Lectures Upon John 4, Part 21 · Lecture 102
Lecture the hundred and two. September 24. 1611. IOHN IIII. L.
IT remaineth now, that we come to examine the two latter of these foure graces, which I told you, I would instance in for the tryall of the truth, and vprightnesse of our hearts. If any man shall mislike, that I stand so long vponupon this matter, and thinke it needlesse, to bring so many notes to try the truth, and vprightnesse of the heart by (seeing, as I hauehave told you already, if a man hauehave any one grace in him in truth, he may be certaine of his regeneration) I will make answer vntounto him, as the Apostle doth in another case, Phil. 3. 1. It grieueth me not, and for you it is a sure or safe thing. Though it were far more ease for me to passe ouer this matter, and to proceed to such other things as follow in my Text, yet being entred into so profitable an argument (not without the good guidance of Gods spirit, as I am well assured) it grieueth me not to stand thus long vponupon it, to giuegive so many notes of true regeneration. And for you that heare me, this is a sure and safe course; for this will tend greatly, first, to the comfort of so many of you as are regenerate. He that cannot finde eueryevery one of these notes in himselfe (as it falleth out oft with many a good childe of God) yet among so many, he may be sure to finde some; and (though from some one note a man may infallibly conclude, he is in the state of grace, yet) the more of these notes any man shall, be able to finde in himselfe, the more certaine assurance, and strong consolation shall he hauehave. And secondly, to the humbling of eueryevery one of you that is yet vnregenerate, and causing you to seeke betimes for to better your estate, when (among so many notes of true grace) you shall not be able to finde in your selues any one, when you shall hauehave so many euidences to conuince your conscience, that you are yet in your sins, and the wrath of God abideth vponupon you; Let vsus therefore come to the third grace, wherein this tryall is to be made.
EueryEvery regenerate man is in some measure made able to obey the commandements 3. Obediēseof God, and to practise the good duties he requireth of him: and there is no one grace in soundnesse and vprightnesse in that heart, that is not obedient vntounto God. This is plaine, 1. Iohn 3. 10 Whosoeuer doth not righteousnes, is not of God. 1. King. 8. 6. let your heart therfore be perfect with the Lord your God, to walke in his statutes, & to keepe his commandements. As if he should say, Therein stands the perfection, and vprightnesse of the heart, thereby it may be known. So doth Hezekia demonstrate the vprightnes of his heart, Is. 3. 38 I beseech thee Lord, remember how I hauehave walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and hauehave done that which was good in thy sight. And on the other side, he that can in any measure yeeld true obedience vntounto God, or performe any one duty well, is certainely a regenerate man. For eueryevery naturall man is a childe of disobedience, Ephes. 2. 2. he is to eueryevery good worke reprobate, Tit. 1. 16. neither can he performe a right any one good duty, that God requireth. Rom. 3. 12. They are made altogether vnprofitable, there is none that doth g…ood, no not one. Marke this well, and examine thine own heart by it, if thou hauehave any one fruit of the spirit, if thou canst do any good worke, performe any one duty well; I say not, if thou canst pray well, but if thou canst do but the least, and lowest of all good duties well, thou maist be certaine, that thou art more than a naturall man, that thou art in the state of grace: this is plaine, as the branch cannot beare fruit of it selfe vnlesse it abide in the vine, no more can yee except ye abide in me; without me yee can doe nothing, Iohn 15. 4, 5. See therefore what assurance the Scripture saith may be grounded vponupon our obedience vntounto God, euen in some one duty: if a man can but louelove the brethren, 1. Iohn 3. 14. if he be but poore in spirit, Matth. 5. 3. if he can but mourne a right, Matth. 5. 4. if he can but hunger and thirst after righteousnesse a right, Matth. 5. 6. he is a blessed man. True it is, that it is not possible one should hauehave one grace alone, as he whom Christ hath once washed with his bloud is cleane eueryevery whit, Iohn 13. 10. so the grace of regeneration is like leauen that leaueneth the whole lump, Matth. 13. 33. it goeth thorough the whole man: but diuers of the faithfull are oft in that case, that they can feele some one good thing in themselues, when they can discerne no more. In which case, this Doctrine is very comfortable and vsefull vntounto them.
Obiect. This Doctrine I like well (will many a one say that hates Religion with all his heart) I thanke God, I hauehave beene able to do some good; yea, more than many of your professors: and therefore, I know I hauehave more grace, and a better heart than they. Yea, we know, how the Papists boast against our Religion, and all that professe it: We are more deuout, and zealous in prayer (say they) we are much more aboundant in fasting, almes-deeds, and other good works, than you: and therfore also we hauehave more grace than you.
