Lectures Upon Psalm 51, Part 6 · Lecture 93
Lecture XCIII. On Psalme 51.6. Aug 5. 1628.
IT followeth now,Applic. 2 that we proceed to the second branch of the application, which is for the comfort of all such as do unfeinedly feare God. For though it be the least part of them that heare us, that have need of comfort (the greatest part (alas) have more need to be humbled then comforted, yea they will be in danger to take hurt, by that which they shall heare spoken, for the comfort of Gods people) yet are we bound in our ministery of all other our hearers, to have most respect to those few that are broken-hearted. This was the first and chiefe charge that was given to Christ (the chiefe pastor, 1 Peter. 5.4.) when he came to bee a preacher. Hee hath sent mee (saith he Esa. 61.1, 2.) to bind up the broken hearted, and to comfort all that mourne in Zion. And this was the first and chiefe charge that Christ gave to Peter, and so to all us his servants, and ministers, hee chargeth him indeed to feed all his sheepe, but the first and chiefe charge he giveth him, is concerning his lambs, the weakest and tenderest of his flocke. If thou love me (Ioh. 21.15.) feed my lambs. He that prophesieth (saith the Apostle, 1 Cor. 14 3.) speaketh to edification, to exhortation, and to comfort. As if he had said, No man prophesieth, no man preacheth or divideth the word aright, if hee omit this, if he doe not apply his doctrine to the comfort of such as stand in need of it. Therefore when the Prophet Esay beginneth to speake of the ministery of the Gospell, hee bringeth in the Lord giving this first of all in charge to his servants, and ministers, Esay 40.1, 2. Comfort yee, comfort yee my people, saith your God, speake yee comfortably to Ierusalem. As if hee had sayd. Whatsoever yee doe else, neglect not this duty of your ministery.
Now of all the things that doe deject the hearts of Gods poore people, and cause them so to droop as they doe, this is the principall, that they cannot bee perswaded of the uprightnesse of their owne hearts, they cannot be perswaded that they are any better then hypocrites. Yea, they are so farre from finding any comfort in those signes of uprightnesse of heart, that I have given you out of Gods word, that even from thence they are apt to conclude strongly against themselves, that all the goodnesse that is in them, is no better then hypocrisie. And I nothing doubt, but many of you while you have heard me speaking of them, have beene apt to say within your selves, alas, I can take no comfort in any of these signes and notes that the Scripture giveth of an upright heart, for I find no such thing in mee. If these be the markes whereby the truth of the heart is to be knowne, woe be unto me, how farre am I from truth of heart, what can I bee but an hypocrite? For 1. The evill abstaine from, and the good I doe, I do it not in obedience to the word, that is not the onelyonly rule that I follow; but I make custome, and example my guide, rather then it; and for many things I doe, I never enquire for warrant and direction from the word for them, I never say to mine owne heart before I doe them, as Luke 10.26 What is written in the law? how readest thou? What hath God in his word directed mee to doe in this case? 2. I doe that I doe, more out of a slavish feare of Gods wrath, then out of any true love to God; and am like to those of whom the Lord speaketh, Iob 41.25. by reason of breakings, they purifie themselves. When my heart is broken with terrours, then am I carefull to doe well, but never else. 3. I doe not that that I doe in faith, out of a comfortable assurance of Gods love to mee in Christ. This could I never yet attaine to. And without faith (I know and have learned, Heb. 11.6) it is impossible to please God. 4. Gods grace, where it is in truth, is like to the leaven that leaveneth the whole lumpe, Matth. 13.33. it sanctifieth the whole man, the mind, conscience, memory, will, affections, thoughts, words, and actions. In such a one, all things are become new, as the Apostle speaketh, 2 Cor▪ 5.17. But alas, I can find no such totall change in me, in some of these I can discerne no worke of Gods grace at all. 5. He that hath an upright heart, will be universall in his obedience; he will obey the will of God in one thing as well as in another. And thus wee have heard God describeth the uprightnesse of Davids heart, 1 Kings 9.4. Hee walked in integrity of heart, and in uprightnes, to doe according to all that God commanded him. Now alas (saith the poore Christian) I cannot say it is so with me. Some commandements and duties I doe indeed make conscience of, but others I neglect wonderfully. Some sins I hate and tremble at, but others I slip into ever and anon. 6. True grace is constant and durable; and no man is blessed, and in the state of grace, but he that feareth alway, Proverbs 28.14. that doth righteousnesse at all times, Psal. 106.3. But alas, the goodnesse that is in me, is like the morning dew; as the Prophet speaketh, Hosea 6.4. there is no constancy nor durablenesse in it. I am extreamely inconstant in good things, and cannot continue in a good temper and disposition of my soule for any time, 7. Lastly. No man hath truth of grace, that contenteth himselfe with this, that he abstaineth from evill, and doth good, unlesse his care bee to doe all this in the right manner, unlesse he doe it to the Lord, that is, with an intent to please and honour him. Whatsoever yee doe (saith the Apostle, Coloss. 