Last Sermon, Sermon 1
1 TIM. 1. 5.
Now the end of the Commandment is Charity, out of a pure heart, and of a good Conſcience, and of Faith unfeigned.
THE holy Apoſtle St. Paul, as appears in the beginning of the Chapter and Epiſtle, finds ſome at Epheſus, who troubled the Church with needleſs, and with fruitleſs Doctrine; and therefore if you conſult the third and fourth Verſes of this Chapter, you will find he beſought Timothy to abide at Epheſus, when he went into Macedonia, that he might charge ſome, that they teach no other Doctrine foreign Teach Doctrines contrary to what he had taught; or Doctrines contrary to the General Tenour of the Goſpel. Such Teachers he calls accurſed, Gal. 1. 8.
He would have him warn them at the fourth Verſe, Not to give heed to Fables, and endleſs Genealogies, which miniſter queſtions, rather than godly edifying, which is in Faith, Timothy was beſought by St. Paul, to give this charge to, and concerning the Teachers at Epheſus.
And becauſe thoſe Fabuliſts and Genealogiſts, were great pretenders to the Law, therefore the Apoſtle tells them, That the Law leads to the embracing of one another in love; not to the imbroyling of one another in needleſs queſtions, or in the venting of them: and this he ſpeaks in the Verſe now Read, The end of the Commandment is Charity out of a pure heart, and of a good Conſcience, and of Faith unfained. In which words we have two things.
Firſt, An Aſſertion laid down.
Secondly, We have a limitation to the Aſſertion.
The Aſſertion is laid down in the beginning of the Verſe. The end of the Commandment is Charity.
The Aſſertion is limited in the cloſe of the Verſe, 'Tis Charity, not Charity at large, but Charity thus qualified, or thus circumſtantiated—'Tis Charity out of a pure heart, and of a good Conſcience, and of Faith unfeigned.
I ſhall firſt explicate the Aſſertion, and then ſhew its Connexion with the limitation, and give at the preſent one General Point of Doctrine from the whole Verſe.
The end of the Commandment is Charity.
For the explication of this Aſſertion, I muſt ſhew three things.
1. What's meant here by the Commandment.
2. What's meant by the end of the Commandment.
3. What that Charity in ſpecial is, which is the end of the Commandment. And when I have briefly done theſe three things, we ſhall come to a Point.
The end of the Commandment is Charity, but what's this Commandment?
The word which we here tranſlate Commandment, is foreign, not the ordinary word foreign, which ſignifies a Commandment; but foreign; and the word properly ſignifies, as Criticks tell us, A charge given by Judges or Superiours, concerning ſomewhat to be done, or forborn; and thus 'tis uſed in Acts 5. 28. where the High Prieſts tell the Apoſtles, Did not we ſtraitly command you, that you ſhould not teach in thi… Name? Did not we ſtraitly Command you? The Greek there is an Hebraiſm, in which St. Luke doth there expreſs the minds of the Scribes and Phariſees, Did not we ſtraitly command you? foreign, Did not we command you with a Command? which we ve…y well render according to the ſenſe of the Idiom, Did not we ſtrictly command you? Or as Mr. Beza renders it, Did not we command you again and again? And in the very ſame ſenſe doth the Apoſtle uſe the word foreign as the 18th Verſe of the firſt of Timothy: This charge I commit unto thee. Why now if we ſhould take the word Commandment in this ſtrict ſenſe, it may have a ſpecial reference to the third and fourth Verſes going before the Text, whereas I toucht before, St. Paul beſought Timothy to charge ſome, that they teach no other Doctrine, To charge them, or to Command them. 'Tis foreign, which is the root of the word which we render Commandment. I charge thee to lay this Commandment upon them. So we may well render it, I command they teach no other Doctrine. As if he had ſaid, the end why I beſought thee to give that charge, or Command, was to promote charity: whereas thoſe other Doctrines, did but breed queſtions, and thoſe queſtions breed Contentions among the Churches, and among the Brethren, the End of the Commandment, the reaſon why I gave them that Commandment, was to maintain love among Brethren.
