The Blessedness of the Righteous, Chapter 14
CHAP. XIV.
The 7th Inference. That since this blessedness is limited to a qualified subject [I in righteousness] the unrighteous are necessarily lest exclud…d. The 8th Inference. That righteousness is no vain thing, in as much as it hath so happy an issue, and ends so well.
7. COnsidering this blessedness is not common, but limited …o a qualified subject [I in righteousness] person cloth'd in righte…usness. I… evidently follows. Th… unrighteous are nec…ss…ily excluded, and shut out; can have no p…r… nor p…rtion in this blessedness. The same thing that the Apostle tells us without an inference; Know ye not that the unrighteouss shall not inherit the Kingdom of God, 1 Cor. 6.&c. Intimating that to be a most confessed known thing. Know ye not? is it possible ye can be ignorant of this?
The natural necessity of what hath been here infe…'d, hath been argued already from the consideration of the nature of this blessedness. The legal necessity of it, arising from the Divine will, and Law, is that I mainly intend at present. By such a necessity also, they are excluded: who by Gods rule (according to which the supreme judgment must be managed) shall be found unrighteous. Those that come not up to the tearms of the Gospel Covenant; never accepted the offers, nor submitted to the commands of it. And that hence consequently are unrelated to Christ, and ununited to him; no way capable of advantage by his most perfect and all-sufficient righteousness, that alone fully answers all the ex…ctions, and demands of the Covenant of Works: and so, who are at last found unrighteous by the Old Law, and the New; the Law both of the Creatour, and Redeemer too.
There is the same necessity these should be excluded, as that God should be just and true. The word is gone forth of his mouth in righteousness and cannot return. He did not d…lly with sinners, when he settled those constitutions, whence this necessity results. He is not a man, that he should lye, nor the Son of m…n, that he should repent. An Heathen understood so much of the nature of God.
I have thought sometimes, with much wonder, of the stupid folly of unsanctified hearts, they are even confounded in their own wishes; and would have (in order to their security) they know not what. Were the question faithfully put to the very heart of such a one, what wouldest thou have done in order to thy eternal safety from divine wrath and vengeance? would not the answer be, O that God would recall those severe constitutions he hath made, and not insist …o strictly, on what be hath required in the Gospel, in order to the salvation on of sinners. But foolish wretch, dost thou know what thou sayst? wouldst thou have God repeal the Gospel that thou mayest be the more secure? in what a case art thou then? Hast thou no hope if the Gospel stand in force? what hope wilt thou have if it do not? Must the hopes of all the world be ruin'd to establish thine? and yet leave them involv'd in the common ruine too? What, but the Gospel gives the least hope to Apostate sinners? There is now hope for thee in the Gospel promise, if thou return to God. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; Isa. 55.and let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, and he will abundantly pardon. But take away the Gospel and where art thou? Were it possible for thee to repent, and become a new man, what settles the connexion between Repentance, and Salvation but the Gospel-promise? Will the violated Law of works accept thy Repentance instead of Obedience? Doth it not expresly preclude any such expectation? Doth it give any ground to look for any thing but death after sin? Thou must therefore flye to the Gospel or yield thy self lost; and know it contains none but faithful and true sayings, that have more stability in them, than the foundations of heaven and earth. Therefore expect nothing to be altered for thy sake. The Gospel-constitution was settled long before thou wast born; Thou com'st too late with thy Exceptions (if thou hadst any) against it. Remember, therefore, this is one of the unalterable determinations of this Gospel, without holiness thou shalt never see God, or (which amounts to the same) thou canst not behold his face but in righteousness. There is no word in all the Bible of more certain truth than this. In this also how apt are sinners foolishly to intangle themselves. The Gospel is true and to be believed, till they meet with something that crosses them, and goes against the hair, and then, they hope it is not so But vain man! if once thou shake the truth of God, what wilt thou stay thy self upon? Is God true when he promises? and is he not as true when he threatens? if that be a true saying: S…y to the righteous it shall be well with him—is not that as much to be regarded; wo to the wicked it shall be ill with him. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. Are not these of equal authority? If thou hadst any reason to hope, thou mayest be happy though thou never be righteous; is there not as much reason to fear thou might'st be miserable though thou be; since the one is as much against the slat express word of God as the other? Let not thy love to sin betray thee out of all Religion, and thy wits together. Wherein wilt thou believe one upon the bare value of his word, that will lie to thee in any thing? Yea, and as it is the same authority that is affronted in every command, whence disobedience to one is a breach of all; so is the same veracity denyed in every truth; and the disbelief of one belies all, and wilt thou believe him in any thing, thou hast proclaimed a lier in every thing? Therefore so little hast thou gained by disbelieving the divine revelation in this thing; that thou hast brought thy self to this miserable Dilemma; if the word of God be false thou hast no foundation of any Faith left thee; if it be true, it dooms thee to eternal banishment from his blessed face, while thou remainest in thy unrighteousness. It will not be thy advantage then to disbelieve this Gospel record, but to consider it, and take it to heart, 'twill prove never the lesse true, at last for that thou wilt not believe it, shall thy unbelief make the truth of God of none effect? And if thou wouldest but reasonably consider the case; methinks thou shouldest soon be convinc't. Since thou acknowledgest (as I suppose thee to do) that there are two states of men in the other World, a state of blessedness, and a state of misery; and two sorts of men in this World, the righteous, and the unrighteous. Let thy reason and conscience now judge, who shall be allotted to the one state, and who to the other. Sure if thou acknowledge a righteous Judge of all the world, thou canst non think he will turn men, promiscuously into Heaven, or Hell at random, without distinction: Much less canst thou be so absurd, and mad, as to think all the unrighteous shall be saved, and the righteous perish; and then what is le…t thee to judge, but that which I am now urging upon thee, that when the righteous shall be admitted to the vision of Gods blessed face; the unrighteous shall be driven forth into outer darkness?
