Lectures Upon John 4, Part 21 · Lecture 99
Lecture the ninetie ninth. Septemb. 3. 1611. IOHN IIII. L.
IT followeth that we come now to the two other vses that are to be made of the Doctrine that we heard the last day.
The second vse then that this Doctrine serueth vntounto, is for the comfort and encouragement of all the godly. It may make them chearefull and comfortable at all times, in all the occasions of their life. And this incouragement the best of Gods seruants hauehave need of; for we shall find by experience, that many who hauehave greatest care to serue God, and to please him in all things, hauehave sadder hearts, and are subiect more to feares than any others. And if we enquire into the cause of it, we shall find, it groweth from this principally, that the conscience of their many frailties and infirmities, putteth them into continuall feare, that they are not in Gods fauour, that he accepteth nothing that they doe. This hath beene the old complaint of Gods people, Esa. 49. 14. Zion said, the Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. Now we hauehave heard in this Doctrine, that if a man hauehave in him the least dram of sauing grace, if he be able to say, he is no hypocrite, though he hauehave many frailties, his heart is vpright, then may he assure himself, that the Lord will not reiect him, nor like the worse of him for any of his infirmities, as the Lord answereth his people in the same place, Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not hauehave compassion of the sonne of her wombe? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee, Esa. 49. 15. so that such a one is bound to striue against the heauinesse and vncheerfulnesse of his owne heart, and to say to his soule as Dauid doth, Psal. 4…. 11. Why art thou cast downe, O my soule, and why art thou disquieted within me? True it is, that eueryevery Christian man hath in himselfe cause enough of sorrow, and he ought to mourne, not onelyonly for eueryevery euill action that he hath committed through infirmity, but euen for the wants and corruptions that he espieth in his best works: for so did Paul, euen for this cause, O wretched man that I am, saith he, Rom. 7. 24. Yea, he is onelyonly an happy man, he onelyonly shall find true comfort that is able so to mourne, Mat. 5. 4. yet hath he not so much cause of sorrow in himselfe, as he hath to reioyce in the Lord: yea it is a greater sinne not to reioyce in Gods goodnesse, than not to mourne for his owne corruption. Therefore it is very well worth the obseruing, how often and with what earnestnesse this duty is enioyned the faithfull by the Lord, Be glad in the Lord, and reioyce ye righteous; and shout for ioy, all ye that are vpright in heart, Psal. 32. 11. Finally, my brethren, reioyce in the Lord, Phil. 3. 1. Reioyce in the Lord alwaies, and againe I say reioyce, Phil. 4. 4. Reioyce euermore, 1 Thess. 5. 16. To conclude therefore this first encouragement, I would hauehave these men to consider: First, they dispraise the Lord their Master much, by being so heauy and vncomfortable. As the King that Nehemiah serued, could not abide to see his seruants sad, Neh. 2. 1. no more can the Lord; he delighteth in the peace and comfort of his seruants, Psal. 35. 27. and is much offended with them, if they serue him not with ioyfulnesse, and with a good heart, considering how bountifull and good a Master he is, Deut. 28. 47. Secondly, that they discredit their Masters seruice, and do what lieth in them to alienate mens hearts from the liking of it. And indeed, what one thing causeth naturall men more to dislike Religion, than this? whereas God maketh this the onelyonly priuiledge of his seruants, and that that should greatly commend his seruice vntounto men, Esa. 65. 13, 14. that when others shall be ashamed, and cry, and howle, his seruants shall reioyce and sing.