Yea for as much as the Apoſtle at the 7. verſ. ſpeaks of thoſe who deſire to be Teachers of the Law, and in the 8. and 9. verſes, proceeds to ſpeak of the nature and uſe of the Law, I conceive the Word Commandment may be extended to the whole Law of God, or to the whole Revelation, or the mind of God concerning things to be done, or forborn by us. And ſo here is a figure, here's a change of number, the ſingular is put for the plural, Commandment, for Commandments, and indeed, as the Doctrine of Grace is nothing elſe but a Collection of promiſes, ſo the Law is nothing elſe, but a Collection of precepts, and in this ſenſe ſaith Mr. Calvin here, by the word Commandment, we may take in all the Commandments of God. Not only thoſe that are expreſt in the Decalogue, but thoſe which are ſcattered quite through the Holy Scriptures. The end of the Commandment, or of the Commandments, the whole Revealed will of God, concerning the Agenda, or things to be done, It is charity, or it is Love; and ſo much for the firſt thing, what we are to underſtand by the Commandment.
Secondly, what is the end of the Commandment, the end of the Commandment is charity. foreign end, may be taken in a threefold notion.
Firſt, The end, it notes the concluſion, and Period of a thing, the concluſion of all things; ſo the Apoſtle Peter in his 1 Epiſt. 4. 7. The end of all things is at hand, and it's well for us to Remember that, If the end of all things were at hand in the Apoſtles time, how near is the end now, the end, the Period of all this viſible world, it is at hand, Be ye therefore watchful, and ſober.
Secondly, End, notes as much as the Aim, deſign, plot, ſcope of any Action, what it is that we drive at; and in that ſenſe 'tis well ſaid, That the deſire of the end is endleſs, that is, men App…titus fi…is eſt infinicus.will never end their deſirings till they have attained their deſired end, namely, that which is the ſcope, and Aim, which they have ſet up to themſelves in any undertaking: the end of a thing is the Aim, or the ſcope of it.
Thirdly, End is taken in this notion, It notes the accompliſhment, or the fulfilling and Compleating of a thing, and in that ſenſe it is uſed in Rom. 10. 4. Chriſt (ſaith the Apoſtle,) is the end of the Law for Righteouſneſs. The end of the Law, he hath brought the Law to its end—what end? why to its accompliſhment, to its fulfilling, ſo that we are not to ſeek for righteouſneſs by the Law for our Juſtification, for Chriſt hath made an end of the Law, or accompliſhed the Law, as to that point, for righteouſneſs, Chriſt hath fulfilled the Law, both in doing the precepts of it, and he hath fulfilled the Law by enduring the penalty of it, and ſo he is the end of the Law, the fulfilling end of the Law; It hath no more to require than that we obey the precept, or endure the penalty of it, and both theſe Chriſt hath fully done, and ſo he hath fulfilled the whole Law, and Indeed, Chriſt having done ſo in his own perſon, having been the end of the Law in his obedience, both active and paſſive, I may ſay, He is the Aboliſhing end of the Law, he hath taken it away as to that uſe, for Juſtification by our own works, the Law is quite out of doors, as to that point, Chriſt is the end of the Law for righteouſneſs, and no more are we to ſeek for righteouſneſs by the Law.
Why now in the text, the word end, when 'tis ſaid that the end of the Commandment is charity, the word (end) is to be taken in the two latter ſenſes.
Firſt, charity is that which the Law aims at, 'tis the ſcope of the Law, to bring us into a Love one to another, and that we may walk in Love, that's the buſineſs of the Commandments of God, the Aim, the Scope of them.
And then ſecondly, charity is the end of the Law, that is, 'tis the fulfilling of the Law, 'tis the accompliſhing end of the Law, the Law is fulfilled in Love, take it in two Scriptures—Rom. 13. 10. Love is the fulfilling of the Law, Love it is the Accompliſhing end of the Law, as in Gal. 5. 14. The whole Law is fulfilled in one word, that's a good word Indeed—what is that one word, by which the whole Law is fulfilled? 'tis fulfilled in one word, even in this, thou ſhalt love they Neighbour as they ſelf: to them, the end here, is to be taken in that ſenſe, charity it is the accompliſhing, 'tis the fulfilling of the Law.
Thirdly, One ſtep farther, what is that charity which is the end of the Commandment, both the Final end, and the fulfilling end of it? What is this charity?
Charity is taken two ways in Scripture.
1. More ſtrictly, as it conſiſts in the relieving of thoſe that are poor, and in the comforting of thoſe that are ſorrowful, this is charity, to relieve the poor, to comfort the ſorrowful.
