The Measures of Christian Obedience, Book 3 · Chapter 1
CHAP. I. Of Sincerity.
The CONTENTS.
The first qualification of an acceptable Obedience, that it be sincere. Two things implied in sincerity, truth or undissembledness, and purity or unmixedness of our service. Of the first Notion of sincerity, as opposite to hypocrisie, or doing what God commands out of a real intention and design to serve him. Of a two-fold intention, actual and express; or habitual and implicite. Of intention in general, and of these two in particular. Where an actual intention is necessary, and where an habitual is sufficient to our obedience. Of the second Notion of sincerity, as it notes purity of our service in opposition to mixture and corrupt alloy. This Point stated, viz. What intention of our good together with Gods service is consistent with an acceptable and sincere Obedience, and what destroys it. Integrity of our Obedience a sure mark whereby to judge whether it be sincere or no.
THE Qualifications which must render our obedience acceptable to Almighty God, and make it avail us unto life and pardon at the last Day, are comprehended in these two;
1. Sincerity.
2. Integrity.
1. To render our obedience to the forementioned Laws of God acceptable and available to our salvation at the last Day; it is necessary that it be sincere.
Sincerity is a aforeign qu. foreign: that being true, and not counterfeit, doth not fear the light, but is willing to be tryed in the brightest Sun. And the Apostle joins these two, foreign, opposing sincerity to fraud, and a double heart, and making it the same with simplicity, 2 Cor. 1.12. And again he joins it with Truth, The unleavened …read of sincerity and truth, 1 Cor. 5.8. And so sincerus by the Latine Grammarians is derived from foreign and foreign, as signifying the same with cum corde, heartily and unfeignedly.true and undissembled service of God, opposite to hypocrisie, or a false and feigned pretence of obeying him, when in reality we only serve our own selves.
For we must take notice, that God has been so gracious to us in chusing out the instances of our Duty and of his Commands, as to adopt for the most part those particular sorts of actions into the matter of our obedience, which by the natural Order and Constitution of things make for our own present pleasure, reputation, or interest. And every one of these, from the first and fundamental principle of our Natures, self-love, are sufficient inducement to us to practise them, although God had never laid his Commands upon them. So that although we have no kindness at all for God, nor would do any thing for his sake; yet shall we observe many things which he enjoins us, not for his pleasure, but our own. Thus, for instance, may we be chast, and sober, and practise all other Vertues that are gainful, not because we love God; but only because we love mony. We may be just and honest, and seemingly religious; not for the sake of a Commandment, but of our own credit, because the contrary practice would wound our good Name in the world, and stain our reputation. And now when our own lusts and vices, our carnal pleasures, and temporal advantages strike in after this manner with Gods Laws, and command the same service which he enjoins us; we may pretend, if we will, and as too oft we do, that all is for his sake, and that these performances, which are really owing to our own self-interests, come from us upon the account of Religion and Obedience. And when we falsifie and feign thus, it is flat dissimulation. It is no more but acting the part of an obedient and religious man, seeing, like an bforeign is joined with foreign, Matth. 6.5. Which is an intimation of its being taken from publick Plays and Theaters.Actor on the Stage, we are that person whom we represent, not in inward truth and reality, but only in outward shew and appearance, which is the very nature of hypocrisie.
But for a man to be sincere in Gods service, is the same as really to intend that obedience which he professes. It is inwardly and truly to will and do that for his sake, which in outward shew and appearance we would be thought to do. It is nothing else, as the Psalmist says, but truth in the inward parts, Psal. 51.6; the having our inward design and intention to agree with our outward profession; and being verily and indeed those obedient persons which we pretend to be.
And as for this sincerity of our performance of what God requires, viz. our doing it for his sake, and because he commands it: it is altogether necessary to make such performance become obedience, and to qualifie us for the rewards of those that obey. For without it we do not observe cSi pro arbitrio suo S…rvi Dominis obtem…rant, nec in iis quidem, in quibus o…t…mp…rarint, obs…quuntur. Quando enim Servus ex Domini jussis ea sacit tantummodo quae vu… …cere; jam non Dominicam implet voluntatem sed suam, Salvian. de Gub. Dei. l. 3. p. 79. Ed. Oxon.Gods will, but our own; his Command had no share in what we did, because it had been done although he had said nothing; so that in our performance of it we served not him, but our own selves. And what has God to thank us for, if we do nothing but our own pleasure? Wherein do we serve him, by acting only according to our own liking? That cannot be charged on him which is not designed for him; and if we do what he commands no otherwise than thus, it is all one as if we had done nothing.
But if ever we expect that God should judge us at the last Day to have obeyed him, we must be sincere in our obedient performances. For the Lord looketh not on the dRom. 2.28, 29.outward appearance and pretence, saith Samuel, but he looks on the inward intention and design, which is the heart, 1 Sam. 16.7. He saves, as the Psalmist tells us, the upright in heart, Psal. 7.10. And again, As for the upright in heart, they, and they alone, shall glory, Psal. 64.10. For it is not from the bare outward appearance and profession, but from the heart, says Solomon, that proceed the issues of life, Prov. 4.23. And this is plainly declared in the express words of the Law it self. For it accepts not a heartless service, nor accounts it self obeyed by what was never intended for it. But thus it bespeaks us: The Lord thy God requires thee to serve him with all thy eMatth. 22.36, 37, 38.heart, and with all thy soul. For he is a great God, a mighty and a terrible to all that do otherwise, and who in his Judgement regardeth not persons, nor to corrupt him taketh rewards, Deut. 10.12, 17. And the Apostle tells the Philippians, that their being sincere is the way to be without offence till the Day of Christ, Phil. 1.10.
