Spiritual Refining, Religious treatise · Section 3 · Sermon 25
SERMON XXV.
Shewing that, and whence men have ſuch ſtrong Perſwaſions of their exact keeping of Gods Law.
MAT. 19. 20.
The young man ſaith unto him, All theſe things have I kept from my youth up: What lack I yet?
THis Text is a remarkable Hiſtory, wherein many excellent practicall doctrines are contained. The whole ſcope being to repreſent a man that hath good affections and deſires for heaven, yet becauſe of ſome ſtrong corruption and temptation violently detained from it; for in the cloſe of the Hiſtory he goeth away, not reviling and raging at Chriſt, as the Phariſees uſed to do, but foreign, exceeding ſorrowfull, and as Mark hath it foreign, as ſadly affected, as the sky ſeemeth to be, when it's black with clouds, and threatens rain; ſo that in this poſture with Chriſt he is like the Poets Medea, or like Ariſtotles incontinent perſon, who hath great conviction, but ſtrong corruption.
In the Hiſtory obſerve the Perſon and his Queſtion propounded: The perſon, as appeareth by the Harmony of three Evangeliſts was a rich man, a great man in power and place, and a young man: All which three were ſore temptations to prejudice him againſt Chriſt and his way: Yet by his Queſtion it ſeemed he was not altogether prophane and worldly, for his deſire is to know What he might do to have eternall life. In which Queſtion although we may perceive a Phariſaicall leaven in him, thinking by works to be ſaved, yet there appeareth for the main a good deſire in him. Our Saviour intending to beat down his Phariſaicall confidence, which is as great an enemy to Chriſt as Publican ſinnes, firſt reproveth him for his compellation, and then anſwereth his Queſtion. His reproof is, Why callest thou me good, there is none good but God? Chriſt refuſed this title, partly becauſe he called him good in no other ſenſe, then as ſome eminent and ſingular Prophet, not as indeed the Son of God: but eſpecially to teach the young man that he was wholly corrupted, and therefore whatſoever good is in us, is to be acknowledged, as coming from God; it is his gift, it is none of our work.
In the next place our Saviour directs him to keep the Commandements, inſtancing not in the Ceremoniall, but the morall, nor in the morall duties that relate to God, but that belong to our neighbour, which were moſt vulgar, that hereby he might teach this Phariſaicall man, that he never yet performed any one Commandment aright. Therefore the ignorance and the arrogance of this young man in the text is remarkable; All theſe have I kept from my youth up; he thought he had kept not ſome but all, and that from his youth up, as ſoon as ever he could act with reaſon; ſome Expoſitors think, that he groſly lyed againſt his own conſcience in ſaying ſo: but that is not likely becauſe Mark ſaith Christ loved him, upon this ſpeech, and that could not be if he were ſuch a diſſembler; and if you take the word love, for to praiſe or kindely to ſpeak to a man; as the Septuagint ſometimes do, Caut. 1. 1, 4. 2 Chron. 18. it will argue that he was no hypocrite, and hereby we ſee, that it is a Miniſters duty to love and encourage thoſe men, who though they have not the truth of grace, yet have a fair, civill, honeſt life, and have generall deſires for heaven. He did not therefore lie againſt his conſcience, but yet he ſpake that which was falſe, for he had not kept one of thoſe Commandements perfectly, as appeareth by that tryall or exploratory precept Chriſt puts him upon: only he knew no better: He was brought up in ignorance about the ſpirituall latitude and extent of the Law, and ſo thought a meer negative, or not doing groſſe wickedneſſe, to be a poſitive keeping of the Law.
Obſ. It is a very difficult thing to drive an unregenerate man out of this falſe ſign Obſ. Many men though falſly; yet confidently think they keep Gods Commanments.of his good eſtate, viz. that he keeps the Commandements of God. This was the foreign. In this was the fundamentall miſcarriage of this great man, that he had a confident perſwaſion of his good eſtate, becauſe he did no murder, he committed no Adultery, he bore no falſe witneſſe against his neighbour, Now falſly judging this to be all the Law required, he concludeth that unleſſe Chriſt hath ſome new and extraordinary way about this, theſe matters are ſo low and eaſie, that he obſerved them along while ago. Upon this point was our Saviours greateſt controverſie with the Phariſees, who like Serpents, though they had a fine skin and colour, yet inwardly were full of poyſon: and the great work that the Miniſters of God have to do in their Congregations in theſe times, Is it not to ſhew to men the pure glaſſe of the Law, that they looking therein, may ſee their deformities, and be wonderfully out of love with themſelves? Doth not every man walk with this ſelf-damning principle, that his heart is good? What would you have him to do more then he doth? Is he any Drunkard, Whoremonger? and thus he pleaſeth himſelf with an externall righteouſneſſe, being altogether ignorant of the pure and excellent work of regeneration, and from hence it is, that our auditors are filled with ſo much ſtupidity and ſecurity, that it is a wonder to hear of a man or woman, with fear and trembling, expoſtulating after this manner: The Law is ſo ſpirituall, and I am ſo carnall; regeneration and a new nature is ſo neceſſary, but I am ſo plunged in that ſinfull eſtate and corruption I was born in, That I fear my ſelf, I quake at my condition, Oh for the Lords ſake, help ye Miniſters by your praiers and directions, that I may be put in a ſafe way.