But ſecondly, charity, is taken in a more large ſenſe, 'tis taken for Love in General, and ſo ſome tranſlate this text, the end of the Commandment, is Love. For charity is a word of a narrower ſenſe than Love is. The end of the Commandment is Love, and the truth is, the word foreign, which we rende… in the text, charity, doth Indifferently ſignifie, and is Indifferently tranſlated Love, or charity, all the New Teſtament over. I need not ſtay to quote places. This word foreign ſignifies Love to God, Love to Man.
Q well but what is Indeed the Charity, or Love, here Intended in the Scripture?
A. I anſwer, firſt, I conceive the Love here Intended, Is not love to God, though that is Love above all things, and the moſt excellent end of the Commandment, yet I conceive in this place, 'tis Charity, or Love to Man, which is here meant. And my Reaſon is this, why I reſtrain it here to the Love of Man, becauſe the Apoſtle ſpeaks of charity in oppoſition to thoſe Fables, and queſtions which falſe teachers were like to raiſe up in the Church. The end of the Commandment is charity, that all may be peaceable and quiet among the Brethren: and he ſaith at verſe 7. From which ſome having ſwerved, (from charity) ſhot quite beſide it, ſaith he, they are turned aſide unto vain Jangling, ſo that if we conſider either the Antecedents of the text, or the conſequents, it ſeems he confines charity, or Love here ſpoken of to that love or charity which is among men, among Brethren, that's one thing.
Secondly, Charity here with reſpect to Brethren, is not that charity which doth conſiſt in opening our hand to relieve the poor, though that is a moſt excellent piece of charity, (and I pray Remember it) to open your hand to the relieving of the poor, yet I conceive that's not the charity here meant, but the charity here meant, is charity in the uniting our hearts, and in the cloſing of our affections one with another, and then,
Thirdly, The charity here intended, or the Love, is not a lazy habit, for one to ſay, I have a love for God, I and there it lyes and doth nothing: I ſay, the charity here intended, is not a lazy habit; but 'tis that which is put forth by vigorous and lively actings, and ſo ſome expound this Text; Charity is to be taken Metonymically, Charity, for all the offices and duties of charity, which we owe one to another.
4. Laſtly, As 'tis an Acting, and an active charity, which is here ſpoken of, ſo it is not every kind of charity, how vigorouſly ſoever acted, which is the end of the Commandment; but 'tis the charity that flows out from, and is fed by thoſe three ſprings ſpoken of in the cloſe of the Verſe: Namely, 'tis a charity flowing out of a pure heart, a good conſcience, and faith unfeigned.
I cannot ſtay now to diſcover thoſe ſprings to you; for that would take up too much of the time. Indeed it may take up all the time, to make a little diſcovery of thoſe ſprings: All that I ſhall ſay at preſent, is only this, That the charity which iſſues out of theſe ſprings: that's the charity in the Text; and that's the charity, which is the fulfilling of the Commandment. So that here we have the Genealogy (as I may call it) the Pedegree, the Parentage of Goſpel charity. Or to keep to the former Metaphor, here we have the ſpring of that bleſſed River called charity, the ſtreams whereof (like the ſtreams of the River ſpoken of, in Pſal. 46. 4. which is the favour of God to his people) will make glad the City of God, in all the Cities of men, where ever it hath an open chanel, and a free courſe. By what hath been ſaid (beloved) you may perceive, what my work (the Lord aſſiſting) is like to be in handling this Scripture; namely, to diſcover to you that Love or Charity, which is the end of the Commandment: and chiefly indeed to diſcover to you, thoſe bleſſed ſprings, A pure heart, a good conſcience, and faith unfeigned▪ out of which that charity flows, and by which it muſt be fed day by day. And this will I do, if God permit.
But at the preſent I ſhall wave all theſe particulars, and ſpeak to one General Point (as I hinted before) raiſed from the whole Context, and of this Verſe, or from all the particulars of it laid together: and the Point of Doctrine is this,
DOCT.
Thoſe works of Love, of Love to man, much more of Love to God, which are the end of the Commandment, muſt flow from a good ſpring, from a gracious Principle, or a Principle of Grace.
This Point is very plain in the Text, plainly collected from it. For ſaith the Apoſtle, Love out of a pure heart (and the like). Now that pure heart, I ſhall ſhew clearly afterwards (if the Lord bring me to it) that the pure heart, is a gratious heart. So that the Love muſt flow from a principle of Grace.