The second encouragement that this Doctrine yeeldeth to the godly, is this: It may make them willing and desirous to serue the Lord, to the vttermost of their endeauour, and euen to thrust and enforce themselues gladly to doe him any seruice. The most men we see do flie Gods seruice, and count it more base and painfull, than any bondage and drudgerie in the world, as the Israelites did esteeme the house of God, to be an house of greater bondage and misery, than Egypt it selfe, Were it not better for vsus to returne into Egypt, say they, Numb. 14. 3. Yea, we shall find, that Gods owne children hauehave oft times no heart at all to do him that seruice, that he requireth; but are ready to shift it off, as Ionah did, Ion. 1. 2, 3. and the chiefe thing that alienateth mans heart from religious duties, is this; That men find they cannot performe them in that manner that God requireth; and therefore they hauehave no heart to do any thing at all. It was the excuse that the vnprofitable seruant made for his idlenesse, and doing nothing in his Masters seruice, I knew thee, that thou art a hard man, saith he, Matth. 25. 24. And indeed, if the Lord our God were so hard and strict a Master, as would accept of no seruice, vnlesse it were done in all points according to his commandement, and would beare with no frailties and infirmities in his seruants, what mortall man could serue him with any comfort and delight? True it is, and it cannot be denied, that that to the naturall man it is vtterly impossible, to doe that seruice God requireth. That which our Sauiour speakes of the couetous man, may be said also of the voluptuous, proud, malicious, and ignorant man, Luke 18. 25. It is easier for a Camell to go thorow the eye of a needle, than for him to enter into the Kingdome of God. Yea, it is certaine, that euen to the regenerate man, Gods seruice is painefull, and full of difficulty. This we shall find said of the first degree of it: viz. the forsaking of our selues, and of all knowne sinnes. If any man will come after me, let him deny himselfe, and take vp his crosse daily, and follow me, Luke 9. 23. Resist not euill; but whosoeuer shall smite thee on the right cheek, turne to him the other also; and is any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him hauehave thy cloake also, Mat. 5. 29, 30. And the like may be said of eueryevery spirituall duty. To say a prayer is an easie thing; but no man can pray aright without great striuing and labour, Lift vp thy prayer, Esa. 37. 4. Unto thee O Lord do I lift vp my soule, Psal. 25. 1. Striue together with me in your prayers to God for me, Rom. 15. 30. To sit at a Sermon an houre is an easie thing; but to heare, as we ought to heare, is a painfull thing; to incline our eare, and to apply our heart, Pro. 2. 2. And in a word, to make a profession of Religion, as most men do, hath no hardnesse in it; but the whole course of his life, that is a Christian indeed, and not in shew onelyonly, is called by our Sauiour, a striuing to enter in at the strait gate, Luke 13. 24. But yet, if we knew well the disposition of this Master whom we serue, and in what manner he requireth seruice of vsus, we would confesse, that his seruice hath neither any impossibility nor hardnesse in it at all; but we would acknowledge that to be most true, which both our Sauiour and the Apostle speake of, Mat. 11. 30. My yoke is easie, and my burden is light. 1 Ioh. 5 3▪ His commandements are not grieuous. Yea, we would account his seruice the most perfect freedome, and esteeme it to be the greatest happinesse in the world, to be admitted vntounto it. That which the Queene of Sheba spake of Salomons seruants, may much more fitly be spoken of them that serue the Lord, 1 Reg. 10. 8. Happy are thy men, and happy are these seruants, which stand continually before thee. When God first established his Worship vnderunder the Law, the people did so striue, who should be most forward in seruing him (euen to the parting with of their goods by contributing to his Tabernacle) as that Moses was faine by solemne proclamation to stay them, Exod. 36. 6. And in the first times of the Gospell, men were so forward in offering themselues to serue God in the worke of the Ministry (though that calling was then subiect to much more hardnesse and danger, than now it is) and women also were so forward in offering themselues to serue him, in the office of Church-Widowes, (which, you know, required much base and painfull seruice) that the Apostle was faine to giuegive charge, not to admit all that so offred themselues; but such onelyonly as were qualified according to his direction, 1 Tim. 3. & 5. And surely, if we knew our Masters disposition well, we would all be as forward and desirous to thrust our selues into his seruice, as they were; for one houre that we hauehave been wont to spend in his seruice, we would willingly spend three. Yea, the more time our calling would permit vsus to spend in his seruice, the happier would we count our selues: according to that, Psal. 84. 4. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house, they will be alwaies praising thee. Consider therefore, and thinke oft (for thy encouragement) of the gracious disposition of thy Lord and Master: and that in these foure points.
First, he standeth not so much vponupon our actions, as vponupon our affections; though we be able to do very little, yet if he discerne in vsus an vnfained desire to do well, he is ready to accept vsus, Is there be first a willing mind, it is accepted, 2 Cor. 8. 12. He accepteth the will as the deed: Because Abraham was willing and ready to hauehave offered vp his son in sacrifice to God, the Holy Ghost saith of him, that he did offer him vp, Heb. 11. 17. And for this cause Paul saith of Aquila and Priscilla, that for his life they laid down their own necks, Rom. 16. 4.
Secondly, he much more esteemeth of this vnfained desire of our heart to do better, than if we could do any thing neuer so well, when he seeth vsus willing, and sorry that we can do no better: The Apostle praiseth the Macedonians for this, that their will exceeded their ability, 2 Cor. 8. 3. So doth he the Corinthians, that they had begun before, not onelyonly to doe, but also to be willing and forward a yeare agoe, 2 Cor. 8. 10.
Thirdly, if he see our heart set and resolued to do his will, in any duty he hath enioyned vsus, he will be ready to helpe vsus, and make that easie to vsus, which was full of difficulty and impossibility before: Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you, Iam. 4. 8. Arise, and be doing, and the Lord shall be with thee, 1 Chron. 22. 16. Deale couragiously, and the Lord shall be with the good, 2 Chro. 19. 11.
