eyes, the more mercy you shew to your brethren, the readier you are and desirous to build up others, and the more thankfull to God for a Christ? then you say somewhat to the purpose, else not.
Ob. But he will goe farther, and say, I do many good workes, I heare the word, I pray, I reade the Scriptures, and other good bookes, I endure many checkes, and undergoe many troubles for the truthes sake, therefore sure my case is good, I cannot but doe well.
Answ. It cannot be denied, but these are good workes indeede; but then the question w…ll bee; First, why thou doest them; for, finibus non actibus, or as one faith, workes are esteemed by their ends wee ayme at in them. It is not so much to be look't to what a man doth, as for what end hee doth it. The Pharisees in the Gospell did many things, they fasted often, paid tythes of all, were much in Almes-deeds, made many and long prayers. But why was all this? but to be seene of men, and to serve themselves upon the world. But hee that would doe goods things well, must doe them on good motives, in obedience to Gods commandement, with reference to his glory, out of love to dutie it selfe, and then 'tis well, else 'tis but hollow and hypocriticall. Secondly, The question is, how farre thou wilt doe good duties, and how long thou wilt continue to doe them. An hypocrite will doe them for a while: But will he pray, reade, heare, &c. alwayes? No; but according to that comparison wee heretofore used (homely though it be, yet such as whereby we may fitly expresse this businesse) as a sheepe or such like creature, so long as you carry a bottle of hay, or other provender before it, you may draw it along with you all the ground over, but once lay downe the bottle, and hee will follow no farther, then farewell: And so it fares with the hypocrite, he will do many good workes for a time, till he hath once attained to that honour, credit, profite, &c. which he fish't for, but when he hath once attained his own ends, he gives up, hee'le doe no longer. Here then would any one make triall of his owne uprightnesse in the doing of holy duties? let him looke to the motives whereupon, the manner how, and the end wherefore he performeth them. It is the manner of doing, that distinguisheth the businesse. The hypocrite is all for sale-workes, so the businesse he hath under hand be turned over, hee cares not, so the worke be done. But now the upright person stands most of all upon the manner of doing holy duties, and judgeth himselfe most, for his failings that way (for hee failes not lightly in the matter.) I have pray'd, saith hee, but how have I prayed? I have beene at Church, but how did I carrie my selfe there? I follow my calling, but what is it that leades me thereunto? I have admonished my brother, but with what affection have I done it? upon what grounds, and for what motives? There lyes the maine point of all. For, for the matter, an hypocrite may goe as farre, nay farther in holy duties, than an upright person can: onelyonly in the manner, and motives, and time, hee halts, and comes behinde the Saint.
But these are the false notes of a childe of God, which therefore wee have mentioned, that none might be deceived. The second sort follow, and those are such as carrie truth with them, and doe certainly conclude the point, and must determine the Question.
Here then you must looke what acts of speciall love God hath exercised toward you, and what fruits of love you hauehave expressed toward him againe. Every childe resembles his father, partakes of his nature, and beares his image; hee hath the very lineaments and proportion of his fathers person, as, Sic oculos, sic ille manus, sic ora ferebat, &c. So if we would approve our selves to God, as his deare children, we must resemble him, and be like unto him; first in our affections, secondly in our actions.
For the first; he that is Gods childe, where God loves, he loves; where God hates, he hates: God loves good men, and good things, so doth hee; God hates sinne and sinfull persons, so doth hee too; God forgives and is reconcileable, so he; in a word (if I may speake to your capacitie) hee hath the same heart, and the same affections that God himselfe hath. And as in his affections he resembleth God, so in his actions he expresseth him, hee goes in Gods way, takes his part, imitates God, doth the workes of God, and so shewes that he is a child, as our Saviour on the other side from this, concludes those Iewes of his time, to be no better than the Devils children, because they did his workes, and they would doe them. This then is that you must first looke unto, how and whether you resemble God in your dispositions and actions, whether yee be followers of God as deare children, whether you love with God, and so justifie your translation from death to life, as Saint Iohn speaks: so whether ye hate evill as he doth, according to that of the Psalmist, Ye that love the Lord hate evill; whether you tread in his steps, walke in his wayes, &c. and so shew that Gods nature is stamped upon us, both in our affections and actions. This is for our part. But for Gods part, there are two things, that he doth for every child of his.
First, he gives him a new name, that is in his Adoption.
Secondly, he gives him a new nature, and that is in his Regeneration (for these two acts passe upon every childe of God.) As concerning the first, question may bee made, Quest. How shall I know and be assured of mine Adoption?