For the clearing of the Doctrine conſider,Whence mens ſtrong perſwaſions of their exact lives ariſe.
Firſt, Whence it ariſeth that men have ſuch a ſtrong perſwaſion of their good lives, as ſatisfactory to Gods Law. Why is it that though a man by nature be indeed like a Job, or Lazarus full of wounds and ſores: yee he judgeth himſelf like Abſolom, altogether fair, without any blemiſh at all?
And the firſt ground is ignorance about the totall deep, and univerſal pollution of our 1. From ignorance of Natures pollution.natures, whereby this Leproſie hath made all we are and all we do unclean: and in this ſenſe our Saviour faith, we may call none good, for can we call any ſpiders, any ſerpents, any toads ſweet? ſo neither can we call any man good or holy. Therefore the Scripture that it may lay a foundation for our prizing of Chriſt, and open our eyes to ſee the neceſſity of regeneration, is very diligent and copious in aggravating this naturall defilement. Paul is a cleer inſtance in this, Rom. 7. his heart was like a dungeon full of noiſome and crawling vermine, but becauſe no light was in his heart, therefore he did not ſee, or beleeve this. Let me therefore expoſtulate with thee, who pleaſeſt thy ſelf in thy good eſtate: Is thy life as free from ſin as the childe new born? may no more iniquity be laid to thy charge now, then could be to thee, when thou ſuckedſt at thy mothers breaſt? yet, if no more, thou oughteſt not to take any content or delight in thy ſelf, but to tremble and earneſtly to importune to be tranſlated from that darkneſſe into light: lay aſide then thy high, and ſelf-flattering thoughts; ſay no more, thy good heart, thy good meaning, thy good life, but cry out unclean and unclean. Wo, wo unto me, for I am polluted in my blood, and God might not ſay unto me in my bloud, live, as he did to the Church, but to die, and be damned: Wouldeſt thou therefore no longer be ſick of this dangerous ſurfet and fullneſſe? ſtudy more, and meditate more of originall corruption, how univerſall and diffuſive it is, how contagious and infecting of every thing that we do, ſo that although we could ſpeak with the tongue of Angels, and work with the hands of Angels, yet we being in our naturall condition, all that would be abominable: Without faith it is impoſſible to pleaſe God, and the tree muſt be good before the fruit; To the defiled, all things are defiled. What therefore is externall righteouſneſſe, morall juſtice, formall piety, as long as we abide in that old bitter ſtock of nature? Pray therefore, Lord give me to underſtand what I am by nature, make me to know how ſinfull and lothſome it is, and let not this be a generall, ſpeculative, barren knowledge, but let it be a cloſe, particular applicative, and practicall knowledge, whereby the whole heart may be ſet on fire, and powerfully wrought upon, even to bid all creatures, all comforts, all buſineſſes ſtand aloof till thou be redeemed from this thraldome.