And thus we see, that to render our obedience acceptable at the last Day, it is absolutely necessary that it be sincere and unfeigned. We must do what Gods Laws prescribe, not only because our own credit or interest sometimes requires it, but because God has commanded it. In all our obedient performances our heart and design must go along with him, before ever he will recompence and reward us.
So that 'tis plain we cannot obey God, either against our will and intention, or without them; seeing our wills and intentions themselves are the very life and soul of our obedience. The prime part of our Duty consists in the directing of our Design: for even that which is done agreeably to Gods Command must be aimed and intended for him, or else it will never be owned and approved by him.
But that we may the better judge of this sincerity of our service which is measured by our intention and design; we must take notice of a two-fold intention. For it is either,
1. Actual and express. Or,
2. Habitual and implicite. Now it is this latter which is always and indispensably required to the sincerity of our service; but as for the former, it is not always necessary, though oftentimes it be.
Intention is the tendency of the soul towards some end which it likes, and which it thinks to compass and endeavour after. And this is one prime requisite in the actions of men, and that which distinguisheth our operations from the actions of brute Beasts; for what they do, proceeds from the necessary force of uncontriving Nature and instinct; but what we, from reason and design.
And the cause of this difference is this, Because God has given the brute Beasts no higher Guide and Commander of their actions, than appetite and passion, whose motions are not chosen with freedom, and raised in them by reason and thought; but merely by the necessitating force of outward objects themselves, and those impressions which they make upon them. For they act altogether through love and hatred, hopes and fears; and they love and hate, not through reason and discourse, but through the natural and mechanical suitableness or offensiveness of those objects which they act for.
But as for us men, he has put all our actions under the power and in the disposal, not of outward things, but of something within us, even our own free will. They are not imposed upon us by the force of any thing without us, but are freely chosen by us; we are not their Instruments, but their Authours; they flow from our own pleasure and undetermined choice.
Now as our actions are at the disposal and command of our wills; so do our wills themselves command and dispose of them, not blindly and by chance, but always for some reason, and upon some design. For in themselves they are indifferent, to make us either omit or act, neglect or exert them. And therefore to determine our wills one way rather than the other, to act them rather than to let them alone, they must be moved and perswaded by such Arguments as are fit to win upon them. Now that which can move and gain upon our wills, is only goodness. We will and desire nothing but what we think is good for us, and which tends some way or other to better and advantage us. For what we believe is insignificant and useless, we contemn; and what is hurtful and evil, from the first Principle of our Natures, self-love, we straightway entertain with hatred and avoidance, but never with love and good will. So that whensoever we will and chuse to act, rather than to sit still; it is always for some end which we propose to our selves, and by reason of some good or other which we expect to get by it. For no man will be at pains for nothing, or labour without aiming at any recompence; but some end or goodness there must still be, which is to move our wills, and make them choose rather to act, than to sit idle. All our Actions therefore are only as means, and there is alwayes some end or other of them which we propose to our selves to reap from them; something which we like, and which we think they tend to, that makes us employ our Powers in the production of them. And this eying or aiming at the End or Motive whereunto we see our Action tends, and for the sake whereof we set about it, is our Intention of it.
Thus we see that all our Actions agree in this, that they are chosen for the sake of some end, and exerted upon some intention and design.
But in the manner of this Intention there is some difference: For sometimes in acting we actually and expresly think of, and look up to that End or Good which we are moved by, and act for, and operate in direct order, and respect to it; which is an actual and express intention. But at other times we do not look expresly further than the act it self; but through a setled Intention before made, and, as to its full force in determining of our Wills towards that Good which we act for, yet continuing; we readily do what tends towards it, without ever expresly eying or designing of it. Our former Intention was so full and so effectual, that it has determined our choice of the action so far, as that our Wills need nothing more to make them command that it be done, than to be offer'd the opportunity of doing it. They are sufficiently moved by the End for which the Action is to be undertaken, and their constant temper and inclination is to bend after it. So that when a particular Action occurs, which is to be chosen for the sake of it, they need not actually to think of it, and look up to it; but are sufficiently inclined to act in order to it, through their habitual tendency and propension towards it. And this being no express intuition, and particular designing of the end which we act for, but only a setled tendency and inclination in the soul after it, which through long use and custome is become its constant temper and habitual; it may be called an habitual, or implicit intention.