There are three things eſpecially in which the Completion, the full Conſtitution and making up of a good work, whether towards God or man doth conſiſt; and they muſt all three concur in the buſineſs. Evil ariſes out of any ſingle defect in that which is required: Bonum oritur ex i…te ra cauſa, malum ex q…olibet defectu.But a good action muſt have a concurrence of all things requiſite thereunto. I name only theſe three.
Firſt, That the work may be good, we muſt What required to a good work.be ſure that the matter of it be good. It muſt be good in it ſelf, as being according to Rule. And
It muſt be good in the mind and in underſtanding of him that doth it: for to do that which is good, we not knowing and underſtanding it to be good, or not being perſwaded that it is good, that action is not good to us. Yea, the Apoſtle tells you, It is ſin, whatſoever is not of faith: and there he ſpeaks not of juſtifying faith, but of perſwading faith: what ever is not of faith is ſin: And 'tis poſſible for one that is in a juſtified ſtate, or one that hath juſtifying faith, yet not to do a thing with a perſwading faith, and ſo it may be ſin to him. That's one thing.
Secondly, The aim, or the end of the work, muſt be good; and among all ends that are good, the chief, and that which can never be left out, is the glory of God: Matth. 5. 16. Let your light ſo ſhine before men, that they ſeeing your good works (your works of Love) may glorifie your Father which is in Heaven. Not glorifie your ſelf, not ſet up ſelf. 'Twas the ſetting up of ſelf, or the making ſelf the end, which corrupted and poiſoned all thoſe materially good, very good actions of the Phariſees, even their alms giving, their praying, their faſting, as you may read at large in Mat. 6. 1, 5, 16. and thoſe that follow. The End doth denominate the action. It muſt have a good end, elſe though the matter be never ſo good, the work is not good.
Thirdly, (Which is the matter in hand:) The Principle, or ſpring of the work muſt be good: 'Tis poſſible for one to do a work that's good for the matter of it, and to have ſome good ends in it, and yet not to do it out of a right principle: and this is it which the Text and Doctrine ſpeaks, unleſs the Principle be good, the work's not good. As the Fountain is, ſuch are the ſtreams that come from it: As the Tree is, ſuch is the fruit that grows upon it. Do men gather Grapes of Thorns, or Eigs of Thiſtles? Matth. 7. 16. Why, the Thorn hath not a Principle in Nature to put forth a Grape, the Thiſtle hath not a Principle in Nature to put forth a Figg; and therefore ſaith Chriſt, A corrupt Tree cannot bring forth good fruit. Which words of Chriſt, as they are primarily to be underſtood concerning falſe Prophets and their Doctrine, ſo they may be truly applyed to all falſe profeſſors and their ends; they being corrupt, they cannot bring forth good fruit. If you would draw out of a veſſel which is unſeaſoned, or ill ſcented, the liquor will taſte of the Cask. Now we all by nature are unſeaſoned; yea, we are ill ſcented veſſels, therefore the liquor, that which paſſes from us, conſidered ſo, muſt needs have an ill ſcent, an ill taſte. And hence that cutting queſtion of Chriſt to the Phariſees, Matth. 12. 34. O Generation of Vipers, how can ye being evil, ſpeak good things? They might poſſibly ſpeak good for the matter. Bad men wil often tip their tongues with good words, and appear Chryſoſtom's, Golden mouth'd ſpeakers, when their hearts are nothing but braſs and droſs. But uſually evil men ſpeak evil; that which is evil for the matter. Their throats are an open ſepulchre, the poyſon of Aſps is under their lips, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks, quoting it from the Pſalms, in Rom. 3. 13.