The Apostle determines the point, Answ. by giving us two infallible signes of Adoption. The first is laid downe, Gal. 4.6. Because yee are sonnes, saith hee, God hath sent forth the spirit of his Sonne into your hearts, crying Abba Father. Here's the rule then. First, there passeth from Christ a certaine life, a certaine power, a kinde of vertue, an influence, a spirit into the party adopted, whereby hee is strangely enabled to leave those sinnes, which before by any meanes hee could not, and to doe those duties, which before he could not frame to, nor any other can, that hath not this spirit derived unto him from Christ. Looke as there proceeds and passes a kinde of vertue and influence from the heavenly bodies into things here below, whereby it comes to passe that they grow, flourish, and fructifie; so doth there come from Christ to all Gods children a certaine vertue, and spirit, whereby they are enabled to doe some things which before they could never doe: This is that spirit of Liberty, spoken of by the same Apostle: Rom. 8.15. Yee have not received the spirit of bondage, againe to feare, but ye have received the spirit of Adoption, &c. Here wee see the spirit of Adoption is opposed to the spirit of Bondage, as elsewhere 'tis also said; where the spirit of God is, there is freedome. The spirit not onelyonly convinceth such a one of a liberty by Christ, but also it workes in him a freedome from the bondage wherein hee was held by his lusts and corruptions, and also by other wicked and vile persons like himselfe; that whereas heretofore every Devill in hell had him at command, he could not resist a temptation, hee could not forbeare such and such wicked companie; if they had but held up their finger to him, hee must have beene at their becke, hee must have gone after their call, hee could not conquer his owne eorruptions: now hee can hate them, disclaime them, disgrace them, make head against them; he can take the Lawes part, and Gods part against himselfe, against his lusts, though they have beene never so neere and deere unto him. So then this is the first Rule; Every adopted child of God is made a Free-man, hee can doe that hee could not before, hee can forbeare and forgive what before he could not.
Secondly, a man may know his Adoption by his spirit of prayer. This the Apostle hath twice, both in his Epistle to the Romanes, and in that to the Galatians delivered unto us: Rom. 8.15. Gal. 4. it teacheth us to crie Abba, Father; it unties a mans tongue, opens his lips, and makes him to speake the language of God. Every creature (we know) conveyes its sound unto its young. The bird hath the tone and tune of its damme, as also every beast hath the voyce of that whereof it comes: And so it is betweene God and his children, he conveyes his language unto every one of them. No childe of God is speechlesse or still-borne, but receives from his Father a spirit of grace and of supplication, whereby hee is able to speake unto him, and to pray in his owne language. Indeed some are better gifted this way than others are, and can bee more enlarged when they come to make their requests knowne to their heavenly Father: but all Gods children doe receive from him this spirit of boldnesse, and utterance, whereby they can goe confidently and tell their Father what ayles them, what are their wants, where their griefe lyeth, and what it is that they would desire of him, &c. And though every childe of God cannot make a methodicall eloquent prayer, set out with varietie of words and petitions, cannot goe an end with it, as some other of their brethren can, whom God hath indued and furnished with greater gifts and abilities that way; yet it is certaine that no childe of God is borne tongue-tyed, but hath some abilitie this way more or lesse, so as that he can tell his owne tale to God, expresse his owne wants and griefes to God, and say, Lord, I have done this or that thing amisse, forgive it mee; I want this or that grace, faith, patience, strength against my corruptions, vouchsafe to bestow it upon mee. Thus every one of Gods children can pray, not onelyonly naturall petitions, but such as are indited by the spirit of God. So then by these two markes given by the Apostle, you may make good your Adoption; you are in a measure freed, and can in a degree pray, unlesse in some heavie desertion and amazement.
But secondly, to whomsoever God gives a new name, he gives them also a new nature, that is, he regenerates whomsoever hee adopts. Man doth not beget the childe whom hee adopts for his owne, but God doth; he gives to every of his children a new frame and constitution of soule. Now Regeneration implies two acts. The first is Mortification; the second, Vivification; a dying to sin, and living to righteousnesse. For the first, Generation alwaies presupposeth corruption. And so it is in Regeneration; there must bee first a new death, before there can be a new life: that like as it is said of Christ, Hee was dead, and is alive, so must it bee with every member of Christ, there must be in them a mortifying of sinne, a doing to death of every lust. There is difference betwene deading of sinne, and laying it to sleepe onelyonly, betweene confining onelyonly, and mortifying of lust. Mortification is fitly defined by the Apostle to be a voluntary doing of all sinne to death by vertue of the Spirit. Marke his words, Rom. 8.13. If yee by the spirit shall mortifie the deeds of the body, yee shall live. So that wee have here in this text foure distinctive notes of true Mortification, laid downe by the Apostle.
