An Expository Comment on 2 Corinthians 1, Exposition · Sermon 89
SERM. LXXXIX.
Of the true Nature of Godly Simplicity and Singleneſſe of Heart.
2 COR. 1. 12.
That in ſimplicity and godly ſincerity, &c.
HAving finiſhed the general, we now come to the particular, wherein his conſcience did give this good teſtimony; and that is concerning his converſation in the world. Of which in its time. Which is amplified (as you heard) in the manner of it, Poſitively, Negatively and Oppoſitely. Poſitively, and that is ſet down in two words, In ſimplicity, and Godly ſincerity.
Of the firſt at this time, foreign. The Vulgar Latine addeth heart, In ſingleneſſe of heart, for ſo we find it uſed in other places, Epheſ. 6. 5. Coloſ. 3. 22. But that is ſuppoſed in the word, though it be not expreſſed. Grotius ſpeaketh of a Manuſcript that readeth foreign, but the Context is clear for this.
Now when he ſaith, In ſimplicity, by that he meaneth, he did nothing craftily, crookedly, hypocritically, deceitfully, as Chryſoſtome interpreteth it in many ſynonymous words. Varinus maketh the contrary to foreign, &c. almoſt the ſame words Chryſoſtome hath. The word is often uſed for bounty and liberality, as 2 Cor. 9. 11, 13. becauſe thoſe who have a ſingle plain ſpirit, are hearty, ready and free in all duties that are required. It differeth from the next word foreign, becauſe that doth properly reſpect the aims and intentions of men in all their wayes; although we are not to be too exact in making a diſtinction between them. This ſimplicity is as much as ſine plicis, that which is ſmooth and plain, that hath not many folds and coverings, and ſo is oppoſite to that which is in the Old Teſtament called an heart, and an heart, a man that hath two hearts. So that this is a moſt bleſſed temperature of the ſoul, when its internals and externals are both alike; when its inwardly towards God, what it outwardly pretends to be. From whence obſerve,
That godly ſimplicity and ſingleneſſe of heart, doth afford much comfort.Godly ſimplicity and ſingleneſs of heart affords much comfort
The hypocritical and crafty ſelf-ſeeking man, that maketh uſe of God and holy things for his own advantage and intereſt, hath never any ſolid true comfort. He is compared to the ruſh that groweth in the mire, and if plucked from thence, quickly withereth, Job 8. 11. An hypocrite will not ſerve God, but where his own advantages do induce him; for hypocriſie is large, and ſo contrary both to ſimplicity and ſincerity. The Apoſtle doth excellently comfort himſelf in this; and thereby appealeth to the conſciences of the Theſſalonians, 1 Theſſ. 2. 3. Our exhortation was not of deceit or guile, neither uſed we flattering words, or a cloak of covetouſneſſe, nor if men ſought we glory. Oh the admirable ſimplicity that here we find in Paul's ſpirit!
Now it is neceſſary to conſider the nature of this. And
Firſt, It floweth from an heart ſanctified and truly regenerated. No man Of the uature of godly ſimplicity. 1. It flows from a ſanctified heart.but he that is godly, hath this ſingleneſſe of ſpirit. Jer. 17. 9. The heart is deceitfull above all things. The word ſignifieth the crookedneſs of it: How ready it is to ſupplant us. Jacob had his name from that root, becauſe he ſupplanted Eſau about his birthright. This is the heart of man by nature, full of concavities, ſecret receſſes and holes (as it were) deceiving himſelf and others; and therefore till grace doth make pure, and we have truth in the inward parts, all is but a lie in us: Our Religion is a lie, our goodneſs is a lie, there is no ſolidity at all. It is true indeed, there is in ſome men a natural ingenuous candour, they abhorre diſſimulation and hypocriſie; but yet this is onelyonly one of Ariſtotles virtues, which is indeed but a ſplendid vice. For if the tree be not good the fruit cannot be: If the ſpring be bitter, ſo is the ſtream; and ſo if a man be a thorn, no ſweet grapes can grow upon him. This then we are to do, to look to the bottom, to ſearch to the original. Hath the Spirit of God made thee a new creature? then thou doeſt become faithfull and true both to God and man; otherwiſe we ſee what the Scripture ſpeaketh of every one by nature, that he is a liar, Rom. 3. 4. Therefore till the heart be purified by grace, there is no truth and ſoundneſs within.