Answ. But to these I answer: First, all this may be very true (and would to God it were not too true, of many that professe the truth.) But know you, many hypocrites and naturall men hauehave been able to do such workes, as outwardly, and in appearance, hauehave been very good (as I shewed you in sundrie particulars the last day, but one.) Yea, they hauehave beene able herein to compare with, and euen to excell many a good Christian. Esau seemed outwardly, to seeke the blessing with far more deuotion and zeale than Iacob; he cryed much louder, and shed many more teares for it, than Iacob did, Gen. 27. 34. 38. And Ahab in outward shew, was much more humbled for his sin, than Hezekia was, 1. King. 21. 27. He rent his clothes, and put sackcloth vponupon him, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth: and you shall finde none of all this in the repentance of Hezekiah, Esay 38. 2, 3. And the Pharisee could say (and I doubt not, but he said truly) that he both fasted more, and was outwardly a farre iuster man in his dealings with men, than the Publican was, Luke 18. 12. But none of all these workes were good in Gods sight; neither can any naturall man do any good worke, that is good in Gods sight; their best workes are but beautifull sins: though they be oft highly esteemed among men, they are abomination in the sight of God, Luke 16. 15. I will therefore shew you out of Gods Word sundry manifest differences, betweene the good workes of the regenerate, and of the naturall man. And these differences we will obserue: First, in the matter of their workes, the things wherein they shew their obedience vntounto God. Secondly, in the manner how these good workes are done, and performed by them. In the matter of their workes, I will obserue vntounto you three notable differences:
The regenerate man makes conscience onelyonly of such workes, counts 1.them onelyonly good workes, as God hath in his Word commanded, such onelyonly as may be called, Iohn 6. 28. the workes of God, and not of men. To count nothing a good worke but onelyonly that which God hath ordained for vsus to walke in, as the Apostle speakes, Ephes. 2. 10. To make no conscience of any thing, but onelyonly of that that God hath prescribed in his Word, is a singular note of an vpright heart. This we shall finde, Psalme 119. 1. Blessed are those that are vpright in their way, and walke in the law of the Lord. As if he should say, So shall you know them that are vpright in their way. Thus Iob comforteth himselfe, and proueth the vprightnesse of his owne heart, Iob 23. 10. But he knoweth my way, and trieth me, and I shall come forth like the Gold; how proues he that? verse 11. My foot hath followed his steps, his way hauehave I kept. On the other side, this is made the note of an hypocrite, to put holinesse in, or make conscience of such things as God neuer commanded. Mar. 7. 6, 7. Christ calls them hypocrites that made conscience of the Iewish purifyings (though that were an old, and generall custome) because it was but a commandement of men, a tradition of men. This proues all Papists to be Hypocrites; many of their chiefe good workes that they put most holinesse in, are such as God neuer commanded. Nay there is no naturall man vnderunder heauen that makes this reckoning of the word, or that doth thus cleaue vntounto it. First, he makes the custome, and example, and commandement of men the chiefe rule of his conscience. Secondly, he doth in many things that that is good in his owne eyes. Let vsus therefore tric our obedience by this first note.
The second note of difference is this, The regenerate man makes conscience 2.of eueryevery duty God hath in his Word commanded: eueryevery commandement hath a diuine authoritie in his heart, him shall yee heare in all things, whatsoeuer hee shall say vntounto you, Acts 3. 22. This is noted of Zachary and Elizabeth, Luke 1. 6. That they walked in all the commandements, and ordinances of the Lord blamelesse. Gods childe is willing to be directed by his Word in all things; euen in the least, not in matters of godlinesse only and in our duties towards God, and of righteousnesse in all our duties towards men, but euen in matters of sobriety also and in the moderating of our selues in the vse of all such things as are neither expresly commanded nor forbidden by God, Tit. 2. 12. This we shall also find, is made an infallible marke of an vpright heart. Obserue this in Dauids prayer, 1. Chron. 29. 19. GiueGive to Salomon my son a perfect heart, to keepe thy commandements, thy testimonies, and thy statutes, & to do all things. Neither our meat, nor recreations, nor the labours and affaires of our calling, are sanctified vntounto vsus, vnlesse we vse them according to the word, 1. Tim. 4. 5. And we finde what conscience our Sauiour made, euen of a matter of circumstance in the Ceremoniall Law; namely, touching the iust time when the Passeouer was to be celebrated. True it is, that a regenerate man may (and doth oft) faile in many duties God requireth; but he maketh conscience of eueryevery duty; the vnfained desire, and indeauour of his heart, is to keepe eueryevery commandement of God, to obey God in one thing as well as in another. This was Dauids comfort and assurance, Psalme 119. 