Evidence for Heaven, Treatise · Part 4
OBEDIENCE.
ANother work of the holy Spirit of God on man, demonstrating his saving habitation in man, and a mans eternal salvation by Christ, is Obedience (to wit) sincere, and Cordial, Evangelical Obedience, to the revealed Will of God.
This Obedience, and this onelyonly, God requires and accepts of his Elect, in and through Jesus Christ.
That this Obedience is a work of the Spirit of God in man, appears both by Argument and by Scripture; 1. By Argument thus; Naturally the heart of man is obstinate, stubborne and disobedient to the Will of the Lord; deceitfull above all things, and Hypocritical in all its wayes, doting on Legal, and never minding Evangelical Obedience; and nothing can make such a change in the heart and soul of a man, as of stubborne and disobedient, of Hypocritical and deceitfull, to become sincere and Cordial in Obedience, and of a doter on Legal, to become an Evangelical obeyer of the Will of the Lord: But the Almighty Spirit of God, whose proper office it is, to renew the Image of God in fallen man; Therefore this Obedience must needs be the work of the Spirit of God, in whomsoever it is.
By Scripture this is evident likewise, I will put my Spirit within you (saith the Lord) and cause you to walk in my statutes, and keep my Iudgments, and do them, Ezek. 36.27. Hence it is evident, That it is the Spirit of God, which works the heart of man to Obedience.
That this Obedience is a work of the Spirit of God in man, demonstrating his saving habitation, and sanctifying operation in man, is evident by the language of the Apostles, We are his witnesses of these things, and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given (to wit) savingly, to them that obey him, (to wit) Cordially and Evangelically, Act. 5.32. And by that of Peter, We are Elect according to the fore-knowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit unto Obedience, 1 Pet. 1.2.
That this Obedience is such a work of the Spirit of God in man, as demonstrates his eternall salvation by Christ, is farther evident by these Scriptures following: Christ being made perfect became the Author of eternall salvation, unto all them that obey him, Heb. 5.9. Obey my voyce (saith the Lord) and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people, Jer. 7.23. If ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my Covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me, above all people, and ye shall be unto me a kingdome of Priests, and an holy Nation, Exod. 19.5, 6. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdome of Heaven, but he that doth the Will of my Father, which is in Heaven, Mat. 7.21. He that doth the Will of God abideth for ever, 1 Joh. 2.17.
By these Texts it is evident, That th…s Obedience is such a work of the Spirit of God in man, as lively demonstrates his eternal happiness.
Quest. But what is this Obedience you speake of? How may it be defined?
Sol. It is a special work of the Spirit of God in man, whereby he is inabled to apply Christ unto himself, according unto all his promises, and himself unto Christ, according unto all his Precepts.
Under these two general heads, the whole work of Obedience is comprehended, as is evident from the words of the new Covenant; I saith the Lord will be your God, and ye shall be my People, Jer. 31.33. What doth the Lord require herein on our part? but to take him for our God, and yield up our selves unto him, as his People, to apply Christ unto our selves, and our selves unto Christ, as aforesaid. This is the Obedience of faith, this is Evangelical Obedience, the Obedience which the Gospel cals for, and which it only accepts. What shall we do, that we might work the Works of God? said some to Christ, Ioh. 6.28. Christ replyes, ver. 29. This is the work of God, that ye believe on him, whom he hath sent. In these few words, is comprehended the whole work of Obedience, the whole work assigned us by God, This is the Work of God, &c. It is, as if Christ had said, you naturally seek Heaven by works, but altogether mistake that work of works, which is only acceptable, and effectual to attain its end, Beleeve on him whom he hath sent; Beleeve on him, who hath fulfilled the Law for us, and will fulfill the Law in us; This is the work of God assigned to us, and a work which God worketh in us, and this is unto flesh and blood, of all works the hardest. Here note these Corollaries.
Corol. 1. That the Obedience of Faith is of all works the most difficult unto flesh and blood; this requires a man to deny himself totally, which flesh and blood will rather deny God himself, then do. We rejoyce in Christ Iesus and have no confidence in the flesh, &c.
2. Our Souls naturally had rather dye, and put off their immortality and everlasting being, then put on the Lord Jesus Christ. They will not come to me.
3. We all naturally dote upon works, and say, as the young man in the Gospel, that came to Christ, What shall I do that I may inherit eternall life? But the work of works, Beleeve in the Lord Iesus Christ, we are of all other the farthest from, till the Spirit of God work in us. These from our Saviours mouth, I have deducted, This is the Work of God, that ye beleeve in him whom he hath sent.
