The Sinners Sanctuary, Sermon 6
SERMON VI.
Vers. 1.
Who walk not after the flesh, &c.
IT is one of the greatest mysteries in a Christians practice, to joyn these two together, which the Gospel hath conjoined, justification and sanctification, and to place them in their due order: There is much miscarrying in both these, either they are sep…rated, or misplaced: But, the truth is, they cannot really be, except they be jointly; yet, often it falls out, that in mens apprehensions and endeavours, they are disjoined: This then were the argument of a living, and believing Christian, to joine the study of holinesse, with the exercise of …aith in Christ, for remission of sin, and righteousnesse, and not not only to joyn it, but also, to derive it from that principle: There is both an union between these, and an order established in Scripture. The most part of these that professe the Gospel, are of two sorts; they do either divide holinesse from imputed righteousnesse, or Christs righteousnesse from holinesse: I do not say, that any man truly seeks to be covered with the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ, and to have his sins freely pardoned, but he will also study to walk before God, in all well-pleasing; but the truth is, many do pretend, and profess to seek salvation, and forgivenness in Christs blood, and have the mercy of God, and merits of Christ, alwayes in their mouth, who yet declare by their conversation, that they do not so much as desire, or purpose to seek after holinesse: I do not speak of these who are Antinomians in profession, but of a great multitude in the visible Church, who are more really Antinomians, to wit in practice, then most part of professed Antinomians. You hear all, of free grace, and free redemption in Jesus Christ, of tender, and induring mercies in God, and this you take for the whole Gospel; and presently upon the notion of mercy and grace, you conclude unto your selves, not only immunity, and freedom from all the threatnings of the Word, and from hell, but likewise ye proclaim secretly in your own hearts, a liberty to sin so much the more securely; the door of mercy cast open in the Gospel, and the free accesse to Christ, manifested therein, through the corruption that is within us, proves the very occasion of many's giving indulgence to their lusts; of delaying reformation, and turning to God. You all professe, that you seek to be justified, and saved by Jesus Christ; yea, you perswade your selves, to be escaped condemnation, by Christ: Now then, conjoyn that profession, and perswasion, with your walk, and O! how contrary you may find them to one another? your saith is vain, for ye are yet in your sins. Tit. 2.11, 12. The grace of God appearing to some men effectually, teacheth them to deny ungodliness, and worldly lusts, and to live righteously, soberly, and godly &c. But if we may conjecture your teaching by your walking, it seems the notion of grace, and the Gospel that is formed in your minds, hath taught you another doctrine, to a vow ungodliness, and follow worldly lusts. Is there so much as a shadow of this spiritual walking in many? I confesse, it is natural for every man to seek his own righteousnesse; and it is the arm of God that must bow men, to submit to Christs imputed righteousnesse; yet, the most part of men, seem to be so far from seeking any righteousnesse, that they are rather seeking the fulfilling of their own carnal lusts, working wickedness with greediness, not caring how little they have to put confidence into; and yet, certain it is, that how much forever, a man attains to, of a form of Religion, or civil honesty, he is ready to put his trust in it, and to lean the weight of his soul upon it: But sei…g this is natural to you all, to seek heaven by doing and working, I wonder that ye do no more; how do ye satisfie your consciences in the expectation of heaven, who take so little pains in Religion, and are so loose and profane in your conversation? I wonder, seing ye have it naturally engraven in your hearts, to establish your own righteousnesse, that ye labour not to have more of it to fill your eye withall.
But again, on the other hand, there are some men, who have a form of Religion, and labour to be of a blamelesse conversation among men, that possibly perswades themselves, they are seeking holinesse, and walking spiritually; but alace, you may find it but a painted and seeming Religion, that is an abomination in the sight of God; because it is to them, all the ground of their acceptation before God. If ever this question was moved in some of you, What shall I do to be saved? You have condescended on such a walk, such a profession, for the answer of it; It is natural to all, even these who have least apperance of godlinesse: to seek heaven, by doing Gods will; these that have no more to speak of, then their Baptism, or receiving the Lords Supper, or attending well the solemn assemblies, will ground their hope of salvation on those things,: How much more, will civil and honest men (commonly so called) who pray, and read, and professe godlinesse, how much more, I say, will they establish that which they attain to, as the ground of their confidence before God? Now, this is a general, unknown ill that destroys the world, and yet few are convinced of it, how hard it is to be driven out of our selves, and to seek life in another. O! know, that it is in a manner, the crucifying of a mans self, thus to deny himself, to have a sort of righteousness, and not to trust in it. Who is he, that cannot indure to look upon himself, for moral vilenesse? Alace, men flatter themselves in their own eyes, looks with a more favourable …ye on their own actions, then they ought: Who is he that abhors himself, even for abominable works? But who shall be found to abhore himself, for his most religious and best actions? Who casts these out of their sight, as unclean and menstruous things? Therefore, I say, though thy righteousnesse were equal to, or exceeded any Pharisees righteousnesse, thou cannot enter into heaven: The poor Publicane, that was a vile and profane sinner, yet his righteousnesse exceeded the Pharisees, though he had none of his own, yet he had a righteousnesse without blemish, of Christs purchasing, having by saith fled to the mercy of God, in, and through a Mediator. It is not more doing, more praying, more exact walking, that can make you more righteous in Gods account, in order to absolution from Law-condemnation, then the prof…nest and most wretched sinner; but, the baser, and viler thou be in thine own eyes, the more thou hide thy best doings from thine eyes, and look on thy uncleannesses, and betakes thy self to Christ, his unspotted and perfect righteousnesse; the more honourable and precious thou art in his eyes. Therefore, God is said to dwell in the heart of the humble and contrite one, not for the worth of his humility, and repentance; No, no, but for the pleasure he hath in the well-beloveds righteousnesse; that is the beautiful garment, only in the eye of a humbled soul, that seeth nothing in it self desirable.
