One-Hundred Forty-Five Sermons Upon John 17, Sermon 36
SERMON XXXVI. Of Obedience to all the Commandements of God, Shewing, That that only is truely Obedience, And the Property of a Godly man.
JOH. 17.8.
For I have given unto them the words which thou gaveſt me, And they have received them, &c.
OUR Saviour in this Verſe doth more largely amplifie that to which he had in the 7th Verſe ſpoken more briefly, ſo that he doth ſtill continue in narrating and commending the Diſciples Obedience and Faith, which are the Jachin and the Boaz, the two Pillars of practicall Chriſtianity; Their obedience is commended in the former part,
1. By their readineſſe and willingneſſe foreign, They have received, as willingly as men do food, or gold and ſilver; They put forth their hands to take it with all delight, I mean the hands of their ſoul, viz. their affections which are both the feet and the hands of the ſoul.
2. There is the Object, Thy words. Where
1. We ſee, That is only true and proper obedience which Gods Word requireth; Though we be never ſo diligent and induſtrious, yet if the Word of God commands not ſuch things; it's no obedience.
2. The Univerſality, Thy words, that is, collectively and univerſally, They had an equal reſpect to all.
3. Theſe words are deſcribed by the Original of them, The words thou gaveſt me, So that Chriſt though head of the Church, yet did not deliver any thing to be beleeved or obeyed but what he had received of the Father, an excellent Preſident for all the Miniſters of the Goſpel; We ſee then every crum in this bread of life is nouriſhing, and we will not loſe any.
1. Whereas we ſee that Obedience doth alwaies relate to ſome Word of God, and that we may not of our own heads chooſe to do what we pleaſe in matters of Religion; We obſerve,
Doct. That only is proper obedience that hath the Word of God requiring it.That that only is proper and acceptable Obedience which hath the Word of God requiring it; We are apt to make Religion and godlineſſe that which our own humours fancie, yea, and ſometimes our luſts do ſuggeſt; Hence every one is apt to judge of another as religious and godly, not by the rule of the Word, but by ſuch principles as he hath taken up for himſelf; Thus in Popery he is judged a very pious and obedient man, who is moſt induſtriouſly diligent in all that invented worſhip the Church of Rome abounded with; Though there be not one i…a or tittle for it in Gods Word, but as the Word of God is the rule of faith, ſo is it of obedience, Faith and the Word muſt accompany one another, and ſo muſt obedience and the word commanding▪ Therefore Chriſt tels the Phariſees their devotion it was a vain devotion, becauſe Who hath required this at your hands? Mat. 18.9 See a notable expreſſion Iſa 66.3. They have choſen their own waies, I alſo will chooſe their deluſions ▪ You ſee Let a man have never ſuch godly intentions, never ſuch pious purpoſes, yet if he chooſe a way of his own in faith and obedience, God is greatly diſpleaſed, and therefore howſoever hereſie or an heretick which is as much as a chooſer of his own way be by Scripture and Eccleſiaſtical Writers limited to a way of faith, yet the Word may be extended to any practical obedience, We may ſay Superſtition is hereſie, We may ſay drunkenneſſe, whoredome▪ are hereſie, becauſe they are waies choſen of men to walk in contrary to Gods Word, ſo he who would have comfort in his obedience muſt look to Gods command.
The grounds of this are,
Firſt, From the Supremacy and Soveraignty of God, The grounds of this arewho alone is to preſcribe to man his duty; He is our great Lord and Maſter,I. From the Soveraignty of God· ſo that as it would be very abſurd in a Servant to do that work which he thinketh fit, and not what his Maſter enjoyneth, no leſſe is it for men to think that God will accept them in ſuch and ſuch waies, when yet they cannot bring his Superſcription and authority ſtamp… upon it; Hence it is that the Prophets do ſo often uſe this expreſſion, Thus ſaith the Lord; It's not their counſell, or their commands, but Gods: Oh then examine thy actions, thy waies, thou putteſt much confidence in them, Thou haſt much comfort from them, but are they ſvch as God hath required? Did not our Saviour at one word throw to the ground all that gliſtering golden Piety of the Phariſees? There is no command for it; This is the foundation you muſt lay, elſe your building, though never ſo glorious will have a terrible fall.