And as they uſually, and naturally, (for that's their natural Language) ſpeak evil, ſo they always mar the good they ſpeak, either by their ill manner of ſpeaking it, or by their ill meaning in ſpeaking it. As the Devil when he made a confeſſion of Chriſt, and ſaid, he was the Son of the moſt high God, it was a confeſſion like that of St. Peter, which Chriſt calls the Rock upon which the Church is built; the Devil ſpake it out of a baſe intent, and therefore Chriſt threw it away, and rebuked him for it. So evil men, they ſpoil good ſpeaking with their ill manner of ſpeaking, or their ill meaning in ſpeaking; and therefore Solomon hath that expreſſion, in Prov. 26. 7. As the leggs of the lame are not equal: ſo is a Parable in the mouth of fools. A Parable there, notes a Divine ſaying, a ruling word, a commanding word, that's a Parable, a word that ſhould reign over us, ſo ſaith he, a Parable, a divine ſaying, in the mouth of a fool, are like the leggs of the lame. Good words do (as it were) liſp in the mouth of a bad man, and his heart never keeps pace with his Tongue. Thus you ſee, Chriſt ſaith, evil men cannot ſpeak that which is good, they cannot ſpeak to the purpoſe fully; now as they that are evil, cannot ſpeak, ſo neither can they do good things anſwerable to the rule, or pleaſing unto God. I do not ſay, they cannot do good things, but they cannot do good things, anſwerable to the rule, or pleaſing unto God. And that's the Apoſtles concluſion, Rom. 8. 8. after a further diſcourſe, he comes with his ſo the… here's the concluſion, ſo then, they that are in the fleſh, they cannot pleaſe God, every action which comes up to the fulfilling of the Commandment, is pleaſing to God, but ſaith he, they that are in the fleſh, they cannot pleaſe God;—they that are in the fleſh—what's that? ſurely not that which two Popes (as Infallible as they Judge themſelves to be,) thought to be the meaning; they thought, that by being in the fleſh, was meant being in a marriage State. But by being in the fleſh, the Apoſtle means, being in a natural, that is, being in an unregenerate State, they cannot pleaſe God, and ſuch do not only not pleaſe God when they do that which is evil, but they do not pleaſe God when they do that which is good, for the very Sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination to him, Prov. 15. 8. and therefore the Apople ſays of all men, in their natural capacity, or State, there is none that doth good, no not one, in Rom. 3. 12.—Why none do good? becauſe none of them have a principle, they have not a ſpring, though the matter they do may be good, and though poſſibly they have ſome good end in doing it, yet they not having a principle, there is none of them that doth good, that is, a compleat good, no not one, there's no exceptions. I need not labour further in the proof of the point, but I would make ſome uſe of it, and I would make a threefold uſe out.
Uſe. The firſt may be for our Information. If thoſe good works, both to God and Man, which are the fulfilling of the Commandment, muſt flow from a Gratious principle, then we are Inſtructed by this truth, how to Judge of their beſt works who ſtill abide in the State of nature, having neither a pure heart, nor a good Conſcience, nor Faith unfeigned.—Why what Judgement are we to make of their works? why ſurely they are not the end of the Commandment, they are not the fulfilling of the Commandment; the works of ſuch, even their works of charity, of love, of temperance, Patience, of Juſtice. were call'd by ſome of the godly learned Antients, ſhining ſins, and why we may not call them ſo now, I know no reaſon. That's the Judgement they give of ſuch mens good actions; for as Chriſt tells the Phariſees, Luke 16. 15. that which is highly eſteemed among men, is an Abomination unto God. Why? becauſe it wants this principle. And to be ſure, though their box of ointment, I mean the good things done by Perſons who have not theſe principles, I ſay though their box of ointment may have a fragrant ſmell among many men, yet there are many dead flies in it, eſpecially one great one, call'd unbelief, which makes their whole box of ointment very unſavory in the noſtrils of God, for ſo ſaith the Apoſtle, Heb. 11. 6. without faith it is Impoſſible to pleaſe God. And that's one of the ſprings expreſly ſpoken of in the text; Goſpel charity is of a nobler extract than to be found in the whole compaſs of nature, and Godlineſs moves in a higher ſphere than the beſt dreſs that the gayeſt Moraliſt ever reacht unto. In Matth. 5. 20. Except your Righteouſneſs exceed the Righteouſneſs of the Scribes and Phariſees, ye ſhall in no wiſe enter into the Kingdom of God. That's a word for Information.