4. Man naturally is so proud, That he will not seek after God, saith the Psalmist, that is, (God in Christ) for no otherwise can God be approached unto; He thinks himself rich, and to need nothing, and knows not that he is poor, and blind, and miserable, wretched and naked, and therefore scornes to seek to God in Christ for wealth. He will rather make a covering of Figg-Leaves than of Christs righteousnesse, rather cover himself with rotten raggs, than be beholding to Christ for his robe.
5. Man regenerated, so far forth as carnal, is very unwilling to be beholding to Christ wholly, for all the good he stands in need of; hence it is, that many regenerate persons will rest on promises no further, than they can find themselves to obey precepts, weary themselves out with labouring to fulfil the Law, and never study the Obedience of Faith, which is to renounce all that we can do, To put no confidence in the flesh, but rest only on what Christ hath done, and suffered for us, beleeving that every promise shall be made good to us, so farre forth as may be good for us (for Christ's sake.) This is to apply Christ unto our selves.
And our selves unto Christ] According unto all his precepts: This is the latter clause in the description of Evangelicall Obedience: A Christian by the Obedience of faith, Opens the everlasting doors to the King of Glory, to come in, and take possession and rule all in his heart and in his life: He resigns up all to be ordered by him, who so loved him, that he gave himself for him, so that not he, but Christ liveth, *Gal. 2.20.ruleth, and ordereth all: Every thought is yielded up unto the Obedience of Christ, with desire that he will bring it into subjection, 2 Cor. 10.5.
Faith doth both receive and give; it is faith that applies Christ to the man, and the man to Christ, as appears by Ioh. 1.12. compared with 2 Cor. 8.5. Faith makes him ours, who makes all happiness ours; Faith makes him ours, in whom we are compleat, and generates Love in our souls to him that hath loved us, and given himself for us, and this love constrains us to live, not unto our selves, but unto him which dyed for us, and rose again, 2 Cor. 5.14, 15. and this is that Obedience, which the Gospel cals for, and which only it accepts; and this, if fincere and cordial, is very acceptable with God, though many wayes deficient.
It is the Gospel, and the Gospel only, that cals for this Obedience; the Law doth not require us to apply our selves unto Christ, no more than it doth require us to apply Christ unto our selves, but barely saith, Do this, and live, Transgrefse this and dye,
The Gospel doth not barely call for this Obedience of Faith, but promises to give it, and works the heart unto it, yea freely gives it us as a gift, They shall looke on him, whom they have pierced, &c. Zach. 12.10. I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my Statutes, saith the Lord, &c. Ezek. 36.27. To you it is given in the behalf of Christ; not only to beleeve on him, but also to suffer for his sake, saith the Apostle, Phil. 1.29. These things premised, I proceed to the tryal of Obedience; and for the more perspicuity, propound this Question.
Quest. How may I discern, whether my Obedience be sincere and cordiall Obedience, yea, or nay?
Answ. Thou mayest discern it, by the efficient cause, by the final cause and by the properties of cordial Obedience: The efficient cause of cordial Obedience, is the Love of God;Love the Lord thy God, and walk ever in his wayes, are joyned together, Deu. 19.9. the final cause thereof, is the Glory of God.
1. The efficient cause of cordial Obedience, is the Love of God; cordial Obedience springs out of Love to God, and he that cordially obeys the Will of God, obeys it in Love to God, not slavish feare, nor self love, nor vain glory; But Lo…e to God, is that which leades him to obey the Will of God: Therefore saith the Apostle, The Love of Christ constraineth us, 2 Cor. 5.14.
Here note these two things, 1. That whatsoever a man doth in way of Obedience to the Will of God,Note. be the action never so good, or glorious in it self, is no wayes acceptable unto God, except it spring from Love; a pregnant proof of this we have, 1 Cor. 13.1, 2, 3. where the Apostle shews at large, That all Obedience without Love, comes to just nothing; all parts and gifts, all Faith and Obedience, though it be to the death, and the cruellest death, that possibly may be, without faith working by Love, without Obedience springing from Love, comes to just nothing at length, It profiteth me nothing, saith the Apostle.