Now both these sorts of Intention have their place, as in all our other Actions, so particularly in those of Virtue and Obedience. For sometimes our performances of those things which God requires are studied and deliberate; we pause at them before we exert them, and think and perswade our selves into the production of them. And in regard the great motive or end of exerting them, (viz.) Gods command and injunction of them, is the great Argument to win us over to them; when we take time and ponder so, we act through a particular and express intention. But then at other times we do what God enjoyns before we are aware; we need not deliberate about it, or argue our selves into the practice of it; but stand ready to perform it as soon as opportunity is offered. And here the will being already inclined of it self to exert the action, because God has commanded it, it needs no arguments to move, nor any express intuition of the end to perswade it, but indeliberately chooses to obey out of its own habitual temper, and implicit intention.
And as for the cause of this difference of our Intention in doing those things which God commands; it is plainly the different degrees and perfection of our Obedience. For when our Virtue and Obedience are of small strength, and in an imperfect degree; there our Lusts have a considerable Power with us, as well as our Religion; and although they have not force enough eventually to hinder, yet they have so much as will suffice them to contend with, and to oppose the doing of our duty: So that even when we do obey in this state, and close with Gods command, it is by a strife and a war, by conflict and victory. Now here our wills are in doubt what way they shall determine their choice, for they are canvassed and beset on both sides, both by God and by our own Flesh, by our Duty and our Appetites. And to enable Religion to prevail with them in this conflict above our Passions, there is a necessity of representing all its force, and of setting all its motives before them, that thereby they may be induced to strike in with it, and to choose what it commandeth. But now as for the main end and motive of all our Religious Services, it is Gods having injoyned and commanded them. It is for his sake, that we perform them; that we may endear our selves to him by doing of his pleasure. So that to enable us to choose obedience to Gods Laws, rather than to our own Lusts, we must set him and his command before us. They are the end for which we are to work, the motive and argument that must bear us out, and make us effectually willing to do what we are required. In this state then of strong lusts and imperfect obedience, to enable us to choose to do what God injoyns, when our own Lusts do powerfully incline us to do the contrary; we have need of an actual thought and intuition of God and his command, which is the great end and motive that must determine us for him, and bear down all that opposition which our Lusts make against him: So that all the obedience which we perform here, is through a particular and express intention.
But then on the other side, when our Virtue and Obedience is of full growth, and we are so accustomed to do what God requires, that now we find no reluctance or opposition to it, but use has made it become, not so much our considerate choice, as our natural and indeliberate performance; here our wills are ready of themselves to embrace the instance wherein we are to obey as soon as it is offered: We need not to consider and think our selves into a choice and practice of that which is commanded; for our natural bent and habitual tendency is towards it, and nothing more is wanting to our performance of it, than our being shew'd it. The Action of Obedience is chosen before it is offered, and all our Principles of working stand ready and prepared for it. For the intention of serving God is confirmed without all reserve; and the decree of our wills is past already to perform what we have intended; so that as soon as ever an opportunity for obedience is presented, we have nothing left to deliberate and consider of, but without all doubtings or delay go on to work and practise it. And all this, as I said, is a genuine and direct effect of our Obedience having acquired great degrees of strength, and becoming customary and habitual. For Custome, as it is truly said, is a second Nature; such things as have been long used by us, stick as close to us, and flow as easily, as quickly, as indeliberately and naturally from us, as those things that are born with us. They do not stay for our particular contrivance and designation of them, but run before it. A man by long custome shall have his fingers move so fast upon a Lute, that thought it self shall not be able to keep time with them, and answer every stop with a particular intention and command of it. An habitual Swearer, when occasion is offered, or without any, will rap out Oaths when he is not aware; and so little many times was there of actual contrivance and express design in it, that when he hath done he doth not know it. And the case is the same in other habitual sinners, whose transgressions, proceeding not so much from a particular and express choice, as from an habitual temper, and even natural inclination, are unconsidered and indeliberate. And therefore when our Obedience it self is become customary, and use has wrought it into our very Nature; we have no need, upon every return of opportunity, to eye Gods command which is the end, and to intend his service as a motive to our wills, to engage them to choose the Action before us which tends to it. We stay not to bethink our selves what it tends to, and who is to be served by it, and after that to intend expresly to serve him in it. No, all these were done to our hands before the time of obeying came, so that now when we have the opportunity, we do not busie our selves in exciting them, but in this habitual state of things, and perfection of obedience, act ordinarily in the force of them, which is obeying through an habitual and implicite intention.
And now from what has been said of this Perfection, and customariness of our obedience, being the cause of our obeying only through an habitual intention; it plainly appears, that not the actual, but habitual intention of serving God, is that which is alwayes, and indispensably required to a sincere service of him. Indeed when we pause, and deliberate, and take several things into our consideration, a particular intention of his service is necessary to make what we do upon such deliberation an acceptable obedience: For if in the deliberation our choice was doubtfull as to the event; such particularity of intention was necessary to make us choose the Action of obedience; and if it were doubtfull as to the motive, when other things sufficient to make us act as we did, (as the service of our Lusts or Interests) concurr'd to it as well as Gods Command; then is it necessary to make us choose the acceptable service of obedience. But for that intention, I say, which is not only here in this case, or some others, but universally, and in all, indispensably necessary to the sincerity of our obedience, it is an habitual intention. For the very reason why we do not intend his service particularly and expresly, but only habitually and implicitely, is because our obedience has arrived to good perfection, and long use and custome has made it, not so much at every turn our considerate choice and contrivance, as our unstudied inclination and very nature. Now this exaltation of Obedience into a natural temper is so far from rendring it unsincere, and making God look upon it as none at all; that in very deed it is the height and perfection of that which his Gospel commands us to aspire and aim at. For there our Duty is expressed by our being fJoh. 3.3.born again, by our becoming gEphes. 4.24. Coloss. 3.10.New Men, hGal. 6.15. 2 Cor. 5.17.and New Creatures, and by our being made i2 Pet. 1.4. Mat. 5.48.partakers of the Divine Nature, and so like unto God himself, who is carried on to all actions of Virtue and Holiness, not by the motives of Reason and Argument, but by the exact and infinite goodness of his own Nature it self.