Uſe. 2. Now upon that, let me take up a ſecond uſe by way of Lamentation. If this be a truth, then 'tis to be Lamented that the Religious duties, and charitable Acts of many who bear the name of Chriſt, flow meerly from a natural principle, and doing ſo, they are not the fulfilling of the Commandment. The moſt of men Love one another with affection no more ſpiritual than Damon and Pithius, and Pilades and Oreſtes, or any other who are moſt memoriſed, or admired among the Heathens for Love. Yea I may ſay; they worſhip God and Jeſus Chriſt with a devotion no more raiſed, and ſpiritual, than the old Romans did worſhip their Jupiter, or the Epheſians their great Godeſs Diana. And ſurely this is to be Lamented, that Chriſtian Acts ſhould be done, and not from a principle ſpiritual, or not from a Chriſtian principle. It is very poſſible, and very ordinary to follow Chriſt, yea to call upon Chriſt, meerly with human affections, with Carnal affections. Jeſus Chriſt did find it ſo. In John 6. 26. Ye ſeek me, ſaith he, not becauſe ye ſaw the Miracles, but becauſe ye did eat of the loves and were filled. To follow Chriſt, was an excellent work, but they did it meerly upon a humane principle. Yea, that prayer of theirs in Verſe 34. may well be Judged to come meerly from a carnal ſpirit. When Chriſt had diſcourſe of the bread that came down from Heaven, and giveth life into the World, ſay they, Lord, evermore give us of this bread, and yet this was but from a Carnal deſire, not knowing what that bread meant ſpiritually. And it appears clearly to be ſo, for in the cloſe of the Chapter, many of his Hearers went quite away, they forſook him. Now certainly to do theſe excellent things, and to do them but with Carnal principles, this is a thing to be Lamented. Solomon doth report it as a thing to be lamented, that often in this world it is done to good men according to the works of the wicked, and it's done to wicked men, according to the works of the righteous: Eccleſ. 8. 14. This is a thing to be lamented, but I now ſhall ſhew you two ſights more, much more to be lamented.
Firſt, 'Tis a very lamentable thing to ſee good men do according to the works of the wicked. Thus did David in the matter of Uriah, 2 Sam. 11. Thus did Solomon, when his heart went after ſtrange Gods, and he built High Places to their Abominations, 1 Kings 11. 4, 5. Thus did Aſa, a good King, when he impriſoned the Prophet, and in his diſeaſe ſought to the Phyſitians, and not to God, 2 Chron. 16. 10, 12. Yea, thus did St. Peter that holy Apoſtle, when he denyed, yea, forſwore his Maſter, in Matth. 26. 72, 74. And thus have many other godly men done, under the preſſures of Temptation and Corruption. And is not this a ſad ſight, to ſee one profeſſing Godlilineſs, yea, one that is really godly, act thus like a wicked man? This is to act (as I have ſometimes expreſt it) the old Creatures part, in the new Creatures ſtate. This is a very ſad thing.
I, but now I have another ſight to ſhew you, according to the Tenure of this Text and Doctrine, which is very ſad alſo. And what's that? Why, to ſee bad men do according to the works of good men, ſtill continuing in their bad ſtate. They plod on, and go on doing good things, but never mind to become good themſelves: And ſo bad men do according to the works of the righteous: I ſay, This is a ſad ſight. And thus did Saul, when he was among the Prophets: There was a bad man doing good things, 1 Sam. 10. And thus did Ahab, when he humbled himſelf; a wicked man doing a very good thing, 1 Kings 21. Thus did Jehu, when he deſtroyed Idolatry: A very good work, but a very bad man, 2 Kings 10. 28. Thus did Judas, when he preacht the Goſpel; a very good work, but himſelf a Traytor. And thus did Demas, when he profeſt the Goſpel, and followed the Apoſtles: A very good work, but himſelf an hypocrite, and a lover of the world. And thus indeed do all hypocrites, and meer formaliſts, in their performing of Goſpel worſhip. And thus Chriſt will tell them at the laſt day, as he ſaith, Matth. 7. 22, 23. when they came upon him ſo to upbraid him (as it were) with the good things which they had done. We have propheſied in thy name, we have caſt out Devils in thy Name; we have done many good and mighty works in thy Name; Saith Chriſt to them, Depart from me ye workers of iniquity. Though you did theſe good things, yet you never did them from a ſound principle, from a principle of Grace: No, you your ſelves were ſecret workers, or lovers of iniquity, while you did all theſe good things. Now is not this a ſad ſight? I confeſs, it is a ſad ſight, to ſee a bad man do that which is bad, or a wicked man to do that which is wicked; yet I ſay, it is a ſadder ſight to ſee a bad man continuing in his ſtate, having no ſpiritual principles, to go on doing good: For what is this, but the juſt contrary to what I ſpake before. This is the acting of the new Creatures part in the old Creatures ſtate; and what will that avail?
