Lectures Upon Psalm 51, Part 6 · Lecture 86
Lecture LXXXVI. On Psalme 51.6. April 1… 1628.
NOw it followeth that wee proceed to the second part of my answer,Answ. 2. to the Question, and shew you, How and wherein the upright hearted man doth, and must shew an equall respect unto all the commandements of God. Now this doth appeare in three points principally. 1. He desireth to know the whole will of God, in all things that concerne him, in one point as well as in another. 2. He maketh conscience of every sinne God hath forbidden 3. He maketh conscience of every duty, God hath commanded him. These three points I will speake of in order, and make application of them also as I go over them severally.
For the first, The upright hearted man sheweth thus farre-forth an equall respect to all the commandements of God, that hee desireth to know the whole will of God in all things that doe concerne him to know, in one thing as well as in another. In all things (I say) that concerne him to know. For it is no signe of sincerity but of the contrary, 1. When a man desireth to know more of Gods will, then hee is pleased to reveale, and to pry too farre into his secrets. When the Lord was pleased to reveale his glory unto his people at the delivering of the law he set bounds unto them, and charged them upon paine of death (as you shall find, Exod. 19.12.21) not to passe those bounds to gaze and pry too farre. 2. When a man is too inquisitive to know that, that concerneth other men. O how perfect are many men in the knowledge of those things that concerne the duty of their Ministers and superiours and of their neighbours also? Like Peter, Iohn 21.21. Lord what shall this man do; whom our Saviour reproveth in the next verse for this and saith, What is that to thee? follow thou me. 3. When a man seeketh knowledge in those things most, that are no way usefull not fit to edifie himselfe in faith and obedience unto God. For as it is an argument of a vaine and unsound heart, in a Minister to teach any thing that tendeth not to the edifying of the people in faith and godlinesse; as the Apostle telleth Timothy some did in his time, 1 Tim. 1.3, 4. This the Apostle saith was the rule that he followed in teaching, Acts 20.20. he taught them not all that he was able to teach, but he kept backe nothing that was profitable for them: So it is a signe of a vaine and unsound heart, in an hearer, to desire to know more in religion then may be of use unto him for his owne practise. The wisdome of the prudent (saith Solomon, Pro. 14.8.) is to understand his way; how hee may walke to please God. This was the knowledge that David desired, Psal. 119.66. Teach me good judgement, and knowledge. As if he had said, such as may doe me good and make me better. Now the upright hearted man, to the end he may not offend God in any thing, but obey his will in all things, he desireth to know the whole will of God, so farre as it concerneth him and may be profitable for him to know it. I opened my mouth, and panted, (saith David, Psal. 119.131.) for I longed for thy commandements; as if he had said; to know them that I might not breake them. And thus he saith, Psal. 18.22, 23. that he approved to his owne heart his uprightnesse and integrity. For all his judgements were before me, and I did not put away his statutes (any of them) from me. I was also upright before him. As wee see it is with wise men (specially with justices and officers) they will acquaint themselves well with the statutes, that they may doe nothing in their office that is against law and so bring themselves into danger: So is it with the wise and prudent hearted Christian in this case. I am thine, save me (saith David, Psal. 119.94) for I have sought thy precepts. And indeed how is it possible, for him to be afraid to offend God in any thing, or desirous to doe the will of God in all things, that is not carefull to enquire and know what the will of God is in all things? So it is said of Ezra 7.10. that hee had prepared his heart to seeke the law of the Lord, and to doe it. Thus David charged his Princes and Nobles and Commons in that great Parliament, and common Councell that he summoned not long before his death, 1 Chron. 28.8. Now therefore in the sight of all Israel, the Congregation of the Lord, and in the audience of our God, keepe, and seeke for all the commandements of the Lord your God. As if he had said, You cannot keepe them unlesse first you seeke to know them.
Applic.If this be so; then is there certainely no truth of grace no uprightnesse of heart in many men. First, What truth of grace can there be in them that professe to all men by their despising the meanes, that they desire not the knowledge of the will of God (of which sort notwithstanding there bee many, that are passing well perswaded of the uprightnesse of their owne hearts) Of these men the Holy Ghost hath given sentence long since, Iob 21.14. They say unto God, depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of thy waies. As though he should say, They that doe not desire the knowledge of his waies (how honest men soever they seeme to be) do certainely in their hearts say unto God, depart from us, they would have nothing to doe with him by their good will. And Ps. 119.155. Salvation is farre from the wicked; for they seeke not thy statutes. As if he should say, They that never seek to know what God hath either forbidden or commanded them in his Word, are farre from salvation.