So that in measuring the sincerity of our Obedience by the reality of our intention and design for Gods service, we see that we are not alwayes to exact of our selves a particular and express intention, because God requires it not; but may, and often must, when our Obedience becomes natural and habitual, take up with an intention that is so too.
But for the fuller understanding of this condition of our Obedience, Sincerity, we must consider, not only the reality and undissembledness of our service and intention, which have been discoursed of hitherto, but their uncorruptness, and unmixedness likewise. And this, as well as the former, is sometimes signified by sincerity, which is used to denote, not Truth only and reality in opposition to Fiction and Hypocrisie; but kThus sincerum mel, is honey without any mixture of wax in it; and sincerum is explained by the Grammarians to signifie the same as sine cera.Purity also, in opposition to mixture and alloy. And thus we read of the sincere milk of the Word, (i. e.) the pure and unmixed parts of it, or the Christian Doctrine as freed from all adulterate mixtures of Gnostick Impurities and Jewish Observances, which were those compositions, wherewith in the Apostles times so many went about to corrupt the Word of God, 1 Pet. 2.2.
So that to serve God sincerely in this sence, is to perform what he commands us for his sake, and with a design to please him, without mixing therewith any by-ends of our own, or intending our own self interests together with him.
But this we are to understand with much restriction. For it is not all intention of Pleasure, Profit, or other Interest to our selves in the performance of Gods commands which he has forbidden us: We may design to advantage our selves by our Obedience, and be sincere still; provided that this design be only upon those spiritual and eternal advantages which God himself promises to the obedient; or upon temporal ones so far as they minister to Obedience, and are subordinate under it. But that mixture of intention only is corrupt and unsincere, when together with our intention of serving God, we joyn another intention of serving sin, or when we design some temporal ends as much, or more than we do Gods service, which makes our self interest, instead of being subservient to Obedience, to become fit to oppose and undermine it.
First, I say, God has not forbidden us all intention of our own advantage in the performance of his Commandments. When he requires us to obey him, he doth not prohibit all Love of our own selves, and regard to our own self interests; which will appear from all these Reasons, both because some eye at our own good, and respect to our own advantage is of that nature that it cannot be forbidden us; because Gods Laws themselves have offered and proposed it to us; because the necessity of our faith to our obedience shews plainly that it cannot be denied us; and because the best men that ever were have not been able to obey without it, and yet their obedience has been most graciously accepted.
First, Some respect to our own good, and intention to advantage our selves by our obedience is of that nature that it cannot be forbidden us. It cannot fall under a Law, or be a matter of a Commandment, because it can never be performed.
As for any one particular advantage, and self-interest indeed, we may deny our selves in it, and therefore any Law may very well require it. For we have many particular self-interests to serve, and they clash and interfere among themselves; and so long as we are in pursuit of any one, by virtue of it we are able to restrain and deny our selves in any other. And thus all men daily deny their Ease for their Interests, and their Gain for their Liberty, and their Liberty for their Lives. And all good men daily over-rule that Love which they have for their Bodies, by that higher and stronger love which they have for their Souls, and deny themselves in any Temporal Interests, to secure their Eternal. And because all men have this power of denying their own Self-love in small instances, to serve it in greater, and of parting with any goods and advantages of this world, to purchase to themselves incomparably better in the next; God has enacted the denial of our selves, in all such particular Interests as hinder our Obedience into a Religious Duty, and made it universally obliging to all the world.
But as for the casting off this love of our selves, and respect to our own advantage, not only as to some particular interests, whilst our eye is upon others, but as to all self-interests whatsoever; this in the matter of Duty and Obedience, no man can perform, and therefore no Law can command it. For in that Constitution of Nature, which God has given us, self-love is the first and over-ruling Principle. It has a share almost in all our actions, and influences all our faculties; so that in all that variety of operations which flow from us, there are very few wherein we have no eye at our own advantage.
In some actions, 'tis true, we are influenced chiefly, and almost wholly by our love of others, which is a noble and a generous Principle. For there are several good Offices which we daily do to others, in doing whereof we no way prejudice our selves; and these our love of others makes us perform, and our own self-love doth not withstand it; which is seen in all the Offices of humanity and common courtesie. And other things again there are wherein we advantage them, though it be considerably to our own trouble, and our own hindrance: and here, although our own self-love oppose it self, yet our love of them prevails and over-rules it; as is daily shown in the Offices of Christian Charity and particular friendship. In these Cases our love of others and of our selves are separate; our kindness for them shews it self in such things, wherein our own self-love is either not concerned at all, or wherein it is opposed and over-powered: so that here we are not influenced and governed by it. And if this were the Case in all our obedient actions, there might be more pretence for performing them purely out of love to God, without mixing therewith any love of our own selves.