And I would ſay theſe two things further.
God often declares himſelf very highly againſt ſuch as do good, themſelves continuing evil. He declares himſelf weary of their ſervices, eſpecially when there is hypocriſie in them. Iſa. 1. 14. Prov. 21. 27. The ſacrifice of the wicked is abomination, how much more when he bringeth it with a wicked mind? That is, when he brings it for baſe ends, hoping by his ſacrifice to ſatisfie God for his ſin. Some hope by their good works to turn away the wrath of God; and they hope to get Heaven by their good prayers, and by their alms (and the like). I ſay, when a man doth a good thing, with ſuch an evil mind as this, hoping to ſatisfie the Juſtice of God, and turn away his wrath by his doings; this is now abomination to God. Or when he hopes that God will be well pleaſed with him, in that he brings him a ſacrifice, doth him ſome outward ſervice, though he goes on in his ſin. Theſe are thoſe the Lord doth ſo often proteſt againſt.
And I would ſay to them further: The good you do in that ſtate, not having a ſpiritual Principle, the good that you do will not profit you, 'twill not advantage you; 'twill be no plea in the great day. All the profit you can have by it at moſt, when you have had the utmoſt that it comes to, it is but ſome external or outward mercy. As Ahab, he humbled himſelf: why, he had ſomewhat for it; he had his penny: and therefore ſaith the Lord, Seeſt thou how Ahab humbleth himſelf? The Judgement ſhall not come in his dayes. A deliverance from an outward Judgement: but here was no delive…nce from wrath, and from eternal Judgement. And ſo Jehu, for the good works that he did, he had ſomewhat; but alas, what was it? Indeed a great thing in the eyes of the world, a Kingdom; and a Kingdom for ſeveral Generations. But the truth is, A poor thing, for that was all indeed he had for his zeal in deſtroying Idolatry. He had the Kingdom for four Generations; but he abiding a wicked man, while he did that good thing, himſelf was cut off for ever. And you ſee the Ruler in Mark 10. 21. who came to Chriſt, and told him, how he had done almoſt all the matters of the Law: why, Jeſus Chriſt ſaw indeed he had done them, but he knew he had not done them from a right principle; and therefore what was it that Chriſt gave him? Saith he, he beheld him, and loved him. A love of pity, as ſome expound the place. O it's a pity that ſuch a perſon as thou art, that thou haſt been a keeper of the Law, yet haſt not done it upon a right principle. And that he did not, it is plain; for when Chriſt put him home he went away ſorrowful. Now all that he had for it, Chriſt gave him ſome approbation: and as he did to that other in Mark 12. 34. Thou art not far from the Kingdom of God. I, but he was ſo far, as he ſhould never come there, unleſs he changed his ſtate. So that I ſay, The Condition of thoſe that do good things, not out of a good principle, is indeed very lamentable, upon theſe and many other accounts.
But poſſibly you will ſay, If it be ſo, That they who do good, not out of a right principle, their work will not turn to their profit, and therefore their caſe is to be lamented. If it be ſo, Were it not beſt to adviſe thoſe who yet remain unconverted, to forbear doing good till themſelves are better?
I anſwer, No, by no means. We give no ſuch advice in the matter: but let all men do all the good they can. And I would exhort the worſt of men to do good: To hear the Word preacht, to pray, to give alms. Daniel gave that counſel to Nebuchadnezzar a Heathen King, Dan. 4. 27. The Apoſtle Peter gave that counſel to Simon Magus, whom he ſaw to be in the gaul of bitterneſs, and in the bonds of iniquity. And that the good that he had done, his receiving Baptiſm, and outward profeſſion of faith, it was ſo far from coming from a good principle, that he was in the very gall of bitterneſs; yet ſaith he, pray, if it may be, thy ſins may be forgiven thee. Though men are evil, yet let them do good as far as they can: and I would ſay theſe three things about it.
Firſt, They are under an obligation to do good. For mans inability to perform a duty rightly, doth not take off the obligation which is upon him to perform it. And though a bad man ſins in his manner of doing it, yet his refuſing to do it, would be more ſinful.