6. Then shall I not bee confounded, when I hauehave respect vntounto all thy commandements. Iohn 15. 14. Yee are my friends if yee doe whatsoeuer I command you. Now there was neuer any hypocrite or naturall man, that was able to go thus farre; but either he seemes to make conscience of the second Table, and neglects the first; or he seemes very deuout in the duties of the first, and is vnconscionable in the second: many commandements in the Word hauehave no authority at all in his heart. I might instance against many of you, in that one mentioned, aboue all things my brethren sweare not, Iames 5. 12. and against many others of you in other commandements of God. Thus was the hypocrisie of Iehu and Herod descried, though both of them went very farre. If we looke into Iehu's story, we shall see cause to thinke, that surely, he was a good man: For, first, he was immediately chosen by God to be King, 2. Kings 9. 3. secondly, so soone as he was called, he shewed strange diligence and zeale, in executing on Ahabs house and friends, the commandement he had receiued, 2. Kings 9. 7. compared with verse 14—18. 24. 33. 2. Kings 10. 6. 11. 14. 17. thirdly, he destroyed Baals Priests, and Images, and purged the land of that Idolatry, 2. Kings 10. 21—28. fourthly, he did all this in a zeale for God, 2. Kings 10. 16. in so much, as the Lord himselfe commended him for it, 2. Kings 10. 30. fifthly, he bore a notable hatred to the foule sinnes of Iezabel, 2. King. 9. 22. sixthly, he bore a reuerend regard to Gods Word, which he shewed by remembring it so long, and acknowledging the certainety and righteousnesse of it, and his care to see it performed, and by doing that he did, by direction of it, and in obedience vntounto it, 2. King. 9. 25, …6. 36, 37. and perswading others to acknowledge the certainty and righteousnesse of it, 2. King. 10. 10. seuenthly, he had a reuerend respect to good men, 2. King. 9. 36. and 10. 10. he mentioneth not Eliah's name without title of reuerence, he shewes great respect to Iehonadab, 2. Kings 10. 15, 16. yet this man was no better than an hypocrite, his heart was not sound, Iehu tooke no heed to walke in the Law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart, 2. King. 10. 31. and therefore God esteemed no better of all that he did, than of murder, I will auenge the blood of Iezreel vponupon the house of Iehu, Hos. 1. 4. And the principall (if not the onelyonly) thing, whereby his hypocrisie was discouered, was this; He did not in all points follow the direction of Gods Law, nor make conscience of it: though he hated some Idolatry (as that of Baal) yet he hated not all Idolatry, he departed not from the Idolatry of Ieroboam, 2. Kings 10. 29. 31. So Herod went very far, Mar. 6. 20. but in this his hypocrisie was discouered; he could not make conscience of all that Iohn taught him, nor forsake all his knowne sins.
The third note of difference is this, The regenerate man, though he make 3.conscience of eueryevery duty God hath enioyned him, yet makes he most conscience of, and is most carefull to obserue the greatest commandements, and such duties as God hath most straitly enioyned. This note we shall finde giuen by our Sauiour, Matth. 23. 24. he makes it a propertie of hypocrites to straine at a Gnat, and swallow a Camell; this is oft noted for a property of the hypocrite. The Pharisees were exceeding precise for the externall rest of the Sabbath, euen more than any Law of God required them to be, Luk. 13. 14, 15. They tithed Mint, and Annise, and Cummin, but they neglected the waightiest matters of the Law, Matth. 23. 23.
If you aske me, which be those waightier matters of the Law; I answer, They be chiefly of three kinds: first, the inward worship of God, thou shalt shalt louelove the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soule, and with all thy minde, this is the first and great commandement, Matt. 22. 37, 38. secondly, iudgement, mercy, and fidelitie towards men, Matth. 23. 23. thirdly, the duties of our particular and speciall callings: this may appeare, Esay 1. 17. Learne to do well, seeke iudgement, relieue the oppressed, iudge the fatherlesse, pleade for the widow. Who must do this? Verse 10. Ye rulers of Sodome, yee people of Gomorrah. And by the Apostles oft beating vponupon this point, in all their Epistles; the duties of Masters, Seruants, Husbands, Wiues, Parents, Children, Subiects, Pastor, Flocke: and by that conclusion, Paul makes to this Doctrine, Tit. 2. 15. These things speake, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. On the contrarie side, the hypocrite is more carefull, and busie about other mens duties, and the reformation of other mens faults, than his own, he can see the least mote in his brothers eye, but cannot discerne a beame in his own, he seemes very carefull to reforme the least fault he sees in another, but hath no care of reforming himselfe, Matth. 7. 3—5. He bindes heauy burdens and grieuous to be borne, and laies them on other mens shoulders, but himselfe will not mooue them with one of his fingers, Matth. 23. 4. Herein then, I pray you, make tryall of your selues, if you desire to know the soundnesse of your owne hearts.