A Saint or a Brute, Part 1 · Doctrine 3
III. In the next place let us conſider, What is the Neceſſity …t is here ſpoken of, and How far this One thing is Neceſſary ….
And 1. One thing is Neceſſary Morally [for it ſelf] which …ur ultimate end: When other things are Neceſſary but [for …t.]
2. Comprehenſively of the Means we may ſay, that One thing, …t is, Sanctification, is Neceſſary to the Pleaſing of God; which …o be regarded, 1. As the end of Obedience, and 2. As the end … Love: by the obedient ſoul in way of duty; and by the loving …l devoted to God, as its Delight.
The world hath many contrary Maſters, and therefore hath …ny things to do to pleaſe them; and when they have done …ir beſt, they cannot pleaſe them all, but may leave more diſ…aſed then they pleaſe: For thoſe that they muſt pleaſe, expect … poſſibilities; and many a ſingle perſon perhaps may look for … much as you can give to all: And they have ſuch contrary …reſts, which you muſt ſerve if you will pleaſe them; and con…y minds which you muſt humour, that the ſame things that … expects to pleaſe him, will vehemently diſpleaſe another; and …rhaps the more diſpleaſe the other, becauſe it is pleaſing to …t one.
And our ſelves have our contrarieties in our ſelves, and are as …rd to be pleaſed by others or our ſelves. We have our ſenſual …ſires which are unreaſonable and inordinate, unſeaſonable and …portunate, and will take no Nay. A ſenſual, covetous, ambi…ous fantaſie, is a bottomleſs veſſel: Your pouring in doth no …hit fill it: It is a devouring gulf; a conſuming (that I ſay …ot an unquenchable) fire: Like the horſe-leech it cryeth, …ive, Give, and the more you give, the more it craveth, and is …ever leſs ſatisfied, then when it hath glutted it ſelf with that …rom which it ſeeketh ſatisfaction▪
But God is One, and with this One thing is he pleaſed; even with a Holy heart and life: He hath no contradictory intereſts or aſſertions: and therefore hath no contradictory▪ commands▪ …hat which muſt pleaſe him, muſt be ſuitable to his bleſſed nature▪ He is infinite in Wiſdom, and therefore hath no pleaſure in fools, that bring him ſacrifice, and refuſe obedience, and know not that they do evil, Eccleſ. 5. 1. and have not the wit to know what they do, and whom they ſpeak to; and to know that which only is worth the knowing: How often do we read him rejecting the ſacrifice of the wicked, and caſting their coſtlieſt offerings in their faces, as things that he abhorreth, when they come to him without that humble, loving, and obedient heart, which he requireth! Pſalm 50. 8, &c. Iſa. 1. 11, 12. to ver. 20. Their oblations are v…in, the multitude of their ſacrifie is to no purpoſe, and incenſe is an abomination to him; their Feaſts and Sabboth… his ſoul hateth, they are a trouble to him, he cannot bear them, if they come without the One thing neceſſary. Without this he careth not for their faſtings, or formalities, Iſa. 58. 5. It is not thouſands of rams, or ten thouſand rivers of oyle, nor the fruit of their body, if they would give it for the ſin of their ſoul, that he will accept: But he hath ſhewed thee O man what is good: and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do juſtly, and love mercy, and walk humbly with thy God? Mic. 6. 7, 8. The concluſion of the whole matter is this; Fear God and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man, Eccleſ. 12. 13.
You are never the better beloved of God for being Rich, or honourable in the world, nor yet becauſe you are poor, or in a mean condition, nor becauſe you are ſick or well, weak or ſtrong▪ comely or uncomely; but becauſe you Love him through his Son, and Believe in him whom the Father hath ſent, John 16. 27. Without faith it is impoſſible to pleaſe God: Heb. 11. 6. The new man muſt be put on, which is renewed in knowledge, after the Image of him that created him, where there is neither Greek, …r few. Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free, but Chriſt is all and in all,] Col. 3. 10, 11. [For in Chriſt Jeſus circumciſion avail…th nothing, nor uncircumciſion, but a New Creature, and Faith that works by Love, and the keeping of the commands of God, Gal. 5. 6. & 6. 15. 1 Cor. 7. 19.