3.23.) doe it as unto the Lord, unlesse hee doe it with his heart, and spirit, and not with the outward man onelyonly, and can say with the Apostle, Rom. 1.9. I serve God with my spirit, unlesse he doe it in humility, and can discerne cause to bee humbled, even in his best actions. Behold (saith the Prophet, Hab. 2.4.) his soule which is lifted up, is not upright in him. Now though I doe good things sometimes, yet doe I never any thing in that manner that I should. For 1. The end that I aime at, is not so much to please the Lord, and to honour him, but I have by respects to my selfe in every thing that I do. 2. The good things I do, I do without any affection, and use to offer dead sacrifices unto God. 3. I doe not walke humbly with my God, but if I do any thing in any measure well, I am ready (at the least secretly) to glory and to pride my selfe in it. In a word, all the signes of sincerity mentioned in the word of God, make against me, and are unto me as so many signes and evidences of the falshood, and hypocrisie of mine owne heart. These are the usuall complaints of the best of Gods people, and there is no tentation wherewith they use to bee more troubled, both in life and in death then with this, that there is no truth of grace in them, they are no better then hypocrites.
Now I have three things to say for the comfort of these poore soules, and in answer to this first and maine objection that they make against themselves.
First. Admit all this bee true that thou sayest against thy selfe, this will prove indeed, that there is hypocrisie in thee, yea and much hypocrisie too it may bee; but this will not proove that thou art an hypocrite. It is not the having of hypocrisie, or of any other wicked corruption in a man, that maketh him to deserve the name of an hypocrite, or of a wicked man, but the raigning of hypocrisie and wickednes in him. No man doubteth but Moses, Samuel, Iob, and all the holiest men that ever were, had wickednesse in them; (For who could ever say, as it is Prov. 20.9. I have made my heart cleane, I am pure from my sinne.) And yet to say, that either Moses, or Samuel, or Iob were wicked men, were to open our mouthes in blasphemy against them that dwell in heaven, as the spirit speaketh, Revel. 13.6. So that a man may have sinne in him, and as other sinnes, so hypocrisie, and much hypocrisie too, and yet bee in the state of grace for all that, so long as it raigneth not in him. That which the Apostle saith of sin in generall (1 Iohn 1.8.) may be said of this sin in particular. If wee (the best of the Apostles or Saints of God) say, wee have no hypocrisie in us, wee deceive our selves, and there is no truth in us. How oft shall you find Master Bradford, and other of the holy Martyrs, complaine to God of their hypocrisie, and crave pardon for it. And certainely David would not have cryed unto God, as he doth, Psalm. 119.80. Let my heart be sound in thy statutes, that I be not ashamed; if he had not felt himselfe subject to unsoundnes; and to hyprocrisie, and much troubled with it. I know our Saviour, Ioh. 1.47. describeth the true Israelite to bee one in whom is no guile; and David the justified man, the man to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne. Psalm. 32.2. to bee one in whose spirit there is no guile. But these places are no otherwise to bee understood, then that of David, when speaking of godly men he saith, Psalm. 119.3. They doe no iniquity; and that of the Apostle, 1 Iohn 3 9. Whosoever in borne of God, doth not commit sinne, nay hee cannot sin, because hee is borne of God. Was there ever godly man, of whom it could be truly sayd, that hee did no iniquity, that hee did commit no sinne? No verily. But this is the meaning of the holy Ghost in those phrases, he that is regenerate, doth not commit any iniquitie, nor can doe it ordinarily, and willingly, with the full sway of his soule, or in that manner as the unregenerate man doth, so hee that is justified and sanctified, hath no guile, that is, no raigning hypocrisie in him. So this is the first thing I have to say for thy comfort, though by this which thou objectest against thy selfe, it may appeare there is hypocrisie in thy heart, yet will it not follow from thence, that thou art an hypocrite, thou mayest be in the state of grace, and the deare child of God for all that.