2. Another cauſe of this bold perſwaſion is, An ignorance of the ſpirituall exactneſſe 2. Ignorance of the Laws ſpirituall exactneſſe.and obligation of the Law. It was the received opinion of the Jews, and the Phariſees they ſo explained it, as appeareth, Mat. 5. that the Law commanded only externall acts, and that we ſatisfied it, if we did keep it in the outward man. Therefore our Saviour ſeemed to bring new doctrine into the world, when he explained the Law of heart-ſins, and ſhewed that men might be adulterers, murderers, &c. though they never committed thoſe externall acts. This was ſo paradoxall to the received doctrine at that time, that men were amazed at it. Now howſoever (it may be) people will acknowledge the doctrine true, yet in practice they are as greſſe and ſecure as ever Jews and Phariſees were. Neither did they ever make their works a refuge, and a bulwark, more then people now adaies do. And no wonder, for Paul ſo great a proficient in the knowledge of the Law of God, yet confeſſeth his great blindeneſſe and miſtake herein, Rom. 7. inſomuch that when he cometh to underſtand how ſpirituall the law is, and how carnall he is, he cryeth out of himſelf as moſt miſerable. The Law is spirituall, ſaith Paul, that is, it reacheth to the ſinnes of the ſpirit, it forbiddeth all inordinate motions there, it prohioits all their ſecret irregularities: ſo that as God is the father of spirits, thus the Law is the Law of ſpirits, and thou maieſt become an ho…rid tranſgreſſour of this in thy heart when thy outward I ſo ſeemeth pare and innocent; The Law is compared by James to a glaſſe; now it's no wonder that a man never abhorreth the foulneſſe of ſpots and dirt upon his face, as long as he looketh not in there. No man can bewail the obliquity and crookedneſſe of his actions, that doth not diligently apply them to the ſtraightneſſe of the rule, Oh then ſay, This juſtice, this honeſty, this freedome from groſſe ſinne is highly eſteemed among men: but what is it to Gods Law? how foul a tranſgreſſor ſhall I be convinced to be, if I compare my ſelf with that rule! Hence therefore ariſeth all that ſelf-righteouſneſſe, in that men do no more underſtand how holy and exact that rule is by which they ought to walk. There is a world of unſeen, and unknown filthineſſe in thee, and if thy eyes were opened to behold it thou couldſt no longer abide thy ſelf. But it is no wonder, that unregenerate men who have no life at all in them, feel none of theſe diſtempers, when the godly themſelves as appeareth, Pſal. 19. cry cut, Who can underſtand his errours, cleanſe me from ſecret ſins: By that David implyeth, that there is more corruption in his heart then he is aware of. Much unknown pride, hypocriſie, earthlineſs dwels in their hearts, and they perceive it not. If therefore it be thus with the godly, that they are not able to underſtand how lothſome and wretched they are, is it any wonder if men dead wholly in ſinne, feel not any burthen, though mountains lie upon them? Soon therefore wouldeſt thou depoſe thoſe lofty imaginations, if ſo be thou wouldeſt on purpoſe conſider how exact the Law is, forbidding the root, as well as the branches of ſinne, making every inordinate motion, (thouſands of which riſe howerly in thy ſoul) a Tranſgreſſion of the Law.
3. Therefore are they ſo confidently perſwaded, becauſe they attend only to the 3. From thoughts that the whole of mans duty lyeth in negatives.negative Commandements, Thou ſhalt do no murder; Thou ſhalt not ſteal; Thou ſhalt not forſwear thy ſelf, &c. And ſo ſuppoſe that the whole duty required by God of us, is ſwallowed up in thoſe negatives. This made the young man no doubt ſo bold; from his youth up, he had been preſerved from ſuch foul, groſſe ſins. Indeed he ſpeaks arrogantly when he ſaith, I have kept theſe; as if he by his own power had reſtrained that ſea of corruption from overflowing the banks; for what evill hath been committed by any man, which he might not alſo have done, had not God bounded and limited his wickedneſſe? Well but howſoever though he be thus ſpotleſſe in his life: yet that is not all God requireth, God hath poſitive commands, as well as negatives; and the ſame authority which ſaith, Do not steal, do not kill, ſaith alſo, Keep the Sabbath holy, and ſanctifie the Name of God. Now although this be a very ſmall matter to build a mans ſalvation upon, yet we may wonder to ſee that all the covering many men have for their nakedneſſe, is only theſe fig-leaves: That they are no drunkards, no whoremongers, no thieves; A meer negative godlineſſe, what pity is it, that a people inſtructed out of Gods Word, living under the means of ſalvation, ſhould apprehend no better in matters of God?
4. Another cauſe of falſe perſwaſion is, that although they may minde affirmative 4. From not underſtanding the comprehenſive ſenſe of affirmatives.precepts, as well as negatives, yet they underſtand them not in their comprehenſive ſenſe, and ſo think they have attained to what the Law requireth, when indeed they fall exceeding ſhort. As for example, this command Thou ſhalt do no murder, doth not only forbid that ſin, but command the contrary duty, and not only ſo, but all the means, occaſions, and circumſtances that tend thereunto; and ſo in every commandment. Now if a man conſider ſeriouſly how many occaſions and circumſtances, and cauſes there are of all ſinnes; as on the contrary, how many occaſions, motives and cauſes there are of holy duties, he will ſtand amazed to ſee himſelf ſo much guilty in millions of ſinnes, which he thought could never have been laid to his charge; ſo then as the Goſpel hath a myſtery of grace, and originall ſin a myſtery of ſin, ſo that we are never able to go to the depth and breadth of theſe: So the Law is a myſtery of duties: and as the Logicians ſay, The ten predicaments do contain every created being that is in the world; ſo do theſe ten Commandements all the duties required of us; It is therefore of great conſequence if ever men would be driven out of theſe golden dreams, and fooliſh Paradiſes they fancy to themſelves, to ſtudy, and underſtand the comprehenſive ſenſe of every precept.