What Mortification is.First, It is required that every man be an agent in this businesse, a doer in the worke, and not a patient onelyonly: If [ye] doe mortifie, saith the Apostle; intimating, that it must be a mans owne act: hee must doe it himselfe. Many wicked men are oft-times curbed and restrained by God, that they cannot be altogether so bad as they would be. But this is full sore against the will, that they bee so hindered: but hee that is borne of God is altogether bent against his owne corruption, is himselfe an agent in the mortifying of it, hee throwes the first stone at it, and hath more to say against himselfe, than all the world can say by him.
Secondly, as himselfe is a doer, so he would do it to death; he doth not stand dallying with it, but strikes it to the heart: If yee [mortifie] saith the Apostle. There is in him a true hatred of sinne: and hatred (we know) is ever to death; as because a man hates a toade, a spider, or any other like venemous creature, therefore hee no sooner meetes with it, but hee cryes, kill it straight, and desires to see the death of it. And even so deales the childe of God with his corruptions, he so hates sinne, as he prosecutes it to the very death. Another man may haply prosecute sinne to imprisonment, or to a kinde of confining of it, but he hates it not to the death. Every carnall man (if he be not desperately naught) would faine have his sinnes restrained and curb'd, that they might not breake out to his disgrace or disparagement, but he would not have them quite kill'd, he is loath to part with them altogether. It is here as it was betweene David and Absolom, still hee cryes, Spare the young man Absolom; he would faine have had him confined, and supprest, but not killed by any meanes. David was loath to be put beside his throne (as well as hee loved his Absolom) to bee thrust out of his kingdome, to be trampled upon, &c. but yet such is his love, that hee still calles upon the Captaines of his hoast, to spare that young man, and not to doe him to death. So a man meerely civill and unregenerate, would faine bee a master over his corruption somewhat; he is loath that sin should have him at such a bay, that will hee nill hee, it should carrie him along, though it were to his utter disgrace or undoing, and therefore is grieved that hee cannot containe himselfe, but hee must needes breake out into passion, drunkennesse, and other like reprochfull evils, but yet hee doth not like to have them slaine; though curb'd he would have them, still hee cries with David, Spare the young man Absolom: But now the true Christian deales like Ioab, who looking at Absolom as an enemy to the State, to the Crowne, and to himselfe, came with his three darts, and stab'd him to the heart, so that he dyed: So the regenerate man deales roughly with sinne, and labours the death of it, that it shall have neither place nor being in him by his good will.
Thirdly, in true Mortification there is a slaying of every sinne (the flesh with the deeds thereof, the deeds of the bodie, saith the Apostle) that is, all the evill lusts and affections. This is when a man endeavours the downfall and utter rooting out of all sorts of sinnes, small as well as great sinnes, secret sinnes as well as open sinnes; not actuall transgressions onelyonly, but naturall corruption also: Hee stacks up sinne by the rootes, whereas other men doe onelyonly lop and shread sinne; they cut off some boughes onelyonly, such as are most luxuriant: they can bee content to part with some sinnes, it may be, such as tend to their disgrace or so, but yet still hee must keepe some top-bough, as it were, some one or other beloved sinne, which hee is resolved to retaine, and the roote must by no meanes be medled with: whereas the true childe of God lets drive at the roote with all his maine, and strives most to mortifie that sinne, to which he findes himselfe most strongly inclined, and addicted, though he be an enemie to all sinnes, one as well as other.
Lastly, in Mortification, there is a killing of sinne by the true weapons; If ye mortifie the deedes of the bodie (by the Spirit.) Another man will seek the curbing of his corruptions by naturall wayes, by morall meanes, by phylosophicall medicines, which doe onelyonly barbe sinne (as he said) and shave it, as it were, but doth not roote it out. The true Christian therefore goes a surer way to work, hee seekes the slaying of it by the Spirit, that is to say, by applying of spirituall Scriptures to it, and spirituall prayers: he applies the Word as a corrasive, which may eate out the heart of sinne, and prayes to God for helpe and strength against it, and so gets the better of it. This is Mortification now, which every one must be able to shew, that would be assured; hee must kill sinne, that is, hee must hate it (for then sinne dyes, when it dyes in the will and affections, that is, when we truly hate it) and our hands must be chiefe in doing to death of every lust, by the use and application of spirituall weapons and remedies, as hath beene shewed: and so shall wee be able to prove our Regeneration by our Mortification.
FINIS.