Secondly. By this it is evident, that though there be hypocrisie in thy heart, yet it raigneth not in thee, thou art no hypocrite; because thou discernest thine owne hypocrisie, thou feelest it, and art so troubled with it. It is not corruption, but grace, that maketh a man able to discerne his corruption, specially so hidden and secret a corruption as hypocrisie is. There bee thousands in the world, that are indeed in that state that thou suspectest thy selfe to bee in, that are hypocrites indeed, and they discerne no such thing in themselves, they thinke passing well of their owne estate. But what speake I of others? Thou thy selfe when thou wer… an hypocrite indeed, and hadst both this and many other vile corruptions reigning in thee, perceivedst them not, wert never troubled with them. Yee were once darkenesse (saith he Eph. 5.8.) but now yee are light in the Lord. While wee were in the state of nature (which the Apostle calleth darkenesse) wee saw not a deale of naughtinesse and corruption, which now wee discerne in our selves. This discerning of our secret corruptions, is a blessed signe, we are no longer darkenesse, but light in the Lord. All things that are reproved (saith hee▪ Ephes. 5.13. foreign all things whereof wee are convinced in our selves, that they are sinnes) are made manifest by the light, for whatsoever doth make manifest, is light. Before wee had saving grace wrought in us, wee were dead in trespasses and sinnes, as the Apostle speaketh, Ephesians 2.1. and the dead man wee know discerneth not, nor hath any feeling of his owne estate, sense is a signe of a living, not of a dead man. This the holy Ghost expresseth by a different phrase hee useth, when he speaketh of the sinfulnesse of the naturall, and of the regenerate man. Of the naturall man hee saith, hee is in the flesh, Rom. 8 8. hee is in his sinnes. 1 Cor. 15.17 hee is in the bond of iniquitie, and in the gall of bitternesse, Actes 8.23. plunged over head and eares in sinne. But of the regenerate man he saith, Rom. 8.9. he is not in the flesh, but in the spirit; sinne dwelleth in him, Rom. 7.17. While a man is in the water, though he have as much water upon him as would fill many hogs-heads or tuns, he feeleth not the waight of it, it is no burden to him at all; but let him be out of the water, foure or five gallons of water will bee a burden unto him. This therefore is a blessed signe thou art no longer in thy sins (though much sin be in thee) thou art not in the state of nature, under the raigne or dominion of thy hypocrisie or any other sinne, because thou dost discerne and feele it to bee a burden unto thee.
The third and last thing I have to say for thy comfort and helpe against this tentation, is this, that though thou can take no comfort at all in any of those other notes and signes of an upright heart, that have beene mentioned and handled before, yet in this last thou mayest. Thou canst find thus much in thy selfe (that notwithstanding all that hypocrisie that is in thee, notwithstanding all other thy frailties, and failings) yet thou dost in thy mind allow, and consent to the law and word of God in all things; the constant desire, purpose, and endeavour of thy heart, is to please God, and to doe his will. And if thou hast but thus much in thee, certainely (as thou hast heard it proved sufficiently out of Gods word, in the handling of this point) thine heart is upright, and thou art no hypocrite, thou art a true Israelite in whom is no guile.
Object.But thou wilt object against this, and say. How can this be? Can hee that wanteth all the rest of the notes of uprightnesse, take comfort in this? How are they then given for signes and notes of uprightnesse, if he that wanteth them all may have an upright heart neverthelesse?
Answ..To this I answer, That if it were possible for him that wanteth all the other signes of an upright heart, to have in him this onelyonly and no more, hee could certainely take no comfort in this. But that is not possible; he that hath this in him, hath all the rest also in some measure. And I may boldly say to every one of you, that hath this in him (whatsoever thou thinkest or sayest of thy selfe) thou hast in thy selfe every one of those signes of uprightnes, which thou hast heard delivered unto thee out of the word of God. This 1. I will declare and explaine unto you by instancing in every one of them particularly. 2. I will confirme it unto you.