This One thing (even Godllneſs which is profitable to all things) is neceſſary in us, (ſuppoſing the neceſſaries in Chriſt) to render us acceptable to the Holy God: and without this all the accompliſhments imaginable, will make us but as ſounding braſs, or as a tinkling Cymbal, 1 Cor. 13. 1.
3. One thing is needfull to the ſaving of our ſouls; without which all things elſe are vain. There are many wayes to Hell▪ but to Heaven there is but One: There are a thouſand wayes to delude and blind a ſoul, but only one for its true and ſaving illumination. Erroneous Sectaries are blinded in ſome particular points, by the ſeducing words of men: And ungodly ſenſualiſts are blinded in the main, and damnably err from the neceſſary practical doctrines of ſalvation, being deceived by the inclination of their own concupiſcence: Errors are multifarious; and abound even in many that inveigh moſt fiercely againſt the erroneous: But Truth is ſimple; We have One Teacher to inſtruct us; One Spirit to enlighten us, One Word of God to be our Rule; One Light to guide us through all the darkneſs and mazes of the world, and recover our deluded darkened minds. Thouſands are ready to draw us away from God; Temptations lye thick on every hand; Within us, and without us; before us and on each ſide: Which way can you look or go, but you will meet with baits and ſnares? And if Eve be once deceived, Adam is the eaſilier overcome. When the appetite and ſenſes are enſnared by their objects, and the imagination corrupted, the underſtanding is in danger of deceit. You may go into an Hoſpital, and ſee variety of diſeaſes: but Health is one and the ſame: One hath the peſtilence, and another hath the leproſie, and another a palſie, and another is diſtracted: but among a thouſand people in Health, you ſee no ſuch difference: Health only is formally the cure of all.
What abundance of miſerable ſinners be in the world, that are almoſt at Hell already? But only one ſort of men, even the regenerate, are reſcued by grace, and ſhall be ſaved from it. Many inventions have men found out for their deſtruction; but there is no way but by Chriſt, through faith and holineſs, to their ſalvation. Set as light by Chriſt and Holineſs as you will, and deride it as fooliſhly and perverſly as you pleaſe, you will find at laſt, that this way or none muſt bring you to Heaven. Either ignorance, or pride, or covetouſneſs, or malice, or gluttony, or drunkenneſs, or voluptuouſneſs or luſt, or any one ſin of an hundred may be your ruine: But there is only One ſalve to heal theſe ſores; and only one cordiall or antidote that can expell theſe ſeveral ſorts of poiſon from your hearts: Godlineſs is profitable to all things, 1 Tim. 4. 8.
Drudge for the world as long as you will, and gape after honour and applauſe from men, and try a thouſand wayes for your content; but when you have all done, you muſt return by ſound Repentance into the way of holineſs, or you are loſt for ever. When you have ſlighted grace, you muſt give up your ſelves to the power of that grace: When you have ſet light by a life of holy Love to God, and the fruition of him in Glory, you muſt make it your treaſure and delight, and your hearts muſt be upon it, or you are undone: Matth. 6. 21. When you have made a jeaſt of a Holy life, you muſt come about, and take your ſelves that courſe that you jeaſted at, though you be as much jeaſted at by others; yea, and make it the principal buſineſs of your lives, or periſh in hell under the vengeance of the Almighty, whoſe juſtice you provoked, and whoſe mercy you neglected: Chooſe you whether, but one of them will be your part. Even as Saul that was exceeding mad againſt Believers, and perſecuted them even to ſtrange Cities, Acts 26. 10, 11. was glad to become one of them himſelf though he ſuffered as much as he had cauſed them to ſuffer; and accounted it the greateſt mercy of his life, that God vouchafed him ſuch a change, what ever it coſt him.