Secondly, Obedience muſt have Gods command, II. Gods promiſe is annext only to Gods command.elſe it cannot enjoy Gods promiſe and bleſſing; Whatſoever God commands he hath annexed a gracious promiſe thereto for our encouragement and reward; Therefore it's ſaid. In vain do they worſhip me; There is no promiſe of Goſpel-priviledges or ſalvation to ſuch actions; Now how ſad a thing is it, when the ſame Motto which Solomon puts upon all theſe fading things here below, ſhall likewiſe be ſet upon thy Religion and devotion; Vanity of vanities, all is vanity and vexatien of ſpirit; It's the promiſe that a godly man embraceth, that he looketh after, for even in holy actions truly, ſo it's not thy performance, thy grace, but the promiſe that bears thee out; Therefore we are all ſaid to be Children of the Promiſe, Gal. 4.28. and heirs of the Promiſe, and 2 Cor. 7.1. Having theſe Promiſes let us cleanſe our ſelves; If then thou art never ſo zealous, though thou ſhouldſt give thy body to the ſire, and have not a promiſe, it would profit thee nothing; Shouldſt thou give away all thou haſt, Shouldſt thou endure all hardſhip, yet if thou haſt no promiſe to this action thou art but a tinkling Cymbal; Oh then let the people of God in all their acts of obedience minde the command for the lawfulneſſe of them, and the promiſe for the encouragement therunto; if no command then no promiſe, God will not water that plant, or give encreaſe to it, which he hath not planted; And for this end Auſtin and others did condemn all thoſe famous moral actions of the heathens as glittering ſinnes, becauſe they had no promiſe belonging to them of Eternall life: As they did them upon humane inferiour motived, not ſupreme and divine, ſo their recompence was but the cockleſhels of this world, not that weight of glory in heaven.
Thirdly,III. Becauſe of the pollution that is upon mans underſtanding Obedience must have a command becauſe of the great corruption and pollution which is upon mans underſtanding, ſo that it's impoſſible it ſhould ever chooſe or do that which is acceptable to God, Rom. 8. They that are in the fleſh cannot pleaſe God, And the Heathens, even thoſe that were judged moſt learned, yet were darkned in their Imagination, Rom. 1. They became vain, and the Apoſtle cals it their fooliſh hearts; It is therefore a moſt abſurd and inſufferable indignity offered unto God for thee to take upon thee how thou wilt worſhip him, how thou wilt ſerve him, and for this it is that the Scripture ſo often complaineth, that they went after the imagination of their own hearts; So that by this you may judge of what little conſequence thoſe excuſes are which ſome make for ſuperſtition, That they were done out of pious Intentions, and a fervent zeal, for although ſuch things may in ſome reſpects excuſe a tanto, yet not a toto. Hence Ʋzziah though out of a good intention ſtopping the Ark not according to Gods order, is ſtricken dead; Paul perſecuting the Church of God though out of zeal, for he thought he was bound to do what he did, yet was not thereby excuſed from being a blaſphemer, a perſecutor, and the greateſt of ſinners; Nothing is to be added to Gods precepts, Etiamſi vel bonum nobis videtur, ſaid Ambroſe; So that the right underſtanding of our deep pollution, may juſtly make us afraid of any thing which is ours, and hath not Gods command; The Apoſtle Col. 3.2. condemneth even thoſe things, becauſe not of God, which yet had a ſhew of humility and great mortification.
IV. From the fulneſſe of the Scripture.Fourthly, Obedience muſt have a command, from the fulneſs and ſufficiency of the Scripture; It's a perfect Rule, Whoſoever walketh according to this Rule; Gal. 6.16. and David commends it for a Lanthorn and Light to his feet, Pſal. 119. So that if our obedience might run out in ſuch things where there is no word for it, the Word would not be an adequate Rule, It would be too narrow, and then if once you grant a Rule beſides that, you go in infinitum, yea, we fall into manifeſt contradictions, for how many times doth one mans ſpirit think that beſt which is contrary to another mans; How comes that oppoſition in matter of Religion, but that the word is not made the Rule, but either there are reaſons or luſts, or temporal intereſts, ſo that it's neceſſary we have the Word for obedience, elſe the Enthuſiaſtical Revelations and Popiſh Traditions they will both pleade a good Title for acceptableneſs with God.
V. Elſe obedient perſons could never bear up their hearts againſt the diſcouragements they meet with in Gods work.Laſtly, An Obedience muſt have a command, becauſe elſe we can never bear up our hearts in all the diſcouragements we meet with in doing Gods work; What hardened the Prophets ſo that their foreheads were like braſſe and iron, but only this that they knew God had commended them, and they went upon his meſſage; Shall Abſalom uſe ſuch an argument to the man when he had killed Ammon, Be of good courage I have bid thee; How much rather then when God commands, 1 Cor. 15. Be ſtedfaſt, immoveable in the work of the Lord, knowing your labour was not in vain: Let all the world oppoſe us when we know it's Gods command, our hearts need not ſhrink within us; Thus the Apoſtles Whether it's better to obey God or man judge ye, Act. 5.29.