For the first. 1. Thou dost make the word of God, the onelyonly rule of thy religion, and of thy life, because both in thy mind and judgement, thou approvest of this rule, and disallowest all other, and thou dost also in thy will choose and desire to be guided by it, and by nothing else, thou endeavourest to follow the direction of it in all things. 2. Thou dost eschew evill and do good, rather out of love to God, then out of slavish feare, because as thou knowest thou shouldst do so, so thou consentest in thy mind to this that thou oughtest to doe so, and thou dost also unfeinedly desire and endeavour and strive to doe so. 3. Thou hast true justifying faith, and assurance of Gods favour in Christ, because thou dost in thy mind consent to the promise of the Gospell, and dost also unfeinedly desire, and endeavour to beleeve, and thirstest after nothing so much as the favour of God in Christ. 4. Thou hast a totall change wrought in thee by the spirit of God, because as thou dost in thy judgement consent to the word in this that it ought to bee so, and is so in all that are truly regenerated, so thou dost in thy will unfeinedly desire, and endeavour to be sanctified throughout, 5. Thy obedience to God, is universall in one thing as well as in another, because thou dost in thy mind approve of every commandement of God, and dost not allow thy selfe in any sinne, and thou dost also in thy will, unfeinedly desire, and endeavour to forsake every sinne, and to doe every thing that God hath commanded thee. 6. The goodnesse that is in thee, is durable, and not temporary, because thou dost in thy mind constantly approve of every good thing, and constantly disallow of every thing that is evill, and thou dost also in thy will, unfeinedly desire, and endeavour to … constant in good things. 7. Lastly. Thou not onelyonly dost good things, but thou also dost them in the right manner, because as thou dost in thy mind consent to the word in this, that it ought to be so, so thou dost in thy will unfeinedly desire, and endeavour 1. to doe them, to that end onelyonly that thou mayest please, and honour God thereby, without all by respects to thy selfe; 2. to serve God in them with thy spirit and affection, and not with the outward man only; 3. to be humbled for the blemishes and imperfections that cleave unto them.
See now the proofe of all this in three points.
First. In the comfort that Gods best servants have taken in this against all their defects and failings, when they have found that their mind and will hath beene set to please God in all things. Three notable examples wee have for this.
The first is Davids, who when hee had said, Psal. 119.4. Thou hast commanded us to keepe thy precepts diligently; Hee breaketh forth in the next words, verse 5. into an expression of his unfeined, and vehement desire to doe so. Oh that my wayes were directed to keepe thy statutes. As if hee had sayd, ô that I could in all my wayes walke precisely, and keepe thy precepts diligently. And then in the next words hee answereth, and satisfieth his owne soule in this manner. Then shall I not bee ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandements. As if hee should say. Though I cannot keepe thy precepts diligently as I ought, yet if I have respect unto them all, make conscience of every one of them, allow and consent to them in my mind, desire unfeinedly, and endeavour to keepe them, I know I shall never be ashamed, nor disappointed of that hope and comfort that I have in thee. The second example is Nehemiah, who even in his prayer unto God, found comfort in this, Neh. 1.11. that he desired to feare Gods name. The third example is the Apostle Pauls, who desiring the prayers of Gods people for himselfe, Heb. 13.18. mentioneth this for their encouragement therein, and for his owne comfort, that hee had a good conscience in all things, desiring to live honestly, foreign. And againe, Rom. 7. he professeth verse 20 It is no more … that doe it, he did not transgresse Gods law. Why so▪ Because (as he saith ver. 15) hee did not in his mind allow himselfe in any evill, that which I doe, I allow not. And because whatsoever evill he did, was against his will, verse 16 I doe that which I would not, And verse 19. The evill which I would not, that I doe. and verse 15. What I hate that doe I. So on the other side, hee professeth verse 25. that hee himselfe did serve the law of God, hee kept Gods law. How could that bee, when hee confesseth verse. 18. that hee found no ability in himselfe to performe that which is good? Yes he telleth us how he kept the law for all that Because 1. in his mind hee did consent to the law, that it is good, verse 16. and verse 12. The law is holy, and the commandement is holy and just, and good, and verse 25. With the mind I my selfe serve the law of God. 2 In his will he did desire to obey God in every commandement, To will is present with me, saith he, ver. 18. and ver. 19. The good that I would, I doe not; and verse 21. When I would doe good, evill is present. Certainely these holy men would never have made such mention of the goodnesse of their minds, and desires, if they had not held this a certaine evidence that they were in the state of grace; if they had not beleeved that no sinne shall bee imputed to us, which wee doe not allow our selves in, and which wee commit against the desire and purpose of our hearts; if they had not beleeved, that that man hath truth of grace in him, that doth unfeinedly desire grace; hee doth truly beleeve; that doth thus desire to beleeve; hee doth truly repent, that thus desireth to repent; hee doth obey God in all things, and lead an holy life, that doth thus unfeinedly desire to doe so.