But in them quite contrary our love of God and of our selves are neither repugnant, nor so much as separate; but most closely conjoined. For God hath made the same things the matter both of our Duty and of our interest; so that in serving him we do in the highest measure serve our own selves too. And in this Case, where our own self-love is so much concerned, and has not the love of God to oppose and over-rule it, but to jump in and conspire with it; it is not possible but that we shall be influenced and acted by it. For it naturally issues out upon our own good, and here it has an object in the highest advancement, and there is nothing to hinder or restrain it. So that whatsoever we may do through a bare abstracted love of others, without any regard to our own selves, in those Cases where our own self-love and it are separate, or repugnant: yet in the matter of obedience, where they are so close conjoined, and Gods service is so infinitely our own interest; 'tis plain that we cannot be wholly free from it. For since in obeying we do that which we know is most highly advantageous to us, we are not able perfectly to abstract our thoughts, but we shall intend whether we will or no to be advantaged by it.
And since no man can wholly abstain from intending his own advantage in Gods service, no Law can require it. It is no fit matter of a prohibition, nor capable of being retrenched by a Commandment; being it is at no mans choice whether or no he shall observe it. So that God must work a Change in his own Creation, and form us into something different from what we are, before he can in reason demand it of us.
2. Some respect to our own advantage in performing what God commands is lawful and allowable in us; because Gods Laws themselves do authorize and propose it to us.
God has not required us to serve him for nothing, but has offered us an abundant recompence for all our labour, and added such allurements to his Laws as infinitely surpass all the difficulties of our Duty. He has proposed every thing to us that may any way work upon our self-love, and care for our own advantage; whether it be the promises of good to intice, or the threats of evil to affright us into obedience.
For thus saith our Law, Verily, verily, (I double the Asseveration, that you may give the greater credit to it) I say unto you, He that keepeth my Sayings or Commands, shall never see death, John 8.51. To my Sheep that follow me, and hear or obey my voice, I will give eternal life, John 10.27, 28. Blessed are they that do his Commandments, for they shall have right to the Tree of Life, and enter in through the Gate into the City, Rev. 22.14. But on the other side, The wrath of God cometh upon the Children of disobedience, Col. 3.6. For at the Day of Judgment, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with the Guards and Attendance of his mighty Angels; then will he in flaming fire take vengeance on them that obey not the Gospel, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, 2 Thess. 1.7, 8, 9.
Thus have we in Christs Laws, to omit other things, a promise made to us of Heaven and endless joys to induce us to obedience; and a threatning of Hell and eternal miserie denounced to us, to make us afraid to disobey. And these make our obedience to become infinitely our greatest self-interest, and render it impossible for us not to serve our own advantage in the highest measure, if we do obey at all.
And since Gods Laws themselves propose such incomparable Arguments, to perswade us to obedience, they can never forbid us to have an eye to them, or to be excited to obedience by them. For the very end why God annexes such allurements to his Commands, is, that they may be a motive to win our choice, and make us willing to obey them. But now our wills are moved by nothing further than they desire it, and intend to purchase it. We cannot be drawn by it longer than we have an eye to it, nor can we endeavour after it further than we design to obtain it. For we must always design the end before we chuse the means, since it is only for the sake and hopes of that, that the trouble of these is undertaken. So that if any thing must be the final cause and encouragement of our endeavour, it must be the matter of our intention and design also. And therefore seeing God himself has placed such infinite advantages and self-interests at the end of our Duty, to perswade and excite us to a willing performance of it; 'tis evident he designs first of all that we should have an eye to them in obeying, because otherwise it is not possible that we should be moved by them.
Nay, so far is God from forbidding all respect to our own advantage, in our obedient performances of his Laws; that
3. In asserting so clearly as he has done the necessity of faith to our obedience, he plainly tells us that, If we must obey at all, it cannot be denied us.
Faith is a most necessary Principle of all natural as well as Gospel service. For without faith, saith St Paul, it is impossible for any man, whether he be Heathen or Christian, to please God; because he that cometh to God in whatsoever Religion, must believe thus much of him at least, that he is, and also that he is a rewarder of all them that seek him, without an eye whereat no man would ever be perswaded to seek after him, Heb. 11.6. And as for the belief of the Gospel in particular, which is the faith of us Christians; so necessary is it to make us obey the Laws of Christ, that our obedience, as being effected by it, is called the obedience of faith, Rom. 16.26; and disobedient men in the Scripture language are ordinarily styled unbelievers; and disobedience, unbelief.