5. Another ſtupifying and benumming principle, is the totall neglect of that 5. From neglect of ſelf-examination.neceſſary duty, ſelf-reflection and ſelf-examination; Whereby a man liveth fourty or threeſcore years, and is a meer ſtranger to his own ſelf. Hence are thoſe duties ſo frequently preſſed, to commune with our own hearts, to ſweep them, as ſome tranſlate, to dig into them, as others; and this duty is to be done with much ſtillneſſe and quietneſſe of ſpirit, and at thoſe times when we are moſt free from diſturbances, according to that rule, anima ſedendo, & quieſcendo fit ſapiens. In other Texts, it is called ſearching our hearts, and trying our reins; which duties imply, that our hearts are not preſently what they outwardly appear: Gold may be in the ſurface, and iron or ſtone in the bottom; you know how impoſſible Hazael thought that ſhould be in his heart, and done by him, which the Prophet foretold. Man in that he is rationall, can only reflect upon himſelf, beaſts cannot, and it is a great obſtruction to ſalvation, that men uſe this no more, no man ſaith according to the Prophet, What have I done? Therefore deal with your ſelves as an enemy would do. The Hebrew word for an enemy is an Obſerver, becauſe he watcheth and lyeth at the carch to ſee what haltings and failings there be; Do thou thus become an enemy to thy ſelf, and that is to be a friend to thy ſelf; Say, O Lord I arraign my ſelf at thy barre, I would be winnowed that my chaff may appear, I would be filed, that my ruſt come off. It is ſtrange to conſider what ſinnes men may live in, and yet not attend to the conſideration of ſuch. The making of a practicall Syllogiſm would be very introductory to our full converſion unto God, in this manner: The Scripture in ſeverall places ſpeaketh terrible threatnings to ſuch and ſuch ſins. But I live in ſuch and ſuch ſins. Therefore all thoſe threatnings belong to me: oh how can the ſoul put off this conviction? how can it extinguiſh this light ſhining upon it? what have I to do but to repent and turn to God! There is no other courſe can be taken by me.
6. Therefore are men thus ſenſeleſſe, becauſe of that abominable ſelf-love, and 6. From ſelf-flattery.ſelf-flattery, which cleaveth to every man. This ruined the Phariſees, our Saviour tels them plainly of it; You are they that justifie your ſelves, but that which is highly eſteemed amongſt men is foreign, an abomination before God. Wonder not at this in wicked men: ſee David a godly man, through ſelf love, how did he favour himſelf in his groſſe ſins, and applyeth nothing till Nathan ſay, Thou art the man. And this lay at the bottom in this rich mans heart, an over-weaning of a mans ſelf, and an immoderate love, whereby we judge every thing we do well done: Many times a godly man through puſillanimity of ſpirit, and an holy fear, doth bear falſe witneſſe againſt himſelf, he will not own or acknowledge thoſe good things Gods Spirit inableth him to do, and thereby he walketh both unthankfully, and uncomfortably. But the unregenerate man he is in the other extremity, he preſumeth of good to be in him, when it is not; a full inſtance of this is, the Church of Laodicea, who ſaid, ſhe was full, and wanted nothing, as if ſhe were God himſelf, for he only is allſufficient, yet ſhe boaſteth, ſhe wanteth nothing, not a God, or Chriſt, or his grace, when at the ſame time, ſhe was miſerable, and wanted all things. Here was a great difference between Gods judgement about them, and their own; and it is a poor ſmall thing to be acquitted by our ſelves, when God doth condemn us: Therefore ſay, It is thy folly, it is thy madneſſe, it is thy ſelf-love, makes thee conclude thy ſelf in a good eſtate: Doth God ſay ſo? Do the Scriptures ſay ſo? It is a ſinne to call good evill, and evill good, in our ſelves as well as in others.