Therefore, I wish, that this conjunction which is made in the Gospel, were also engraven in your hearts, and on your practices, that is, that you would seek after ho…ness, without which, no man shall see God; seek to perfect it in the fear of God, but not a… though ye were to be thereby justified, seek it with that diligence and earnest study, as if ye were to be saved by it, and yet seek it, so as to be denyed to your diligence, or as if ye sought it not at all. How sweet a conjunction were this in the Christians practice, to walk and run so after the prize, as if his walking did obtain it, and yet to look upon his walking, as if it were not at all. Your diligence and seriousnesse in godlinesse should be upon the growing hand, as if doing did save you; yet you ought to deny all that, and look to the righteousnesse of another, as if nothing were done at all by you. How doth Paul, Phil. 3.8. unite these in his practice, I count all losse and dung, to be found in Christ, not having my own righteousn…sse, and yet I presse forward, and follow after perfection▪ as having attained nothing yet. One of these two is the Original of many stumblings and wandrings in our Christian-way, either there is not a necessity and constraint laid upon the souls of many to walk in all well-pleasing, and to perfect holiness in the fear of God: We look on it as a thing indifferent, that is to be determined according to the measure of our receivings from God, or we look on it as a thing not urging all, but belonging to Ministers, or more eminent Professors, and hence there ariseth much carnal liberty, in walking without the line of Christian-liberty, because there is an indifference in the spirit that gives that latitude in walking; or else there is not that following o… holinesse in such a way, as can consist with the establishing of Christs righteousness. No denial of our selves, in our actions, we act as if we were sufficient of our selves and walks a… if we were thereby justified, and commends our selves to God in our own consciences, when ever we can have the testimony of our consciences, for well-doing. And by this means, the Lord is provoked, because we do not honour the Son, the Father counts himself despised, and the spirit is grieved and tempted to depart, and leave us to our own imaginations, till our idol which we established, fall down, and our understanding return to us.
As it would be of great moment to the peace of Christians, and increase of holinesse, to have that union of Justification and Sanctification stamped on their hearts, so especially to have the due and Evangelick-method and order of these impressed on their consciences, it would conduce exceedingly, both to their quckening and comforting: As there is nothing, that either so deadens or darkens, and saddens the spirits of the Godly, as darknesse in this particular; the ignorance and mistake of the method and order of that well-ordered Covenant must certainly be very prejudicial to the life and consolation tendered by the Gospel. This spiritual walking, it flowes from the believers state of non-condemnation in Christ; he is once in Jesus Christ, and then he walks after the Spirit of Christ. You may make engines to cause a dead statue wa…k, but it cannot walk of it self, till it have a principle of life in it. Walking is one of the operations of life, that flowes from some inward principle, and so this spiritual-walk, and motion of a Christian in his course, is the proper operation of the new nature, that he is partaker of in Christ Jesus. As then you know it is impossible that there can be true and un…eigned walking, where there is no life, no principle within to put the creature to motion, though a man may by Art, and some external impulse, so act a piece of timber or stone, as it may resemble to you a walking, like to living creatures, so it is not possible, that any of the Sons of Adam, who are by nature dead in sins, can walk spiritually, before they be united to Jesus Christ, by believing in him, for righteousnesse and salvation: There may be such a walking of carnal unregenerat men, as may deceive all the senses, and judgements of beholders, men may be acted from base external principles, in matters of Religion so that a beholder shall perceive no difference between them and others, in whom Christ lives and walks; but before God it is nothing else, but an artificial walk, a painted and dead business, because, the spirit that raised up Christ, is not stirring in them, they are not living members of that Head that quickens all, have not been driven out of their own righteousnesse, to Christ, the city of refuge; their principles are no higher then walking to obtain salvation, and acceptation of God in a legal way, walking to pacifie him, walking to please men and their own consciences, walking for gain or credit, or advantage in the way, walking according to custom or education in the way. These are not living principles, but when once a soul hath embraced Christ Jesus within it, he becomes in a manner, a soul to actuat and to quicken that soul, he animates it, and moves it in Gods wayes, according to the Covenant of Grace, I will put my Spirit in you, and cause you walk in my wayes; there is first quickening, and then walking, You who were dead in sins, hath he quickned together with Christ, Eph. 2.1, 5. and then it follows in due order, I will cause you to walk in my wayes, Ezek. 36▪ 27. Christ comes into the heart to dwell, and then he walks in it, 2 Cor. 6.16. And what