Secondly, This ſimplicity and ſingleneſſe of ſpirit doth eye God, and looketh 2. It looks upon Gods will as the only motive to obedience.upon his will, as the motive of his duty. The preſence of God, the omniſcience of God, whereby he trieth and ſearcheth the heart, is frequently in his meditation. It is the glory of God, the honour of God, that ſtirreth up his heart: It's not glory from men, or pleaſing of men, which doth quicken him up. For although we told you, the next word ſignifieth purity of intentions, yet one is ſo intimately connexed with the other, that they cannot be ſeparated; ſingleneſs then of heart is remarkably ſeen in thoſe motives that move his ſoul; they are arguments drawn from God. You ſee this fully comprehended in that exhortation to ſervants, Coloſ. 3. 22. where they are commanded, To obey their maſters, not with eye ſervice, as men pleaſers, but in ſingleneſſe of heart, fearing God. They muſt look above Maſters and Governours, even to God himſelf. Now we are all ſervants to God; and therefore we ought the more diligently to have ſingleneſs of ſpirit towards him, by how much he doth infinitely exceed all other maſters. And this particular doth likewiſe ſhew, that all the moral ingenuity and verity which ſome Heathens have been famous for, was but a gliſtering Glow-worm; for they had no eye to God, neither did they reſpect him, but looked at their own glory and honour in all that they did.
Thirdly, Simplicity of heart is eſſentially conſiſting in the fixedneſſe of it 3. It is fixed upon God only.upon God onelyonly, when the heart doth in the chiefeſt manner cloſe with God, and center upon him, as the ultimate end through Chriſt. And therefore ſimplicity of heart is the ſame with oneneſſe of heart. When a man doth not love God, and the world too, ſerve God, and luſts alſo. For though our Saviour ſay, This is impoſſible, yet many whoſe whole ſouls are engaged to the world, and the things of the world, do yet pleaſe themſelves, as if they loved God alſo, which yet is as impoſſible, as with one eye to look downwards, and another to look upwards. That heart and heart which ſome Kings in the Old Teſtament are charged with, was, becauſe they did halt between God and Belial; They would not ſerve God alone. Simplicity then is oppoſed to inconſtancy and unſetledneſſe of ſpirit, when a man doth not with full purpoſe of heart cleave to Chriſt, and take him upon all his terms, but in ſome things is for him, and in ſome things is againſt him: At ſome times he prayeth and calleth upon God; at other times again he giveth all over. This is oppoſite to ſingleneſs of heart. The Apoſtle James calleth ſuch an one, Chap. 1. 8. A double minded man, foreign, a man with with two ſoules, as it were. So that this very particular is greatly to be heeded, it will penetrate and ſearch to the very bottome of the ſoul. Moſt men undo their ſoules in this point; they have but wiſhings and wouldings in religious things; they have aguiſh workings of heart, ſometimes hot, and ſometimes cold: They have not taken our Saviours counſel, To ſit downe, and bethink themſelves, what it will coſt them to be the Diſciples of Chriſt, what luſts they can part with, what ſufferings they can endure, what powerfull and fervent ſervice they can doe for God: And hence it is they are like a reed ſhaken with every winde. Inſtability and inconſtancy cannot in a predominant manner conſiſt with this ſimplicity of heart, no more than heat and cold in gradu intenſo. There is no godly man but bewaileth the unſetledneſſe, the unevenneſſe of his heart, that he is not alwayes as believing, as heavenly-minded, as weaned from the world, as he is at ſometimes; but this is gradual only, his heart hath for the main fixed on God, though it be thus toſſed up and down; even as the ſhip may be anchored faſt to the earth, yet the waves and winds may move it up and down, but they cannot remove it. Thus the heart which hath godly ſimplicity, is fundamentally faſtened upon Chriſt, although many temptations intruding may ſometimes cauſe it to ſhake and totter.