But now what is there in our faith so indispensably necessary to effect this obedience, but our belief, as St Paul says, of Gods readiness to reward us, and of those advantageous promises which the Gospel proposes to us upon our performance of it? And how is it possible for our belief of them to carry us on to obey, further than we concern our selves for those things which are promised▪ and intend by such obedience to procure them? The Gospel indeed has furnished us with all manner of Motives, if we will believe it, without which it is not possible that we should be moved by it. It tells us of a most surpassing love and infinite kindness, which God and Christ have shown to us; and if we believe this, it is fit to raise in us a most exalted love, which will make us perform any thing for their sakes out of very gratitude. Now this is a most noble and ingenuous Principle of obedience, which although it have something, has yet the least of self-love in it. But it is weak and insufficient, unable of it self to carry us far, and to bear us through our whole Duty. And therefore besides it, for a perfect supply of all our wants, we have in it moreover the greatest good things, and such as we are most in love with, promised to our obedience; and the greatest evils, such as we most fear, threatned if we disobey. And if we believe these, we must take obedience to be our highest, not service only but, self-interest; and that no temptation can either promise or threaten so much to our own self-love, as God doth. And this indeed carries us through all, and makes us obey intirely. It overcomes every difficulty, and overballances all contrary inticements. But this it doth only so far as we intend to purchase all those surpassing advantages by our obedience which infinitely exceed all those other inticements that are attained by men who disobey.
And as this respect to our own advantage in our obedient performances is nothing more than the condition of our Nature absolutely requires, than the necessity of Faith supposes, and than Gods Law it self offers and proposes to us; so neither is it any thing more
4. Than the best men have always used, who yet were graciously accepted upon such obedience. For just Noah obeyed Gods Law through the fear of that destruction which it threatned, and with a design of escaping it himself, when all the wicked of the World should be overwhelmed in it. Noah, saith the Text, was moved with fear to the preparing of his Ark, as God had commanded, and to the saving of his house thereby. And for that very reason, because he believed Gods threatning, and was effectually afraid of it, he is in that very place called an Heir of the righteousness which is by Faith, Heb. 11.7. The obedience of Moses is ascribed in plain words to his design upon those rewards which God had promised, and which he hoped to compass by it. For he had respect, saith the Apostle, to the recompence of reward, Heb. 11.26. And to put it beyond all doubt that this respect to our own advantage in our performance of Gods Laws, is not only the necessity of some men, but, as I said before, the very frame and constitution of the humane nature: we are told that it was found in it in the highest advancement, which it either ever did or possibly can receive; I mean in our Saviour Christ himself. For even of his obedience, and of the highest instance of it, his death it self; the Apostle assures us that it was performed through a design upon his own advantage as well as upon that Glory which would thereby redound to God. It was, says he, for the sake of the joy that was set before him, that he endured the Cross, and despised the shame of it, Heb. 12.2.
Thus upon all these accounts it appears, that the having respect to our own advantage in our obedience to Gods Laws, is not only an innocent, but an absolutely necessary thing. God can never be offended with it, because the necessity of our nature requires it, because his own Laws propose it, because our faith is made effectual by it, and lastly because the best men that ever lived have stood in need of it, and obeyed through it.
And since some respect to our own good, and intention of our own advantage in Gods service is so plainly lawful; that surely must be such where the good things which we intend for our selves are only those spiritual and eternal advantages which his own Law has promised to the obedient, or other temporal ones, so far as they minister to obedience, and are subordinate under it.
For the spiritual and eternal advantages which we are to reap by our obedience, they are the forgiveness of our sins, the peace of Conscience, the assistance of the Spirit, and the joys of Heaven; together with deliverance from all the contrary evils of guilt and Hell. And these God himself has expresly promised to us upon our obedience, to perswade us into a performance of it. He uses them as Arguments to us to gain our choice, which they must do by actuating our intention. He proposeth them to our aims, that they may enliven our endeavours; and annexes them to our obedience for this end, that we may be won to perform it for their sakes, when we should not barely for its own. So that it must needs be lawful for every man to intend these in Gods service, because God himself has proposed them expresly in his Laws to every mans intention.
And as for the temporal advantages which accrue to us from Gods service, they are length of days, and health of Body, and riches, and honour, or good reputation; with a freedom from all the opposite evils of sickness and death and shame and poverty. And these also are promised to the obedient. Let thine heart keep my Commandments, saith Wisdom; for length of days, and long life, and peace shall they add unto thee, Prov. 3.1, 2. And as length of days is in her right hand, so in her left are riches and honour, ver. 16. The memory of the just shall be blessed, when the name of the wicked shall rot, Prov. 10.7. There neither is, nor shall be any want to them that fear the Lord. For though the Lions, that seem best able to get it, and are most careless how they come by it, do lack, and suffer hunger; yet they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing, Psal. 34.9, 10.
But if there were no express promises of these temporal advantages proposed to us upon our obedience in God's Word; yet were it enough to warrant our intention of them, that God has annexed them to it in the very order of things and course of Nature. For according to the ordinary course and constitution of the World, Sobriety, Justice, Peaceableness, Diligence, and other instances of Vertue and Obedience, are naturally fitted to bring down all these temporal advantages upon us. And this Course of Nature and Order of things is of Gods establishment. It is as much his appointment, as are the promises and revelations of his Gospel. For he is the Authour of the World, as well as of the Bible. He made the Frame and Order of it to be what now it is, and after he had formed it, he saw that all was very good, Gen. 1.31. His Word and Works are both his own, and the advantages of Vertue and Obedience in the one are as much of his appointment as in the other.