7. Fear of guilt, that alſo makes us hoodwink our eyes that we will neither 7. Fear of guilt appearing upon examination.look into the Law, nor into our hearts: ſo that it is with us as with Bankrupts, that are loth to caſt up their accounts, becauſe thereby they ſhall ſee how undone they are. As it argueth guilt in heretiques that they are lucifugae ſcrīpturarum, they are ſuch Owls that cannot abide the day, ſuch thieves that love not the light: ſo it argueth our guilt in our own hearts, when we are walking without any diſquiſition to perſwade our ſelves of the good in us. Oh we are afraid to be troubled, we think we ſhall finde that which may diſquiet us, and ſo by this means, we reſt in generals; thereby to deceive our own ſouls. But as it is folly in a wounded man to fear the ſearching of his ſoar, for if that be not diſcovered he can never be made whole: No leſſe wickedneſſe is it in a man not to ſearch out the worſt by himſelf, and to know the greateſt danger he is in, that thereby he may indeed come to be healed.
8. Therefore are men thus well conceited of themſelves, becauſe they are ignorant of regeneration, they know not the neceſſity of being born again: yea, they 8. From Ignorance of the neceſſity of Regeneration.bleſſe themſelves they are no changelings. They have found no manifeſt alteration of themſelves from the beginning. We ſee Nicodemus a man much converſant in the law of God, yet altogether to learn about this great point. If therefore a Maſter of Iſrael knoweth not theſe things, is it any wonder that an ordinary diſciple doth not? Therefore take moſt men, they do as groſly miſtake about godlineſſe and regeneration, and know no more of it, then a blinde man of colours. If therefore thou didſt know the nature and neceſſity of regeneration, thou couldeſt take no more delight in thy ſelf, or any thing thou doſt. Thou wouldeſt ſay, I am but a weed and no flower in Gods garden, I am a thiſtle and no branch of the true Vine. And in this caſe thou wouldſt cry more bitterly then the blinde or lame did; for thou needeſt life it ſelf.
9. There is an extrinſecall cauſe which addeth to all this, and that is, the devil, 9. From Satans blinding mens eyes.he reigneth in the heart of every one by nature, he hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their hearts. Now our Saviour tels us, that while the ſtrong man keeps the houſe, all things are quiet: There is no trouble or conteſt. Even as Pharaoh let the people alone, till he ſaw them deſirous to go out of his power. Wonder not therefore to ſee morall, civill men, with ſuch great peace and quietneſſe in their conſcience, never fearing of their condition, never doubting of their eſtate, for all this calmneſſe comes in part from the devil, who keeps every thing quiet, and hardeneth in preſumption more and more: bleſſe not God then for every peace and quietneſſe thou feeleſt in thy ſelf: The body may feel no pain from rom rottenneſſe as well as ſoundneſſe, and it may be thy condition were far better if thou couldeſt neither eat or drink, or ſleep for fear of thy condition: Bleſſed are they that mourn, and wo to thoſe that laugh.
10. The laſt and main reaſon is, becauſe every man naturally is destitute of the 10. From being naturally deſtitute of the Spirit.spirit, without which we are all devoid of light and life. The Spirit of God Joh. 16. is that which convinceth the world of ſinne; ſo that a man can never vigorouſly and powerfully be affected with his wretched eſtate, till theſe Sunne-beams ſhine into him, which will diſcover the leaſt motes; The spirituall man judgeth all things. Hence it is that godly men though great proficients in grace, have lower thoughts of themſelves then unregenerate men, only becauſe the ſpirit of God is alwaies convincing them of ſinne, as well as ſanctifying, and comforting of them againſt it, Paul never had ſuch debaſed and humble expreſſions about himſelf before his converſion, as after: Would he ever have ſaid all his righteouſneſſe was dung and droſs? That he had not yet attained what he deſired? Would he ever have acknowledged himſelf the greateſt of all ſinners in his former daies? No: The people of God are more debaſed for their imperfect duties, then wicked men are for their greateſt ſins, and whence is all this, but becauſe of Gods Spirit dwelling in them, and inlightning of them? But wicked men being without this light, are not able to judge any thing about themſelves.
The Uſe is, To take heed of this ſelf-conceit and ſelf love, deſire Gods Word Uſe.may be a two-edged ſword in you, dividing between marrow and joynts: I am afraid this Laodicean fullneſſe is the ſinne of moſt now adaies, and this is as deſperate an enemy to Chriſt and his grace, as groſſe prophaneſſe, yea, in ſome particulars worſe. More Publicans and Harlots were brought to repentance, and ſo to the kingdome of heaven, then Phariſees. Oh then fear, leſt that which thou judgeſt thy bleſſedneſſe and happineſſe, be not thy greateſt danger and miſery. Thou thinkeſt it well that all is at peace and eaſe within thy ſoul: O pray rather that God would convince and trouble thy ſoul more effectually, and ſo give thee true peace.