Fourthly, Simplicity of heart is conſiſtent in the uncompounded frame thereof. 4. It is not compounded.It is not made up of ſeveral heterogeneals, as if there were metal of ſilver and lead, or gold and copper, and ſo is the ſame with purity. Every hypocrite hath a mixt heart, it is compounded of ſeveral ingredients; for being it is glewed to the creatures, and to ſeveral luſts, becauſe theſe are many; therefore he hath not a ſimplicity, but multiplicity in his heart. Divines doe uſually make ſimplicity to be one of Gods Attributes, becauſe he is a moſt pure act compounded of no parts: Therefore he hath the higheſt ſimplicity in his Eſſence. And the Angels, they are alſo called ſimple ſubſtances, becauſe they are next unto God. Yea the Philoſophers call the Heavens, though a body, yet ſimple, becauſe not compounded of elements, as ſublunary things are. The notion then of the ſimplicity of the heart is ſeen in this, when it is not compounded, it hath not the mixture of other things with ſpiritual: and hence it doth appear, that no man in this life hath perfect and abſolute ſimplicity; none hath his graces wholly pure, becauſe ſome corruption is mingled with our duties. There is a compoſition of wine and water, of fleſh and Spirit, of Grace and Nature in the beſt, but yet it is not predominant in the godly. The tares do not choake the wheat. The Iebuſite doth not drive out the Iſraelite. OnelyOnly this may ſerve to keep the godly humble and low in their owne eyes; they have not that purity and ſingleneſſe of heart they ought to have, yea and earneſtly deſire. Doeſt thou ever goe about any holy duty, wherein thou doeſt not find corruption preſently intermingling it ſelf? Doth pure grace work alwayes? How much of fleſh and ſelf doth interpoſe? But yet for the main thy heart hath ſimplicity.
Fifthly, Simplicity conſiſteth in an even, equal and uniforme way of obedience. 5. 'Tis uniform in its obedience.The courſe of a mans life is for the general of the ſame complexion, alwayes praying, alwayes believing, alwayes mortifying of ſinne, alwayes heavenly mindedneſſe. I doe not ſpeak this, as if there were never any interruption, ſometimes natural, as in ſleep; and otherwayes, becauſe the ſoule being finite, cannot attend to many things at once; ſometimes moral by ſinne, or at leaſt careleſſe and dull affections, but the courſe of his life, or as the Scripture calls it, The way of a man, that is, generally of the ſame conſonancy: Whereas Hypocriſie is full of uneven and unequal actions, ſometimes mountaines, ſometimes valleys. There are many Hyperbatons, (as it were) in the oration of his life; his life doth ſpeake in different Dialects; he can ſay Sibboleth, and Shibboleth too. Thus David deſcribeth the godly man, as Meditating and delighting in the Law of God day and night. And the Apoſtle John ſpeaketh once or twice, That thoſe who are borne of God, ſinne not, neither can they: Not becauſe they have not divers infirmities, but becauſe the full purpoſe, and habitual inclination of ſuch a mans heart is uniformely to Gods commands. Therefore you heard, that the oppoſite to foreign, is foreign. If you looke upon many examples of thoſe, who did many things for God, yet wanted this ſimplicity, you ſhall finde a great difformity in their lives; their lives ſpeake contradiction, they are not the ſame men at one time, they are at another. Thus Soul at firſt very zealous to promote the will of God; yea from this he did put all the Witches to death, and yet at another time he himſelf maketh recourſe to ſuch. So Jehu, how active is he to deſtroy Baal's worſhip, but yet he retaineth Ieroboam's worſhip? If it was good to deſtroy Ahab's worſhip, becauſe not commanded by God, was it not alſo good to demoliſh Ieroboam's, ſeeing that alſo had no command from God? But where there is no ſimplicity of heart, you may obſerve a great deal of unevenneſſe, yea and contradiction in that mans converſation.