Ʋſe.Ʋſe 1. of Inſtruction, Of how terrible and dreadful a judgement are they worthy of, who are ſo farre from being obedient to Gods command, that they live in open and profeſſed diſobedience to it, if the moſt devotionall and Religious actions are refuſed by God, for want of a command; what ſhall become of thoſe which are in plain oppoſition to it; Such are all the works of the fleſh, Such are the works of moſt men, when thou haſt been wallowing in the mire of ſin, to which of Gods commands haſt thou been obedient? Nay ſinne hath its command, the devil hath his commands, and thou giveſt up thy ſelf a Servant to them; Oh that the eyes of men ſhall not yet be opened, nor their hearts yet mollified, who is thy Father, thy Maſter, thy Lord, Is it not the devil? When God commands thee who is the Lord of Hoſts, who promiſeth heaven and an eternal reward, that God who hath all ſharp arrows of vengeance in his quiver to ſhoot immediatly into thy heart; That God though commanding thee thou refuſeſt, and the devil while he bids thee go and fullfill this luſt and that luſt, immediatly thou goeſt; That devil who deludes and deceiveth thee, who is the known Enemy of thy ſoul, and will be thy cruell tormentor to all Eternity: Oh then lay it cloſer to heart, I am under command either of God or the devil, I am an obedient Servant to one or the other, and thy works they quickly manifeſt it.
Ʋſe 2 Ʋſe 2. of Direction to people, That they would be like thoſe noble Bereans, examine the ground of their faith and obedience, Do not offer a Sacrifice without eyes? Blinde obedience is contrary to that command, offer up your ſelves a reaſonable Sacrifice, or a Sacrifice according to the Word, as ſome expound, Rom. 12 1. There are dangerous Syrens that would in…ice you out of this way, we are apt to judge that a duty that moſt do, not which God commands, we think a multitude will diſpenſe againſt a precept, when yet Gods expreſſe charge is, Thou ſhalt not follow a multitude to do evil, Exod. 23.2. The very heathen could ſay, Argumentum peſſimi turba: Again, we are apt to judge of duty by our intereſt and engagements, as our Education, Safety, and Profits leade us; Whereas we ſhould ſay to our hearts in ſuch caſes as Chriſt to Peter, Get thee behinde me Satan.
We come to the ſecond Obſervation, the object of Obedience is deſcribed in the plural number, Thy words thou haſt given me, They did not neglect or break any wilfully, They looked upon all as precious gold wherein the leaſt O…e is not to be loſt.
Obſ. That it's the property of godly men to have a reſpect to all Gods Word, to look to all his commands; Herods and Pharaohs they will do ſome things,Obſ. That it's the property of godly men to have reſpect to Gods Word. but Davids and Joſiahs they only will regard all, and indeed doing many things unleſſe all will not ſave; There is a leak in the Ship that will overthrow all; This one ſpark will ſet all on fire, as David implieth, Pſa. 119. Then ſhall I not be confounded when I have reſpect to all thy Commandments; That man who becauſe he hath done many things looketh for heaven, will be in dreadful confuſion when he ſhall ſee one ſin able to ſhut the door of heaven againſt him, and mark the expreſſion, when I have reſpect, he doth not ſay obey, but have reſpect, That doth imply beſides the outward obedience, an inward awe and reverentiall eye towards every duty God requireth; Thus James alſo doth ſeverely reprove this partiall mutilated obedience, and pronounceth that heavy doom, He that breaketh one is guilty of all, Jam. 2.11. viz. becauſe of the vinculum formale, the authority of God, which is in one as well as in another:
To improve this conſider,
Firſt, That even the godly through Ignorance upon their mindes, Propoſition to clear the Point.or ſome importunate temptation, may be very diligent in ſome commands, and yet not obſerve others, and this may be either from ignorance or provoking temptations, from Ignorance, ſuch may the education of the godly be, or they may live in ſuch dark times wherein errour is common, and none make any queſtion of it, and then they may continue in the omiſſion of many duties; So ſome excuſe the Patriarcks in their Polygamy; Though (ſay they) it was an expreſſe ſinne againſt the firſt Inſtitution of Marriage,How far godly men may ſail. yet cuſtome and Tradition had taken away the ſence of ſinning, and ſo in the time of many good Kings, who made an exact Reformation, yet the high places were not taken away, there was either non-attendance or ſinful connivance at that, and in the Infancy of the Chriſtian Church, how many were ſo weak as not to diſcern their Chriſtian Liberty, but placed much obedience in the obſervation of Jewiſh rites and Ceremonies; And thus alſo there may be ſome provoking violent temptations; The Godly though they have an univerſal Inclination to Gods will, yet are hurried aſide; David was overtaken with Adultery though his heart was ſincere towards all the whole Law of God: We diſtinguiſh then between temptations and an habituall cuſtome in any ſinne; The godly man may by the former be driven out of his faith, not by the latter, ſo that even then there remaineth an inward ſeed that doth virtually contain the commands of God, and therefore is called the Law of God written in their hearts.