Secondly, Such as though they seeme to love the meanes and so to desire knowledge of Gods will, yet never seeke to know the will of God, in those cases that concerne their owne practise in particular. It is the ordinance of God ye know, Mat. 2.7. that his people should seeke his law at the mouth of his messenger. And Iohns hearers did so, his ministery wrought feares and doubts in them, and both the people and the Publicans and the souldiers came to him as you may see, Luk. 3.10.12.14. to be resolved in their doubts, and said unto him, What shall we do? But our hearers have no doubts no cases of conscience to be resolved in. No man ever asketh the question whether that that he hath gotten by usury, or by gaming, or by filling in of pots to men till they be drunke, and have made themselves beasts be lawfully gotten or no. No man asketh is God pleased with the gaine that I get thus? Will God blesse it to me and mine?
Thirdly and lastly, Such also have cause to suspect the truth of their owne hearts, that wittingly and purposely shun the knowledge of some parts of Gods will that concerne their owne practise, because if they should know them, and not doe accordingly, their conscience would be disquieted, and if they should practise them, they must incurre danger and trouble; and it is good sleeping (thinke they) in a whole skin. Let none that are such, flatter themselves in this, that they thanke God, they doe nothing against their conscience, they doe nothing that they know to bee evill, and displeasing to God. For if thou wilfully close thine owne eyes against any part of Gods will, that thou mayest not see it, as those Iewes did that our Saviour condemneth, Matth. 13.15. if there bee any truth of God, concerning which it may bee said of thee, as the Apostle speaketh of some wicked men in his time, 2 Peter 3.5. this thou art willingly ignorant of; certainely thy heart is unsound; and the Lord will judge thee as one that hath sinned, not out of ignorance, but wilfully. And so much shall serve to bee spoken of the first of these three points that I propounded touching the equall respect that the upright-hearted man beareth to all the commandements of God. He desireth to know the whole will of God in all things that concerne him, in one point, as well as in another.
Secondly. Hee maketh conscience of every sinne that God hath in his law condemned, of one as well as of another. It is no argument of sincerity to make conscience of, and to hate some sinnes. The Pharisee you know could say, Luke 18.11. God I thanke thee I am not as other men are (I am not so bad as such and such are (I am not extortioner, no unjust man (in my dealings with men) no adulterer. But this is oft made in Scripture, a note of uprightnesse, to make conscience of every knowne sinne, of one as well as of another. Thus David describeth them that are undefiled in the way, Psal. 119.3. They also doe no iniquity. As if hee had said. Not wittingly, as giving themselves liberty in any sinne. By this David approveth to himselfe, and to the Lord, the uprightnesse of his heart. Psalme 119.101. I have refrained my feete from every evill way. And by this property doth the Prophet describe the blessed man Esa, 56.2. Hee keepeth his hand from doing any evill.
Let every one of us make triall of our hearts by this note.Applic. Doe we make conscience of every sinne? This may best be discerned, in three sorts of sinnes especially.
First. In the conscience wee make of our beloved, and darling sinnes; viz. such as our naturall inclination, or custome, or the profit, or pleasure they yeeld us, have made dearer to us then other sinnes. Iehu seemed in many things a very zealous, and good man, but there was one sinne he could not leave, and the hypocrisie of his heart was discovered by that, 2 Kin. 10.31. But Iehu tooke no heed to walke in the law of the Lord with all his heart (that is, with an upright heart. How did that appeare, that his heart was unsound?) for hee departed not from the sinne of Ieroboam. Why could hee not leave that sinne? Oh, that was a sinne that the custome of his countrey had by long use made most familiar, and it was also a very profitable sinne; hee thought it may seeme (and so did the rest of the Kings of Israell, as Ieroboam did, when first hee erected that idolatry, 1 Kings 12.26.28.) that if hee should have abolished the idols of Dan, and Bethel, and let the people goe (according to Gods ordinance) to worship at Ierusalem onelyonly, it would have cost him his kingdome. Herods example also is notable to this purpose. How many good things are noted in him. Mar. 6.20. yet was the hypocrisie of his heart discovered in this, he could not leave his incest. Why not that as well as other sinnes, that Iohn reproved? He was more strongly inclined by nature unto that sinne, that sinne yeelded him more pleasure then other sinnes did, it was his darling sinne. It is not the conscience a man maketh of some sinnes, that will assure him of the uprightnesse of his heart; but when thou canst make conscience of▪ hate and strive against the sinne thou art most inclined to by nature, the sinne thou findest most sweetnesse in; the sin of which thou canst say as Demetrius said of his, Acts 19.25. by this craft I get my wealth, this will give thee a comfortable assurance of the uprightnesse of thy heart.