Sixthly, Simplicity of heart doth mainly lie in this, To have our outwards 6. Its outwards and inwards are all the ſame.and inwards all of the ſame nature. To be ſuch cordially and internally to God, as outwardly we appeare to be. So that if you aske, What is this ſimplicity? In the general we may ſay, the adequate conformity and agreement betweene the heart and our profeſſion. Out of the heart, we pray, we heare, we profeſſe. So that a godly man can more ſecurely make that wiſh, than the Heathen, who wiſhed, that he had a window in his breaſt, that all men might ſee what he thought, what laie in his heart; This was great confidence. For certainly if God ſhould take a man, as he did Ezekiel, and make a man look into the ſecret corners of many mens ſoules, we ſhould ſee every day more abominations. A man of this godly ſimplicity careth not if other men knew his heart, becauſe God, whom he feareth more than man, knoweth all the motions of his ſoul. It is the complaint that God maketh of ſome by the Prophet Iſaiah, Chap. 29. 13. This people draw nigh me with their mouth, and with their lips they honour me, but remove their hearts farre from me. This is to have a double heart, ſuch want this godly ſimplicity. But oh the lamentation and bitter mourning that we may take up in this reſpect! Have not moſt of our Congregations this double heart, and this double tongue? For what contrariety is there betweene thy religious approaches, and thy ordinary actions? Are ye not here to day, as if ye were an holy people, a repenting people, as if you did owne and acknowledge the Lord in all his commands? But what are you in your ſhops, in your markets, yea it may be in ale-houſes, and ſuch places, that doe foment iniquity? What groſſe double dealing is this with God? You have a tongue to pray to God here, and then you have a tongue to curſe and ſwear after. You appear here to day for the ſervice and honour of God, and then in the weekday you ſerve the Devil and the world. What impudent hypocriſie is this? Will God be thus groſſely mocked by you? What doth not God remember? Is he an Idol-god? Oh yeeld your ſelves up to that exhortation of the Apoſtle, before Gods wrath conſume you, and you cannot eſcape, Iames, Chap. 4. 8. Cleanſe your hands ye ſinners, and purifie your hearts ye double-minded? Your hypocriſie and diſſimulation is ſo groſſe and viſible, that did not the Devil exceedingly blinde you, you could not but take notice of it; it would riſe up in your conſciences, and …ing like a Scorpion.
Seventhly, Simplicity of heart is ſeen in this, That it dare not hide or cover 7. It doth not cover any ſin.any ſinne, or mince it, and by diſtinctions leſſen it as much as may be. You heard ſimplex is ſine plicis: It is a metaphor from garments that have not folds in them, you may ſee what they are. Saul did exceedingly diſcover the guile of his heart, when he did ſo mince his ſinne to Samuel, and did pretend ſometimes neceſſity, and ſometimes religious reſpects to God; whereas David, though for a while he had too much of this double heart in him about Uriah's matter, yet at laſt he confeſſeth all, Pſal. 51. Againſt thee, againſt thee onelyonly have I ſinned, and done this evil in thy ſight. It was becauſe the eye of God was upon him, that he was ſo much troubled; it was becauſe he had uſed ſo much fraud and cunning in accompliſhing his iniquity, that he was wounded at the very heart; therefore ſaith he, Create in me a right ſpirit, and thou deſireſt truth in the inward parts. When a man once cometh to this ſimplicity of heart, he will juſtifie God, and condemn himſelf, he will confeſſe to God, hide nothing from him, deal plainly with him; not with Adam excuſe or put it off to others; he will ſay, I am the man, I charge my ſelf with all that evil, and all the aggravations of it, that the Scripture requireth.
Eighthly, Simplicity of heart maketh a man wonderfull free and willing 8. It makes a man free in the ſervice of God.in the ſervice of God. It doth not limit and ſtint his worke to God ſutably to his own advantages, but his Modus diligendi Deum eſt ſine modo, his meaſure is to put no meaſure. Therefore all thoſe who love not ſtrictneſs, zeale, fervency and activity for God, they diſcover much unſoundneſſe of ſpirit. Were thy heart ſingle for God thou wouldſt ſtrive forward, and forget all things that are behind. This is the reaſon you heard, why the Greek word foreign is many times uſed for bounty and liberality, becauſe he who hath a plain heart for God, he doth not walk by politick rules, and preſcripts of humane moderation, but conformeth to the rule with as much exactneſs and zeal as he can.