It may be some here will be ready to say, but to what purpose is all this, they were of the same mind before; and cannot think that any one would ever say the contrary.
Nor do I think so either; but 'tis one thing not to believe a conclusion to be true, and another to prosess a contrary belief. And one thing to believe a conclusion, another to think we believe it. Men often know not their own minds. In practical matters 'tis best seen what a mans belief is, by his practice. For when any profess to believe this or that practical truth, relating to their salvation, if they believe is not practically, i. e. with such a belief as will command their suitable practice, it matters not what belief they are of, or whether they were of that judgment or no. Yea it will prove in the issue, better for them they had been of another, when their own professed belief shall be urged against them. But let us cosider a little how in practical matters of less concernment we would estimate a mans belief. You meet a Traveller upon the way who tells you, the Bridge over such an unpass…ble River is broken down, and that if you venture, you perish; if you believe him you return; if you hold on, he reasonably concludes you believe him not; and will therefore be apt to say to you, if you will not believe me, you may make trial. Your Physician tells you a disease is growing upon you, that in a short time will prove incurable, and mortal; but if you presently use means, he shall prescribe, 't…s capable of an easie remedie. How would you your self have your belief of your Phisitian judged of in this case; would you expect to be believed, if you should say, you do not at all distrust your Phisitians integrity, and judgment, but yet you resolve not to follow his directions? unless you would have us believe too, that you are weary of your life, and would fain be rid of it. There is no Riddle or Mystery in this. How ridiculous would men make themselves if in matters of common concernment they should daily practice directly contrary to their professed belief? how few would believe them serious, or in their wits? But however, call this believing, or what you will, we contend not about the name, the belief of such a thing can no further do you good, you can be nothing the better for it, further then as it ingages you to take a course suitable and consequent to such a belief. To believe that there is a Hell, and run into it, that unrighteousness persisted in will damn you; and yet live in it. To what purpose is it to make your boasts of this Faith?
But since you are willing to call this believing; all the foregoing reasoning is to ingage you to consider what you believe. Do you believe that unrighteousness will be the death of your soul? will eternally separate you from God, and the pres…nce of his glory? and when you have reason'd the matter with your self, you find it to be certainly so; should not such a thing be more deeply pondered? The bare proposal of an evident truth commands present assent; but if I further bend my mind to reason out the same thing to my self. I am occasioned to take notice of the grounds, dependencies, the habitudes of it, what it rests upon, & whither it tends, and thence more discern its importance, and of what moment it is; then I should have done if upon first view I had assented only, and dismist it my thoughts. And yet is it possible you should think this to be true, and not think it a most important truth? Is it a small matter in your account, whither you shall be blessed, or miserable for ever? whether you be sav'd, or perish eternally? Or is it considered by you according as the weight of the matter requires, that as you are found righteous, or unrighteous, so will it everlastingly fare with you?
You may possibly say, you already conclude your self righteous, therefore no further imploy your thoughts about it.