Secondly. Try thy heart in the conscience thou makest of secret sinnes. A man that maketh no conscience of any sin, may yet bee able to bridle himselfe from open sins. If one know them (saith Iob 24.17.) they are in the terrours of the shadow of death. The feare of shame, and discredite with men, hath great force to restraine them; but in secret they care not what they doe. It is a shame even to speake (saith the Apostle Ephesians 5.12.) of those things which are done of them in secret. But hee that maketh conscience sinning even in secret, he is the upright-hearted man, he disliketh sin, because it is sin, even out of conscience towards God. 1. When a man maketh conscience of speaking or doing any thing that is evill, even at home in his owne family, as well as abroad among strangers; and can say with David, Psalme 101.2. I will walke within my house with a perfect heart. 2. When a man maketh conscience of sin; even there, where hee may doe it so secretly, as no man can know of it; as Ioseph did, Gen. 39.11. and David that was greatly troubled, and beggeth pardon for his secret faults, Psalm. 19.12. 3. When a man maketh conscience even of sinfull thoughts, which of all secret sins are most secret. The thoughts of the righteous are right, saith Solomon, Prov. 12.5. Thus Iob gathering together all the evidences hee could, of the uprightnesse of his heart, doth mention this as one of the first and chiefest of them that hee durst not give liberty to himselfe, no not in unchast and uncleane thoughts. I made a covenant with mine eyes, why then should I thinke upon a maid; saith hee, Iob 31.1. And hee that maketh no conscience of the wickednesse of his thoughts, the vanity, maliciousnesse, worldlinesse of them, certainly hath no truth of grace in him. Evill thoughts are set in the first ranke of those things that defile a man, and make him loathsome to God. Mat. 15.19.
Thirdly and lastly. Hee that desireth to know, whether hee doe indeed make conscience of all sinne, let him try his heart by the conscience hee maketh of the smallest sins. Of foule, and grosse, and palpable sins, there is no civill man nor hypocrite almost, but hee seemeth to make great conscience; but they hate precisenesse in trifles (as they call them) in matters of circumstance, and ceremony, and gesture, in small oathes, in merry talke, in restraining men of their Christian liberty, in matter of their attire, or diet, or recreations; this they say is grosse hypocrisie. And indeed so it were (as I told you the last day) if 1. these things they make such conscience of, be not forbidden of God; 2. or if (though they be so) they make more or as much conscience either, of them as they doe of the weightier points of Gods law. But bee not deceived, it is no signe of an hypocrite to make conscience of the least sin God hath forbidden, nay, hee is certainely an hypocrite that doth not so, nay (I say more) it is a surer note of uprightnesse, to make conscience of the smallest sinnes, then of the greatest only. For there it will bee hard to discerne, whether the shame of the world, or the conscience of Gods commandement onelyonly moved us. In this Davids uprightnesse of heart appeared. 1 Samuel. 24.5. His heart smote him for cutting off Sauls skirt. And Paul in the conscience hee made of a private promise hee had made to the Corinthians, to see them in his journey towards Macedonia. See what a protestation hee maketh. 2 Corinth. 1.18. that he did not use lightnesse in making that promise, nor when he had made it was careles of his word, As God is true (saith hee) our word to you was not yea, and nay; that is, light and wavering. And marke his reason, verse 19. For the Sonne of God Iesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by mee and Sylvanus, and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him, was yea. As if he should say; as I have made conscience in my preaching to you, to speake nothing but the certaine truth, so doe I in my private speeches and promise also. If wee that are ministers be vaine and light persons in our private conversations, it is much to bee feared (if the Apostles reason bee good) that though wee teach the truth, yet wee doe it not in uprightnesse of heart, and out of conscience towards God. But I will conclude this point with those two sentences of our blessed Saviour, Matthew 5.19. Whosoever shall breake one (one I say) of these least commaundements (least I say) and shall teach men so (there have beene you see formerly as well as now, that have taught men, it is no matter to breake Gods small commandements) hee shall bee called least in the kingdome of God (he seeketh applause and credite haply by teaching such things, but hee shall certainely misse of his aime) but whosoever shall doe and teach them (even these least commaundements, loe wee must bee doers our selves, before wee can preach well) the same shall bee called great in the Kingdome of God. As if hee had sayd. He shall in the end loose no credite by it, but (though that bee not the thing hee may seeke, or aime at, yet) hee shall bee sure to bee the better esteemed for it in the Church of God. And thus much of the second point, wherein the upright hearted mans equall respect to all the commandements of God appeareth, he maketh conscience of every sin, of one as well as of another.