Fourthly, with how much the more labour and difficulty he findeth we hauehave serued him in any duty, and by how many the more tentations and lets we hauehave striuen against, in doing of it, by so much the more acceptable shall our seruice be vntounto him, God is not vnrighteous to forget your worke and labour of louelove, Heb. 6. 10. And who would not be glad to serue such a Master?
The third and last encouragement that this Doctrine yeeldeth to the godly, is this, that it may cause them to sing at their worke, and to take much 3.comfort, euen in the poorest seruice they are able to do vntounto God. A wonderfull thing it is to see, how little ioy men take in good duties; and the true cause of it is this, that they are apt to doubt, when they do any good duty, they do it not well, nor in that manner as they ought; and if they espie any infi mitie and corruption of the flesh, that mixeth it selfe with th… …orke of the spirit in any good action they hauehave done, (though they hauehave striuen against it, and grieued sor it) they are straight apt to thinke, that God will iudge of their worke according to that corruption, and reiect it. True it is, and cannot be denied, but that the godly may finde cause enough in themselues to be humbled, euen for their best actions when they hauehave performed them, and to cry with Nehemiah, Remember O my God concerning this, and spare me according to the greatnesse of thy mercy, Neh. 13. 22. and they hauehave also cause of feare before they vndertake them, nay it is not possible we should do any good duty well, vnlesse we do it in feare. None of vsus can preach well, vnlesse we vndertake this businesse with feare least we should not do it well, and approue our selues to God: in it Paul professeth of himselfe, that he was (in the exercise of his Ministry among the Corinthians) with them in weakenesse, and in feare, and in much trembling, 1 Cor. 2. 3. None of you can heare well, vnlesse you come with feare and reuerence, vnlesse ye be humbled at the Lords feet to receiue his word, Deut. 33. 3. Paul praiseth the Corinthians for this, and saith, Titus ioyed much to see it in them, that they receiued the doctrine and Ministry of Titus with feare and trembling, 2 Cor. 7. 15. In a word, we cannot pray or do any other religious duty well, vnlesse we vndertake it in feare, lest we should not performe it as we ought, Serue the Lord with feare, Psal. 2. 11. Let vsus hauehave grace whereby we may serue God acceptably, with reuerence, and godly feare, Heb. 12. 28. Nay we cannot conscionably and well performe any duty in our Christian conuersation, vnlesse we do it in feare: Seruants must obey their masters with feare and trembling, Ephes. 6. 5. Yet as there must be in vsus this feare rising from the apprehension of the Lords holinesse, and our owne great insufficiency to do any good dutie; so must there be in vsus ioy and gladnesse of heart, rising from the consideration of the Lords goodnesse, and readinesse to take in good part the poore seruice we do vntounto him. There must be in vsus in eueryevery seruice we doe vntounto God, these two contrary affections; feare, in respect of our owne vnworthinesse and insufficiencie; ioy and gladnesse of heart, in respect of the gracious disposition of the Master whom we do seruice vntounto. This is that the Prophet meaneth, Psal. 2. 11. Serue the Lord with feare, and reioyce with trembling. We should come with chearefull and glad hearts to his seruice, Serue the Lord with gladnesse, come before his presence with singing: enter into his gates with thanksgiuing, and into his courts with praise; be thankefull vntounto him, and blesse his name. For the Lord is good, his mercy is euerlasting, and his truth endureth vntounto all generations, Psal. 100. 2, 4, 5. and so should we depart from it. And three Reasons there be may moue vsus to do so.
1 He will not straightly marke, but passe by and pardon many infirmities in our seruice we do to him with vpright hearts, Who is a God like vntounto thee that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage: he retaineth not his anger for euer, because he delighteth in mercy, Mic. 7. 18. If thou Lord shouldest marke iniquities: O Lord, who shall stand! But there is forgiuenesse with thee that thou mayest be feared. I wait for the Lord, my soule doth wait, and I trust in his word. Let Israel hope in the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption, Psal. 130. 3, 4, 5, 7.
2 He doth not exact of vsus that we vtterly banish all corruption, so as it may not dwell in vsus, but onelyonly that we should not suffer it to reigne in vsus, Rom 6. 12.
3 He not onelyonly accepteth and taketh in good part the poorest seruice we doe to him, notwithstanding our corruptions and frailties, but euen delighteth and taketh great pleasure in them, Cant. 2. 14. He accounteth all our good workes as the fruit of the Vine, Esa. 5. 4. Yea, it cannot choose but be so; for, Christ casteth of his odours into them, and so presenteth them to his Father, Reu. 8. 3.