But methinks you should hardly be able how ever to put such a thing out of your thoughts; while as yet the final determination is not given in the case. If a man have a question yet depending concerning his life or estate: though his business be never so clear, he will hardly forget it, the trial not being yet past. And though in this matter, you have no reason to suspect errour, or corruption in your Judge (through which many honest causes may miscarry in an humane Judicature) yet have you no reason to suspect your self? If the holy Spirit hath assured you it hath not stupified you, but as you have then the less of fear, you have the more of love, and joy. Therefore you will not thence mind such a concernment the less, but with the more delight; and therefore also, most probably, with the more frequency, and intention. What a pleasure will it be to review evidences, and say, …o here are the Mediums by which I make out my title to the Eternal Inheritance. Such, and such characters give me the confidence, to number my self among Gods righteous ones. And do you lead that heavenly raised life? do you live in those sweet and ravishing comforts of the Holy Ghost, that may bespeak you one whom he hath sealed up to the day of redemption?
If you pretend not to any such certainty, but rely upon your own judgment of your case; are you sure you are neither mistaken in the notion of the righteousnesse required, nor in the application of it to your own souls?
Possibly you may think your self, because in your ordinary dealings you wrong no man (your self being judge) a very righteous person. But evident it is, when the Scripture uses this tearm as discriptive of Gods own people, and to distinguish betweeen them that shall be saved, and perish, it takes it in that comprehensive sense, before explained. And however, it requires, at least, much more of thee under other expressions, as thou canst hardly be so ignorant, but to know. And do but use thy reason here a little, and demand of thy self. Is he to be accounted a righteous person that thinks it fit to avoid wronging a man, but makes no conscience at all of wronging God? More particularly. Is it righteous to live all thy dayes in a willing ignorance of the Author of thy being, never once to enquire where is God my Maker? Job 35.Is it righteous to forget him, dayes without number, not to have him from day to day in all thy thoughts? Is it righteous to estrange thy self from him, and live as without him in the world? while thou liv'st, mov'st, and hast thy being in him? not to glorifie him in whose hands thy breath is? to be a lover of pleasure more then God? a worshipper, in thy very soul, of the creature, more then of the Creatour? Is it righteous to harden thy heart against his fear and love? to live under his power, and never reverence it, his goodness, and never acknowledge it? to affront his Authority, to belie his Truth, abuse his Mercy, impose upon his Patience, desie his Justice? to exalt thy own interest against his, the trifling petite interest of a silly worm, against the great all comprehending interest of the common Lord of all the world? to cross his will, to do thy own? to please thy self, to the displeasing of him? whence hadst thou thy measures of Justice, if this be just?
Again, is it righteous to deny the Lord that bought thee, to neglect that great salvation which he is the Authour of? And whereas he came to bless thee in turning thee from thine iniquities, wilfully to remain still in an accursed servitude to sin? when he was made manifest to destroy the works of the Devil, still to yield thy self a captive at his will? whereas he died that thou might'st not any longer live to thy self, but to him that died for thee, and rose again; and that he might redeem thee from thy vain conversation, and that thou art so expresly told that such as still lead sensual lives, mind earthly things, have not their conversation in heaven, are enemies to the Cross of Christ; Is it no unrighteousness that in these respects thy whole life, should be nothing else but a constant contradiction to the very design of his dying? a perpetual Hostility, a very Tilting at his Cross? Is there no unrighteousness in thy obstinate infidelity, that wickedly denies belief to his glorious Truths, acceptance of his gracious Offers, subjection to his holy Laws? no unrighteousness in thy obstinate, remorsless, impenitency? thy heart that cannot repent? that melts not while a crucified Jesus amid'st his agonies, and dying pangs, cryes to thee from the Cross, O sinner enough, thy hard heart breaks mine! yield at last, and turn to God. Is it righteous to live as no way under Law to Christ? to persist in actual rebellion against his just Government, which he died, and revived, and rose again to establish, over the living and the dead? yea, and that while thou pretendest thy self a Christian? In a word; Is it righteous to tread under foot the Son of God, to vilifie his Blood, and despise his Spirit? Is this the righteousness that thou talkest of? are these thy qualifications for the everlast-blessedness?
If thou say, thou confessest thou art in thy self, in these several respects, altogether unrighteous; but thou hopest the righteousness of Christ, will be sufficient to answer for all.
No doubt Christs Righteousness is abundantly available to all the ends for which it was intended by the Father and Him; but it shall never answer all the ends that a foolish wicked heart will fondly imagine to it self.
In short, it serves to excuse thy non performance of, and stands instead of thy perfect sinless obedience to the Law of works; but it serves not instead of thy performance of what is required of thee, as the condition of the Gospel Covenant. That is, It shall never supply the room of Faith, Repentance, Regeneration, Holiness, the loving of Christ above all, and God in him; so as to render these unnecessary, or salvation possible without them. There is not one iota, or tittle in the Bible, that so much as intimates, an unregenerate person, an unbeliever, an impenitent, or unholy person, shall be saved by Christs righteousness; but enough to the contrary, every one knows, that hath the least acquaintance with the Scriptures.