On the other hand, though we can do but little for God, if that little we do, issue out of Love to God, it is very pleasing to, and acceptable with God, who looks more on our affection, than our action; Thou hast ravished my heart, my Sister, my Spouse, thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, &c. How faire is thy Love, my Sister, my Spouse? how much better is thy Love, then Wine? &c. Cant. 4.9, 10. I conclude this therefore, with the saying of a worthy man, A Christians affection is his perfection in this fraile condition.
The final cause of cordial Obedience, is the Glory of God: He that cordially obeys the Will of God, propoundeth the pleasing of God, and the glory of his Name, for his direct, chief, and ultimate end, in all that he doth, in way of Obedience, according to the direction of the Holy Ghost by the Apostle, 1 Cor. 10.31. And these two, the efficient, and the end, denominate the action.
1. The properties of cordial Obedience, are these; Cordial Obedience is free and willing Obedience, voluntary, and not forced. To whom ye yield your selves servants to obey, his servants ye are, saith the Apostle, Rom. 6.16. It is willingnesse in Obedience, that is the beauty of Obedience, and that which God chiefly looks to in Obedience, If you be willing and Obedient, or willingly obedient, then so and so, ye shall eat the good of the Land, Isai. 1.19. If there be first a willing mind, it is accepted, according to that which a man hath, not according to that he hath not, 2 Cor. 8.12. If I do this thing willingly, I have a reward, 1 Cor. 9.17. By all these places it is evident, That cordial Obedience, is willing Obedience: This was that which rendered Abraham's Obedience so lovely in the eye of God, he rose early to go about the offering up of Isaac, which shews, he did it willingly.
He whose Obedience springs from Love to God, hath his heart first warmed with the sense of Gods Love to him; and he that aims principally at the glory of God, in his Obedience, hath his heart humbled, when he hath done the best that he can, for that he cannot bring more glory to God, and hence it comes to pass, that he is willing, and ready to obey; He consents to obey, and that without grudging or repining, even when he comes short of doing, what he desires to do. What I would, that do I not, saith a cordial server of Christ.
2. Cordial Obedience, is universal Obedience, and that both in respect of the Subject, and in respect of the Object, it is yielded of the whole man to the whole Will of God; the soul, according to all the powers and faculties thereof, is only, and wholly for Christ, in its scope and bent, the understanding, the will and the affections, are in their scope and bent, only and wholly for Christ, therefore saith the Apostle, of such as were cordial servers of Christ, Ye have obeyed from the heart, &c. Rom. 6.17. The body and all its members, are yielded up wholly, and only to Christ, to the service of Christ, for the magnifying of Christ, shall I take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an Harlot, saith the cordial server of Christ? God forbid, 1 Cor. 6.15.
Deut. 30.2.God requires the whole man, soul and body, to be wholly yielded up unto him, unto his use and service, in Obedience, Ye are bought with a price, therefore glorifie God in your body, and in your spirit, which are Gods, saith the Text, 1 Cor. 6.20.
God requires soul and body (to wit) the whole man to be (wholly) yielded up unto him, unto his use and service in Obedience, in obeying (all his revealed will) touching, beleeving, doing, and suffering, Take diligent heed, to do the Commandement and the Law, which Moses the Servant of the Lord commanded you, to Love the Lord your God, and walk in all his wayes, and to keep his Commandements, and to cleave unto him, and serve him with all your heart, and with all your soul, Josh. 22.5. And again, Exo ▪ 23. ver. 20, and 22. Behold I send an Angel before thee, if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, in all that I speak, then I will be an enemy unto thy enemies, &c. saith the Lord. Go ye and teach all Nations, saith Christ to his Apostles, What should they teach them? Why, teach them to observe (all things) whatsoever I have (commanded you) Mat. 28.19, 20.Act. 3.22. The Apostle useth the like phrase, 2 Cor. 2.9. where he cals for Obedience in all things: Here is universal Obedience unto the whole Will of God, required in the whole man, and he that cordially obeys the Will of God, obeys according to this Rule of God (to wit) universally. He yeelds up his whole man, to the Obedience of the whole Will of the Lord,Thus did Zacharias and Elizabeth obey God, Luk. 1.6. without picking and chusing in the wayes of God, without reservation, or exception, or desire of dispensation. However he failes in his Obedience, and comes short of what he ought to do, and desires to do, yet he determines not to reserve any part of himself from Christ, nor to stand out against any part of his holy Will, but hath his heart and mind ready prest, to obey every of his Commandements, which he knows, as well as any, the least as well as the greatest, and the greatest, as well as the least; He thinks not tithing of Mint and Comin too small a precept to make conscience of, nor a right hand, nor a right eye, nor an only Isaac, nor Life it self, or whatsoever may indeare it unto him, too much to sacrifice, when Christ shall call for it at his hands; He resolves to obey those precepts, which cross his corrupt nature most, and the sinne of his constitution, as well as those which it can better brook; He resolves to obey both Law and Gospel, in every precept, Negative and Positive, to his utmost power; his Obedience is of as great a latitude as the whole Will of God; He hath respect unto all Gods Commandements, as the Psalmist speaketh.