But see a second proofe of this in the sentence and testimony that God in his word hath given of such men. Of this sort I will alleage but two only. The first, is that of the Apostle, 2 Cor. 8.12. If there bee first a willing mind, a man is accepted; it is foreign. If a man have a mind unfeinedly willing to doe good, hee is accepted of God; and that that is said of doing good, may bee sayd likewise of beleeving, of repenting, and of every other grace, if a man have a mind unfeinedly willing, and desirous to beleeve, to repent, to love, and feare God, hee is accepted of God. And how could he bee accepted of God, if hee had not these graces in him indeed. The second testimony is that which our Saviour giveth, Matth. 5.6. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousnesse. And how could they be blessed that hunger after righteousnesse, if they be not righteous? how could he that hungreth after faith, or any other saving grace be a blessed man, …f this unfeined desire were not a certaine evidence that there is truth of saving faith, and grace in that man?
The third and last proofe is taken from the reasons and grounds of this, and those are two.
First. Because this unfeined desire of grace, cannot grow from nature (seeing while wee were in the state of nature, wee were like to him which had a spirit of an uncleane Devill, who cryed out with a loud voyce, saying, Let us alone, what have wee to doe with thee, thou Iesus of Nazareth? Art thou come to destroy us? I know thee, who thou art, the Holy one of God. (Luk 4.34) but is the worke of Gods sanctifying spirit. It is God that worketh in us (saith the Apostle, Phil. 2.…3) to will as well as to doe, and that of his good pleasure, his foreign his speciall favour and love.
Secondly. This is a speciall part of that purchase that Christ hath made for us. That whereas in the first covenant that God made with man, no obedience pleased him, but an exact doing, of whatsoever hee commanded, and the sentence of the law ra…ne thus, Galathians 3 10. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the booke of the law, to doe them. Christ by performing in his owne person this exact obedience to the law for us, hath procured that our poore and imperfect obedience, (which standeth more in an unfeined desire and endeavour, to doe the will of God, then in any performance we are able to make) should be acceptable unto him; as the Apostle saith, 1 Pet. 2.5.
Yet is there a third objection that these poore soules are apt to make against themselves;Object. and my desire is to give them as full satisfaction in all their doubts, as I can. I grant all this (saith one) that if I had a true and unfeined desire of grace, then I had truth of grace in mee indeed; I had all the signes of uprightnesse in mee, if I did indeed unfeinedly desire them. But alas, the good desires that seeme to bee in me, are most hypocriticall and unsound. If I did unfeinedly, and with a good and upright heart desire grace, I could not be so void of grace as I am. For the Lord hath promised to fulfill the desires of them that feare him. Psalme 145.19. Hee filleth the hungry with good things. Luke 1.53.
To this I answer. Take heed of denying the work of Gods grace in thy selfe. It is an high degree of unthankefulnesse to doe so.Answ. But take these for certaine evidences, that the desire of thy heart is right.
First. Thou esteemest more of the favour of God, and of his grace, then of any thing else in the world, and canst say with David, Psalm 4.6. I would joy more in the light of thy countenance, then ever worldling, or Epicure did in his wealth or pleasure.
Secondly, Thou allowest not thy selfe, but strivest against every sinne and corruption thou findest in thy selfe, and feelest in thy selfe that blessed combate that Paul speaketh of, Galath. 5.17. The spirit lusteth against the flesh.
Thirdly. Thou seekest by prayer and all other good meanes, to get more grace, and cryest with that poore man, Marke 9.24. Lord helpe mine unbeliefe. Lord helpe my impenitency, my worldlinesse, &c. Yea even when thou hast hardest conceit against thy selfe, that thou art but an hypocrite, but a castaway, yet thou cryest, and prayest still to God for grace as David did, Psalme 31.22.
Fourthly and lastly. Thou mournest and grievest unfeinedly, that thou hast no more faith, no more grace. Thou dost as that poore man, Marke 9.24. hee cryed out of his infidelity, and watered his prayers with his teares. Hee said with teares, Lord helpe my unbeliefe. Certainely this lamenting after the Lord as they did. 1 Samuel 7.2. is a certaine signe thou art in the state of grace. None but the children of the Bride-chamber can thus mourne when they misse the Bridegroome, as our Saviour speaketh, Matth. 9.15. Certainely thou art in a blessed state that canst thus mourne; for so saith the truth it selfe, Matth. 5.4. Blessed are they that mourne (for the poverty of their spirits he meaneth) for they shall be comforted.