So that as for our temporal advantages also, which are much improved and ministred to by our obedience, they are such as God has given us for motives and encouragements in his service. He has set before us things present as well as future, to quicken us in our performances of his Commandments, and has appointed us to intend both, because otherwise it is not possible that we should be quick…ned and excited by them.
But the only thing which we are to take care of in this matter, is, that as these temporal advantages are established by God, whether in the course of Nature, or in the express revelations of his Word, as motives and inducements to Obedience: So we use them accordingly as helps and instruments to enable us to obey. We must make them assistant and subservient to those Laws which they are annexed to; they are to minister to them, but by no means to exalt themselves above them, or to make against them. For they are offered and authorized by God no further than they make for him; Obedience to his Laws is the chief thing which he intends; and these good fruits and advantageous effects of it, are laid only as baits and allurements to excite us on to it. But if once they lose this serviceableness and subordination to the doing of Gods will, they lose all that can warrant them, and all the place which he has assigned for them; and make our performance of Gods Commands to be no Obedience to him, nor to give right to any recompence or reward from him. For, as I said, then
Secondly, our intention of our own advantage in Gods service is forbidden, and renders our obedient performances corrupt and unsincere; when together with our intention of serving God, we joyn another intention of serving sin; or when we design some temporal ends as much, or more than we design Gods service, which makes our self-interest, instead of being subservient to obedience, to become fit to oppose and undermine it.
Sometimes, I say, together with their intention of serving God, men joyn another intention of serving sin. And this is done in these and the like cases; (viz.) If a man prosecutes a malefactor, which is an action agreeable to the command of Justice, out of the sinfull end of spite and revenge, as well as out of a purpose of Obedience. If a Priest shall take Confessions from women with a design of Lust, as well as of Religion. If a man shall be temperate and sober, chaste and industrious, out of a principle of covetousness, as much as out of Duty. If he do, as our Saviour tells us the Pharisees did, make long Prayers, and other professions of Religion, to enable him the better and without suspicion to devour widows houses, as well as to serve God. In these instances, and in all others that are like unto them, there is a mixture of light and darkness, of good and evil design. Men joyn God with Belial, and Obedience with something of a quite contrary nature, intending at once to serve both the Lord, and their Sins too.
But as for their performances which flow from such a mixture of design as this, they will in no wise be owned as an obedient, but punished as a sinfull service. For that evil motive which is mixed with the good, is such as God has expresly threatned. He has plainly declared that he will damn men eternally for Revenge, for Lust, for Covetousness and Rapine, and for all those actions that proceed from them. So that as for such performances as arise from such sinfull principles, they are judged already, and the dreadfull sentence is long agoe gone out against them.
And then as for their mixing this damnable design of sin, with a design of obedience to God in the same action; so far is that from lessening, that it is rather an aggravation of their crime. For it adds to all that evil which it contains within it self, a prophanation also of what is holy, or an abuse of what is sacred; and together with the service of the sin, joyns an immediate and direct affront of God too.
At other times, I say, men design some temporal ends for themselves as much, or more than they design Gods service. And this also renders their performances unsincere, and qualifies their own temporal self-interests, instead of being subservient to obedience, to oppose and undermine it.
Their temporal advantages they intend sometimes as much as they do Gods service. They make them equal and co-ordinate, and are moved by the one as much as by the other. Their love for the world is as great as their love for God, and they are induced to perform what he commands them as much for its sake, as they are for his.
Now this is an indignity which God will by no means endure. For it is plainly an intolerable degradation of him, and a bringing him down to nothing more than an equal amiableness with those earthly pleasures, and temporal interests, which we joyn in co-ordination with him. It is a setting up the world for his rival, and making the Creature equall in our estimation to him who is the Creator and Lord of all. But the peremptory words of his Law are,—Thou shalt have no other Gods before me, or in my presence, Exod. 20.3. He will be served and respected above all; and to bring other things into competition with him▪ he looks upon to be the same thing as to renounce him. For he is jealous of the preheminence of his service above all other things, as a husband is of his wives love to him above all other men; I the Lord, saith he, am a jealous God, Exod. 20.5.
And since this intending of our temporal advantages equally to Gods service, is looked upon to be so great an affront and degradation of him; the making them superior to him, and being won more for their sakes than for his, must do so much rather. For this is a setting up other things above him, and is like making and serving of another God. Upon which account, as some expound it, Covetousness, which is a loving and serving of Riches more than God, is called Idolatry, Col. 3.5.
And when any Temporal Interest of our own has got as great power over us, or greater than God himself has; as it makes for the performance of his Command at one time; so will it at another be as ready to make against it. For although our Duty and our Interest do ordinarily strike in together, yet always they do not; but are sometimes divided. And then this hank, which our own advantage has got over us, will not determine us for God, but contest with him. It will make us neglect his Service, that we may serve our selves; and carry us on to transgress his Commands, whensoever we may thereby promote our own worldly interests.