Psal. 119.6.3. Cordial Obedience is conscionable Obedience: He that cordially obeys the Will of God, obeys not out of by respects, but for conscience sake: Conscience of duty leades him to the performance of duty, so that he, as of sincerity, as of God, in the sight of God, obeys the will of God, as the Apostles phrase is, 2 Cor. 2.17.
He that obeys the Will of God, out of love to God, and conscience of duty, esteems all Gods precepts, concerning all things, to be right, and hates every false way, one as well as another, even vain thoughts; he consents to the whole will of God; that it is good, and delights in the whole Will of God, after the inward man, and with the mind serves the Law of God, even when the flesh is captivated by the Law of sinne: His heart inclineth to perform the Statutes of the Lord alwayes, even unto the end, and he wisheth, that his wayes were so directed, that he might keep all the Statutes of his God. The Will of his God is deare unto him above all things, Above aPs. 119.72.Silver and Gold; Above bIob. 23.12.necessary food; Above cAct. 20.23, 24.Life, and all the comforts of it. And he is tender of it, as of the Apple of his Eye, according to that of Solomon, Prov. 7.2. To him, The yoke of Christ is easie, and his burthen light; His Commandements are not grievous, for he delights to do his Will.
4. Cordial Obedience, is constant and persevering, it holds out in all times and seasons, and variety of conditions, as Moses and Christ intimate. dDeut. 19.9.And true it is, That he which cordially obeys Christ,Deut. 5.29. continues to obey him, in prosperity & adversity, in time of peril, as well as in time of praise, when multitudes disobey and oppose the Will of Christ,Iohn 8.31. as well as when they seem to stand for the Will of Christ, when all formal servers of Christ forsake him, and cry, Crucifie him, as well as when they followed him, and magnified him, with Hosanna: He resolves with Peter to follow Christ, though it be alone, and labours to follow Christ, as Ruth followed eRuth. 1.16.Naomi, as Elisha f2 King. 2.followed Elijah, and Asahel g2 Sam. 2. ver. 19. to the 24.followed Abner, and doth it, as is evident by many …mples in holy Writ, Noah, Ioshua, and Elija… … Mary Magdalen, and other Wome… … followed Christ, were notable exam… …, in their time.
Here note these four things, 1. That opposition doth not take off,Note. but rather spur on a cordial server of Jesus Christ.
2. That he that cordially obeys the Will of Christ, is conformable unto Christ in Obedience: He obeys the Will of Christ, as Christ obeyed the Will of his Father, for kinde, though not for measure, and degree, (to wit) freely, universally, constantly, even unto the death: In all which respects, cordial Obedience, may be styled singular Obedience.
3. And thirdly note, That notwit…standing all this, one that cordially serves and obeys Christ, may, and sometimes doth desist for a time, through strong Temptations, and humane weaknesse, according to outward appearance. This was Peter's case, when he denyed his Master, yet his heart still moved towards his Master, his affections still yerned towards Christ, even whilst his tongue denyed him, as appeares by the consequence.
4. Lastly note, That he that cordially desires, and really indeavours, to obey the Will of the Lord, if it were possible, exactly and perfectly, from right grounds, and for right ends, doth this in Gods account, God who will accept the will for the deed, 2 Cor. 8.12.accepts this desire and indeavour (in and for Christ) as Obedience; He that consents to obey, doth obey in Gods account.
To get a sure testimony to thy self then, of the holy Spirits saving habitation in thy soul, and of thy eternal salvation by Christ, examine thy Obedience … these rules of trial, and if it be correspond… with them, know that it is such as … …onstrates the holy Spirits saving operat… … thee, and thy eternal salvation by Christ, and give him the glory of all, and humbly, and beleevingly seek to him, to better thy Obedience daily, that God may have glory by it.