Vain Man what? is Christ devided, and devided against himself; Christ without, against Christ within? His suffering on the Cross, and foregoing obedience, against his Spirit and Government in the Soul? Did Christ die, to take away the necessity of our being Christians? And must his death serve, not to destroy sin out of the world, but Christianity? who hath taught thee so wickedly to misunderstand the design of Christs dying? And when the Scripture so plainly tells thee,Joh 3. 16. That God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. Heb 5. 9.And, That he became the Authour of eternal salvation to them that obey him, yea, and that he will come in flaming fire to take vengeance on them that know, and obey him not. What should induce thee to think thou mayst be saved by him, whether thou believest, and obeyest or no?
No, if ever thou think to see God, and be happy in him; thou must have a righteousness in thee, resembling his: the very product the thing wrought in the work of regeneration. If ye know that he is righteous,1 Joh. 2. 29. ye know that every one that doth righteousness is born of him. Whereupon follows the description of the blessedness of such righteous ones in the beginning of the next Chapter.—They are sons—they shall be like &c. So that in a word, without some sight of God here, there's no seeing him hereafter; without some likeness to him now, none hereafter. And such as are destitute of that heart-conformity to the Gospel, wherein the Evangelical Righteousness stands; are so far from it, that we may say to them,Joh. 5. 37. as our Saviour to the Jews, Ye have neither heard his voice, nor seen his shape, i. e. you have never had right notion, or any the least true glimpse of him; your hearts are wholly destitute of all Divine Impressions whatsoever.
8. We may further infer, from this qualification of the subject of blessedness. That righteousness is no vain thing. That is not in vain that ends so well, and hath so happy an issue at last. Scripture tells us, that the labour of the righteous tendeth to life: Pro. 10. 16.and that we may understand it of their labour, as they are righteous: we are more plainly told that righteousness tendeth to life; Chap. 11 14:and that to them that sow righteousness shall be a sure reward. Ver. 18.That the righteous shall shine as the Sun in the Kingdom of the Father. Mat. 13. 43.—The righteous into eternal life.Chap. 25. 46. And we here see that righteousness ends in the blessed sight of Gods glorious face, Isa. 55 2.in being satisfied with the Divine likeness: Foolish sinners as justly upbraided that they spend their labour for that which satisfies not; takes much pains to no purpose; such are all the works of sin,Rom. 6. 20, 21. toilsome, fruitless; what fruit had ye of those things (viz. which ye wrought when you were free from righteousness) whereof ye are now ashamed; for the end of th…se things is death. But (it follows) being now made free from sin, and bec…me servants to God (which is paraphrased above by servants to righteousness) ye have your fruit unto holiness, & the end everlasting life. The fruit is a continual increase of holiness, a growing more and more like God, till at last everlasting life, satisfaction with his likeness, do Crown and consummate all.
You have now what to answer to the Atheists profane Querie; what profit is it to serve God? to what purpose to lead so strict, and precise a life? you may now see to what purpose it is; and whereunto godliness (which righteousness here includes) is profitable (as having besides what it intitles to here) the promise of that life which is to come.
There needs no more to discover any thing not to be vain (in as much as nothing can be said to be but in reference to an end, as being good for nothing) then the eviction of these two things.
That it aims at a truly worthy, and valuable end; and that its tendencie thereto is direct, and certain.
In the present case both these are obvious enough at the first view.
For as to the former of them, all the world will agree without disputing the matter, that the last end of man (i. e. which he ultimately propounds to himself) is his best good; and that he can design no further good to himself, then satisfaction; nothing after or beyond that; and what can afford it, if the vision and participation of the Divine Glory do not?
As to the latter, besides all that assurance given by Scripture-constitution to the righteous man, concerning his future reward; let the Consciences be consulted of the most besotted sinners, in any lucid interval, and they will give their suffrage (Balaam that so earnestly followed the reward of unrighteousness not excepted) that the way of righteousness, is that only likely way to happiness, and would therefore desire to die, at least, the righteous mans death, and that their latter end should be like his. So is wisdom (I might call it righteousness too, the wicked man is the Scripture-Fool; and the righteous the wise man) justified not by her children only, but by her enemies also.
And sure 'tis meet that she should be more openly justified by her Children, and that they learn to silence, and repress those misgiving thoughts; Surely, I have washed my hands in vain,Psal. 73. …. 15. &c. And be steadfast, unmovable, alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as they know their labour is not in vain in the Lord.