The Dead Saint Speaking to Saints and Sinners Living, Treatise 5 · Character 1
1. Character.
Full.A ſincere Obedience is a full Obedience, an univerſal Obedience.
It is univerſal, in reſpect of the ſubject, the whole man; it is univerſal, in reſpect of the object, the whole Law; it is univerſal, in reſpect of durance, the whole life. Hee who obeyes ſincerely, obeyes univerſally; his obedience is not only ſutable to the rule, in reſpect of the nature and quality of it, but it is proportionable alſo to the rule, in reſpect of the latitude and extent of his obedience. There is no man that ſerves God truly, who doth not indeavour to ſerve God fully. Sincerity turns upon the hinges of univerſality. It is ſaid of David, that hee had reſpect to all the Commandements of God, and that hee hated every falſe way. Hee had not obeyed any, if hee had not reſpected all; nay which is yet more, Act. 13.22. hee fulfilled all the will of God, the words are in the plural number, foreign, all the wills and Commands of God; and of Zachary and Elizabeth, Luk. 1.6. that they walked in all the Commandements of God blameleſs, hee who obeyes ſincerely, indeavours to obey thoroughly. Wee will inſtance in theſe branches.
1. In ſuffering as doing.Firſt, Hee will obey God in ſuffering Commands, as well as doing, in loſing, as well as gaining Commands. An unſound ſpirit may follow God, while hee can follow his own game too, while they can ſerve God without coſt, without pain or loſſe, &c. ſuch men love cheap obedience. But when Obedience comes to bee chargeable, when his Obedience to God, may coſt him his liberty, his riches, his eſtate, then they retire; while Religion and the World do walk in the ſame path, there are many who will tread the paths of Religion; but when there comes a turning, that they muſt ſhake hands and part, riches one way, Chriſt another; God one way, the World another; then they will forſake Chriſt. You ſee it was ſo with the young man, hee was willing to follow Chriſt ſo far as hee might bee no loſer, ſo far as to keep his wealth too. But when Chriſt told him, if hee would follow him, hee muſt ſell all, when it comes to this, that either hee muſt part with his Riches or with Chriſt, then hee falls off, and went away ſorrowing. But hee who obeyes ſincerely ſerves God for himſelf, ſuch a man will obey God, though to the hazard and loſs of all, hee will obey God in coſtly, as well as cheap; loſing, as well as gaining duties. Such a man prizeth more of one act of Obedience, than hee doth of all his injoyments, and will take up naked Obedience, though with the loſs of all. As hee will not commit a ſin, though hee might gain the World for it, ſo hee will not neglect a duty, though hee loſe a World for it. You ſee this in the three Children, in Daniel, and in Queen Maries dayes, thoſe go in Sheep-skins, who might have gone in Silks, &c.
Secondly, Hee will obey God in relative Commands, as well as abſolute.
Sincerity doth not only lye in abſolute Commands towards God, but in relative Commands one towards another. And where the heart is ſincere, hee will not only hear, and pray, and obey God, but hee will walk in all duties of Righteouſneſs, and charity towards his Brother. Hee is ſuch a one as makes conſcience of every Command, great or ſmal. Every one comes from the ſame authority, James 2.11. For hee that ſaith the one, ſaith alſo the other. And whatever hath the ſtamp of God, the authority of Heaven upon it, though it ſeem never ſo ſmall, hee dare not diſobey it; where there is a beam of Gods Majeſty ſitting upon the face of a command, hee will ſubmit to it. Men you know will not refuſe the Kings Coin, though the peece bee never ſo ſmall; if the Kings impreſſion bee on a penny, it calls for acceptance, as well as a piece; ſo if the authority of God bee ſtamped upon the leaſt command; a ſincere heart will yeeld ſubjection to it, as well as the greateſt, Mat. 5.19. Hee who breaketh the leaſt of theſe Commands, ſhall bee the leaſt, &c. Hee who ſtands with God for ſmall things, when hee will not forbear an Oath, a cup, a ragge for Chriſt; how ſhould you yeeld to the greater. A man may do the ſmaller, and yet neglect the greater; As the Phariſees, who tithed Mint and Cummin, but the great things of the Law,foreign legis. the love of God, fear of God, theſe are not regarded. But hee who doth the greater, will not neglect the ſmaller.