is that, Christ to walk in believers, it is nothing else, but Christ by his Spirit making them to walk in his way; there is so little in us to principle a spiritual action, even when renewed and quickned, that we should look on our selves not so much, as workers with him, but as being acted by him, we should look on soul and body, as pieces of organized clay, that cannot move, but as it is moved by him as the soul and life of it; so that according to the Scriptures di…lect, a Christian is nothing else, but Christ living and wa…king in such a person. This is it which Christ when he is to go out of the world instructs his Disciples into, Iob. 15.1. He is the vine, and we the branches; the branch must first be united to the tree, and implanted into the tree, ere it bring forth fruit, without the tree, it withers: So must a soul be fust ingrast in Jesus Christ, implanted in him by …aith in his death and sufferings, before it can grow up into the similitude of his resurrection, or walk in newness of life, as Paul speaks, Rom. 6.4, 5. Without me ye can do nothing; ye must first be one with him, by believing in him, and receiving him as a compleat Saviour, and then the sap and vertue of the tree flows into the dead branch, and it shoots forth, and blossoms and bears.
Now if this Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles were duly pondered and believed. O what a change would it make on the lives and spirits of Christians? since this is the order established in the Gospel, and an order suitable both to his grace and our necessity, (as all that is in it speaketh forth an excellent contriver) when we go about to establish our souls in another method, how is it possible that we should not weary and vex our souls in vain? how can we choose but torment our selves, and intricat our selves still more? Our method and way is just contrary, we perplex our souls how to find the fruits of the Spirit of Christ, how to walk after the Spirit, without fi…st closing intirely with Christ himself. We trouble our selves to find the operations of a spiritual life, before we lay hold on Christ, who is the life of our souls. It is made an argument by many, to keep them from believing in Christ, because they do not find that spiritual life stirring in them. How cross is this to the declared mind of Christ in the Gospel? It cannot choose but both darken the spirit more, and dry up the influences of the Spirit of God, because it keeps thee from the fountain of all consolation You may disquiet your souls by this means, but you shall never make advantage this way, without him ye can do nothing: and yet ye will not come to him, because you have done nothing. Its strange how little reason is in it, if your eyes were opened; you refuse or delay to abide in the vine, till you bring forth fruit, and fruit you cannot bring forth, till you be in the vine: you would walk, and you will not have the life from which you must walk. Paul lived indeed, but what a life? the life that I live is by the faith of the Son of God; faith in Christ transported him out of himself to Christ, or received Christ into the soul, and Christ in the soul, was the life of his soul, Gal. 2.20. your walking is as if a dead man essay to go. Will one expect figs of thorns, or grapes of thistles? I beseech you, know what wrong ye do to your selves, and to Christ; ye wrong your selves, because ye stand in the way of your own mercy, ye stand a back from your life, him that is the way, the truth, and the life. You would walk in the way, but no man can walk in this way, but by this way; Christ must quicken you to walk in himself, ye must get life in him, and not bring it. You are in a vain expectation of fruits from your selves, they will never see the Sun, and when you have wearied your self in such a vain pursuit, you must at length come and begin here. Ye wrong Christ his grace and mercy, this order is suited of purpose for our desperat condition, and yet ye presume to reject it, and seek another. You prescribe to your skilful & tender Physician, that which would undo you: I beseech you, know the original of your miseries, doubts, barrenness, and darknesse: Here it is, you are still puzling your selves about grace and duties, how to fill your eyes with these, and ye neglect Christ as your righteousnesse, as one dead and risen again, and now sitting at Gods right hand for us, you must first close with him, as ungodly men, though you were godly, you must shut your eyes on any such thing, and lay living Jesus upon your dead and benumb'd hearts, answer all your challenges with his absolution, and stand before God, in his cloathing, put his garment immediately on your nakednesse, and vilenesse; and we may perswade you, it shall yield you abundant consolation, and life, because he lives, ye shall live, and walk. If you were more frequent and serious in the consideration of his excellent Majesty, of his beautiful and lovely qualifications, as the Mediator for sinners, and of the precious promises, which are all, Yea, and Amen, confirmed in him, and lesse in the vain and unprofitable debates of self-interest, and such like, I am perswaded ye would be more fruitful Christians. This is not as the business of a holy-day, to be done at your first coming to Christ, and no more, no, it must run alongst all your life, the aged experienced Christian must come alongs as an ungodly sinner, to a blessed and living Saviour, and have no other ground of glory or confidence before God, but Christ Jesus crucified.