And I would ſay further, Though he pleaſe not God in doing it, yet he diſpleaſes God in not doing it: So that indeed, man naturally conſidered, or in his fallen ſtate, is fallen into a very ſad Dilemma. If he neglect to do good, he ſins. If he doth good, he ſpoils it in the doing of it. But notwithſtanding all this (I ſay) I am far from diſcouraging the worſt of men to do good, or to adviſe any to forbear to do good. No, I would convince all, that their preſent ſtate is bad; and exhort all to apply themſelves to all means whereby themſelves may be made better. And that's the third Uſe which I ſhall briefly make of this point, and ſo I ſhall conclude.
Uſe 3. Is it ſo, That thoſe good works that flow from a good Principle are pleaſing to God? Why then we ſee the neceſſity of Regeneration. Chriſt ſaith in 3 John 3. Verily, verily. There's a ſtrong and a double aſſeveration: Verily, verily, I ſay unto you, except a man be born again, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. We are not born with this pure heart, with this good conſcience, with this faith unfeigned, which are the requiſites to a good work in the Text. We are not born with theſe: for Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one. Not one among the ſons of men. Job 14. 4. A pure heart, a good conſcience, faith unfeigned, are the iſſues of the new birth. Education cannot make the heart pure; It muſt be Revelation which makes the heart pure. Good Education it may change the Life and the Converſation. As they ſay, To ſtudy Arts and Philoſophy, it takes off the roughneſs that is in mans nature, —didiciſſe fideliter artes Emollit mores—and doth ſmooth them, and frame them very much for excellent uſes. Good literature and education, it may civilize, but it cannot ſpiritualize: It may change a mans courſe, but it cannot change his nature, that's only done by Regeneration. Now I ſay, a mans ſtate, his nature muſt be changed; he muſt have a pure heart, which we never have till our natures are changed. He muſt be good before he can do good ſpiritually. Mark that word of the Apoſtle, Epheſ. 2. 10. We are his workmanſhip created in Chriſt Jeſus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we ſhould walk in them. Mark it, here are good works. But how do we come to theſe good works? Why, we are his workmanſhip, ſaith he, we are his foreign. God works us, before we can work for him: he makes us good, before we can do good. Saith he, We are his workmanſhip. And then, created, or ſo created in Chriſt Jeſus to good works. We by union to Jeſus Chriſt, come to have a ſpiritual principle to carry us out in the doing of all good works. Here's your way. You muſt be Gods workmanſhip, before you can do Gods work: You muſt be new creatures, created in Chriſt Jeſus unto good works, before you can do them.
A Crab-tree will never yield pleaſant fruit, untill you change the nature of it. Take a Crab-tree and plant it in the beſt ſoil that you have, and water it, and dreſs it, and prune it as much as you can, yet this Crab-tree will bear nothing but Crabs, ſowre fruit, till you come to graft it; and then your grafting of it, doth change the nature of the ſtock, and it hath another principle, and ſo then it brings forth good fruit. So it is in this caſe. Take the beſt natured man in the world, plant him in the beſt ſoil, in the beſt ground, in Church-ground, plant him in the houſe of God, and there let him be watered by the rain of holy Doctrine, and let him be dreſt and cultivated every day, yet he will bring forth nothing but Crabs, nothing but unſavoury fruit, till he himſelf be changed. Though he be under all thoſe ſpiritual means, yet till thoſe means have wrought effectually in him, his actions are all unſavoury. 'Tis only by our implantation into Jeſus Chriſt, that we become fit to do good, ſo as is acceptable unto God. 'Tis this that makes the change. For as in nature, the graft doth change the ſtock; ſo in grace, the ſtock doth change the grafted branch. As we are grafted into Chriſt, he changes the branch; being planted into Chriſt, by the power of the Spirit, we are then made like him; and then we bring forth fruits of righteouſneſs, which are to the glory of God by him. Mark the expreſſion, Being filled with the fruits of righteouſneſs, which are by Chriſt. That is, by vertue of union with Chriſt, of implantation and ingrafture into Chriſt. When once it is thus, then all your fruits are ſweet fruit, and pleaſant fruit, it is well taſted. Why, it is done Firſt, From a principle of life in Chriſt. And Secondly, It is done from a principle of Love unto Chriſt: and then when your works, whether reſpecting God or man are thus done, then they are the fulfilling, and the final end of the Commandment. For then they come from the pure heart. Of which hereafter (if God will, I may ſpeak). And ſo much at the preſent of the point in General, That until there be a good Principle, there cannot be a good work.