Thirdly, Hee will obey God in affirmative Commands, as well as negative Commands.
Hee doth not only look upon what God would not have him do, but hee examines what God would have him do. Dives was caſt into Hell, not for oppreſſing Lazarus, but for not ſhewing mercy upon Lazarus, not becauſe hee took any thing from, but becauſe hee gave nothing to him. There is many a mans Religion lies meerly upon negatives. Hee is no ſwearer, no drunkard, no unclean perſon, as the Phariſee, hee oppreſſeth no man, defrauds no man. But if you ask him for the affirmative commands, there hee is nothing; art thou holy? art thou humble? art thou a beleever? art thou a ſanctifier of Gods day? loveſt thou God? feareſt thou God? Alas! theſe ſins, becauſe they are minoris infamiae, not ſo ſcandalous as the other are, therefore hee makes them nullius culpae, no ſins at all, theſe gnats hee can ſwallow, without any ſtraining at them, &c.
4. Hee will obey God in the Spirit of the Command, as well as in the letter of the Command.
There is an intra and an extra in every Command of God. One part of the Law binding the fleſh, the other part enjoyning the ſpirit. You ſee how Chriſt ſets it down, Matth. 5.21. Thou ſhalt do no Murder, there's the letter of the Command. Thou ſhall not bee angry with thy Brother without a cauſe, there is the Spirit of the Command. Thou ſhalt not commit Adultery, there is the letter of the Command. Thou ſhalt not look on a woman to luſt after her, there is the Spirit of the Command. An unſound ſpirit looks no further than the bare letter of the Command, that part which bindes the fleſh or outward man only, and if hee do but obſerve that in the groſs, hee thinks hee hath done well; but now a ſincere heart, hee looks to the ſpirit of the Command, and if hee do not obſerve that, hee hath no peace; if you keep the whole Law in the letter, and give way to your ſelves to fail in any, and do not ſincerely indeavour to obey all according to the ſpirit, your ſpirits are unſound. Hee that will ſee God with comfort, muſt not only obey the letter of the Command, but muſt bring his heart to the ſincere Obedience of the ſpirit of the Command.
5. Hee will not only obey God only in the Matter, but in the Manner, not only in the ſubſtance, but in the circumſtance of the Command.
Hee is not only conſcionable to obey God in what hee commands, but his heart is wrought to a conſcionableneſs in the Obedience. An unſound heart looks no further than the ſubſtance of the Command, if hee have but prayed, if been at Church, hee thinks all is well, hee looks no further. But now a ſound ſpirit, hee looks to the circumſtance, as well as the ſubſtance, the manner, as well as the matter of the command. When hee prayes, hee labours to pray fervently, faithfully. When hee hears, hee will hear humbly, fruitfully, when hee obeyes, hee deſires to obey willingly, chearfully, &c. Wee ſay, bonum eſt ex integrâ cauſâ, but malum ex quolibet defectu; Take any action, if either the Principle whence it doth ariſe bee not good, that the action ariſe from corrupt Principles, ſelf-love, carnal fears; or if the purpoſes bee not good, that the aims and ends bee carnal, or if the circumſtances bee not good, it ſpoils the action. If wee pray, and pray not fervently, if wee heat, and hear not fruitfully, if wee obey, and obey not willingly, if wee ſhew mercy, and do it not chearfully, if you ſanctifie the Sabbath, and not with delight, all is worth nothing.
There are ſome circumſtances acceſſory, ſome neceſſary; ſome wherein the being, and ſome wherein but the well-being of a duty doth conſiſt. And if you abſtract theſe from them, the duty it is worth nothing. Take away fervency, and humility from Prayer, take away faithfulneſs and fruitfulneſs from hearing, take away willingneſs and delight from Obedience, all is nothing worth. So much for the firſt Character of ſincere Obedience. Univerſality.