Secondly, In the godly we are again to diſtinguiſh between groſſe ſins, ſuch as Tertullian ſaith waſte the conſcience; And thoſe Reliques of corruption which Auſtin ſaith are of daily incurſion upon us; The one is a camel, the other is a gnat comparatively; Now the godly do ſo keep all Gods commands, that they ſeldom or never, to be ſure not wilfully and habitually fall into theſe deep and foul pits; But as for the latter we ſee by Pauls complaint they have not a full conqueſt over them, Rom. 7. They may be poſſeſſors of Canaan, though they have ſome Jebuſites alive to humble them and keep them low.
Thirdly, Though the godly have a reſpect to all Gods Commadements, yet they acknowledge an order amongst the commands, they know ſome are greater, and others leſſe; And therefore when there cometh an indiſpenſable omiſſion of one, they paſſe by the leaſt, and the contrary to this is grand hypocriſie, which our Saviour doth often condemn in the Phariſees; They omitted the great things of the Law, and Judgement, and Mercy, but were very diligent in the inferiour things; Saul loſt both a temporall and ſpirituall Kingdom in this reſpect; For Samuell tels him, Obedience was better then Sacrifice, 1 Sam. 15.22. and Rebellion is like the ſin of witchcraft; There is the great command of loving God with all our heart and ſoul, to which all others muſt bow.
Fourthly, We muſt alwaies distinguiſh between the Integrity of parts of our obedience, and the intenſion of degrees; The godly though they reach to the former yet not to the latter: It's true by what reaſon we do any command in the integrity of it, we are bound to the perfection of it; But God giveth not ſuch a meaſure of grace in this life; It's ſaid of David and Zachary with his Wife, that they walked in all the Commandments of God: Yet that cannot be underſtood perfectly, for how often did David fail and Zachary for his unbelief was ſtricken dumb; There is no ſuch thing as a Popiſh perfection; The Fathers abhorred it, our perfection is to acknowledge our imperfection, and then the Commandements are by Gods grace accounted done, when what is not done is forgiven and pardoned; Theſe things premiſed let us conſider why the godly are obedient to Gods commands, they dare not omit known duties, or commit known ſins.
Reaſons. 1 Firſt, Becauſe the principle of Regeneration and ſeed of grace is univerſall, It doth ſeminally contain all kindes and parts of grace in it; As all ſeeds, even of an Oak, or the talleſt Trees, though never ſo little, yet virtually contain all thoſe great branches, and let them have time to grow, they will diffuſe themſelves into a vaſt compaſſe; Grace is the Image of God, and that inferreth a reſemblance in lineaments and parts, an hand, or a foot is not an Image, So then ſeeing that in Regeneration there is infuſed the habit or principles of all grace, no wonder if there be an Inclination to all, yet not ſo, but that they may be carried out more readily and willing'y to ſome rather then other, even as though all men by reaſon of original corruption have a Fountain of all wickedneſſe, yet one may be carried out more propenſely to one ſinne rather then another; The Sea may break out of one bank ſooner then in another.
Reaſons. 2 Secondly, There is the ſame authority forbidding or commanding in all; As the Apoſtle James argueth, Jam. 2. He that ſaid Thou ſhalt not do thus, ſaid alſo Thou ſhalt not do thus: If therefore the ſame God put forth his authority in every Command, Who are thou that dareſt omit one and not another?
Reaſons. 3 Thirdly, The motive is the ſame; For every ſinne becauſe it's ſinne and a diſhonour to God, draweth him out to hate it, and in duties good becauſe it's good, doth move him; Now the leaſt ſinne is ſinne, and we kill young Serpents as well as old ones, and the leaſt good is acceptable to God, and he will reward it.
Reaſons. 4 Laſtly, In reſpect of the privative part, of the puniſhment of ſinne, all are equall, which is the loſſe of God and Heaven; The leaſt ſinne depriveth of the happy Viſion of God as well as the greateſt, ſo that in this ſence we may ſay there is no little ſinne, no more then there is a little God, and ſo likewiſe for the good of any duty; The leaſt ſhall have heaven as well as the greateſt, though not ſuch degrees; Even a cup of cold water doth not loſe its reward, Mat. 10.42.
Ʋſe, To diſcover that Hypocriſie and falſhood in many men, ſome ſins they avoid, others again they embrace; Is not all ſinne poiſon? Is there any good ſinne? Were thy heart ſound, thoſe beloved and cuſtomary ſins of thine could have no more welcome in thy heart then toads in thy boſome.