Followeth the third, and last of them. He maketh conscience of every dutie God hath commanded him, of one as well as of another; not of the negative part onelyonly of every commandement, of doing any thing that God hath forbidden; but of the affirmative also, of doing every thing that God hath commanded. As there is no one sinne that he doth give himselfe liberty to live in, so is there no one grace or good thing that God requireth to bee in us, but he desireth and striveth to attaine unto it. As yee abound (saith the Apostle, 2 Corinthians 8.7.) in every good thing, —see that yee abound in this grace also; that is to say, in mercifullnesse, and liberality. And hee saith in the next verse, that hee requireth this of them, to proove the sincerity of their love. As if hee had said; There can bee no sincerity in him that contenteth himselfe to have some good things in him, if hee desire, and strive not after every grace. And againe, Phil. 4.8, 9. Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there bee any vertue, and if there bee any praise, thinke on these things. Those things which yee have both learned, and received, and heard, and seene in mee, doe. Whatsoever good things they had heard of Paul, or seene in his example, they must strive to attaine unto. But the Apostle Peter goeth further, 2 Peter 1. for hee is not content to say, that the way to make our calling and election sure, is by doing of those things that he had spoken of before; that is to say, by giving all diligence to adde one grace to another (and eight severall graces he nameth, verse 5—7. that must be thus combined in us) but he saith plainly, ver. 9. that hee that lacketh these things is blind; that is, hath no truth of grace in him.
Alas then,Applic. what assurance can they have of the truth of their hearts, that in the duties God enjoyneth them, will take and leave at their owne pleasure. 1. They that are just in word and deed, but the other two duties that God enjoyneth, Mic. 6.8. (mercy and humility towards God) they cannot, nay they strive not to attaine to. 2. They that love preaching, and good preaching well, but there is a grace commended to them in Davids example, which they will not imitate, 2 Sam. 24.24. I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God, with that that doth cost me nothing; and Gal. 6.6. Let him that is taught in the word, communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. They love a life to serve God of free-cost. 3. They that are zealous in frequenting the publique worship of God, but have no mind to that that is commended unto them in the example of Ioshua 24.15. As for mee and mine house, we will serve the Lord; much lesse of that that Christ enjoyneth, Matth. 6.6. When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy doore, pray to thy father which is in secret. 4. They that are very forward in all other duties almost, and yet in one maine duty that Christ enjoyneth as strictly as any, and saith, Mat. 6.15. If ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your father forgive your trespasses, Yea 5.24. Leave thy gift before the altar, and goe thy way, first bee reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift, they must bee borne with, they cannot overcome themselves in this. Certainly the best that these can say of themselves with truth, is but that that Agrippa saith of himselfe, Acts 26.28. they are almost perswaded to be Christians. And as good never a whit, as never the better. If there be any commandement of God that thou canst not (at least in the unfeined desire, and endeavour of thy heart) yeeld unto and obey, certainely thou art no true Christian. He that saith I know Christ (saith the Apostle, 1 Iohn 2.4.) and keepeth not his commandements, is a lyar, and the truth is not in him.