So that the intending to serve our sins together with our intending to serve God; or the intention of our own temporal interests in a degree either equal or superior to our intention of obedience to him; by both which ways all worldly advantages are qualified to oppose him: this mixture of intention, I say, makes our performance of his Commands to be no acceptable obedience, but an unsincere service, and a damning sin.
As for that unmixedness of intention therefore which is implied in sincerity, and which is necessary to the acceptance of our obedience of all the forementioned Laws; it excludes not all intention of our own advantage together with Gods service. No, to have respect to the spiritual and eternal advantages which in Gods Laws themselves are expresly promised to our obedience, is always lawful: and to have an eye upon those temporal advantages which will accrue to us by obeying is lawful so far, as we intend them, not in a degree, either equal to Gods service, or superior to it, by both which ways they are empowered to undermine it. But then only our mixing a design of our own self-interest, together with our design of serving God, makes our service unsincere and our damning sin, when together with our design of serving God we join a design of serving sin; or when we design some temporal ends of our own as much, or more than we design obedience unto him.
And therefore it is a vain fear wherewith many good people are wont to perplex their souls, when they doubt of the sincerity of their obedience, because it was performed with an eye at their own advantage; through their fears of Hell, or their hopes of Heaven. For whatsoever some, out of a mistaken zeal for God's honour, may have said to the contrary; this is not only innocent, but, as I have shewn, plainly necessary. If they scruple at this, they must scruple eternally. For it is not their choice, but their very Nature to act thus, and they cannot help it. This, I say, is their very Nature, and they must leave off to be men before they can get quit of it. Men may speak loftily, and talk of obeying purely for God's sake, without seeking any thing at all for themselves. But this is mere talk, and empty rant, that can never come beyond words, or appear in action. For they must be made something else than what they are, before they can practise it. If any man doubts then whether God will accept his obedience, because in obeying he had an eye at his own self interest; he doubts whether God will accept him because he obeys as a man. Noah, and Abraham, and Moses, nay Christ himself might have doubted at this rate; for in their obedience they all intended their own good as well as God's Glory, and had respect unto the recompence of reward. If this be a sufficient ground of scruple, every Christian man must of necessity scruple without end. For all our obedience is an obedience of Faith; and our faith or belief of Heaven and Hell makes us chuse to obey, in making us first to intend by such obedience to obtain the one, and escape the other. So that either our own nature, and Christ's Gospel must be changed into something different from what they are: or we must acknowledge that such honest intention of our own good, as I have mentioned, is lawful for us in God's service, since it is made so necessary and unavoidable for us in the one, and so much encouraged by the other.
And thus at last we see what is the first requisite to an acceptable obedience, viz. sincerity. And that it implies both the reality of our intention in Gods service or our performing it truly for Gods sake, as we pretend to do; and also the uncorruptness of it, or our performing it for his sake more than for any thing else whatsoever, and without regard to any other advantages of our own, than such as are allowed by him, and are subordinate under him.
But in regard the degrees of our intention and design are not so obvious and easily d…sc…verable in themselves, but are better known to us in their fruits and effects than in their own natures: fo… …he greater ease in judging whether we do intend God…s Service most of all or no, I shall, before I conclude this Point, lay down a plain and certain mark, whence any man of common apprehension may easily discern wheth… … doth indeed design God's service most, and wh…er his heart and obedience be sincere or no.
And the Rule which I shall lay down whereby certainly to try and examine that, is this, If our obedience be intire, it cannot but be sincere likewise. For he that obeys God in all times and i… all instances, cannot but serve him with both these ingredients of sincerity, viz. Truth and Preheminence. He must needs intend God's service really, and above all; who intends it so, as to serve him constantly, and universally. And the reason is this, Because although our temporal interest and present advantage be for the most part united with Gods service, yet always it is not; but sometimes in all instances of obedience, and at most times in some, it is separated and divided from it. So that as long as we are true to our own Principle of acting, which we may safely conclude we always are, if we either design not God's service at all through hypocrisie, or design it not above all through a corrupt mixture of intention; at those times, when these instances happen, we shall not be acted by the Command; but through the love of our own interest, which we intend really, and design more, we shall certainly act against it. For our actions go where our wills lead them; and our wills always follow that which is the prevailing motive to them, and has most power with them. And therefore if we still chuse God's service in all its parts, and in all times, whether it make for our present advantage, or against it: we may be assured that we intend his service truly, and also that we intend it most; since we serve him when no bye-interests of our own can be served, and disserve all other interests for his sake. He must needs be our highest aim; because, where we may please him, though no secular advantages concur, we chuse any thing; and where he would be offended, though all other advantages invite, we chuse nothing.
So that in the matter of obedience, our integrity is the great and last measure of our acceptance. And if upon examination we find that our obedience is intire, we need not doubt but that it is sincere also.
And this is that very mark, from which, according to that version of the Psalms which is used in our Liturgy, the Psalmist himself concludes concerning the obedience of the Israelites. For he collects it to have been a dissembled and unsincere, because it was not a whole and intire service. They did but flatter him with their mouth, saith he, and dissembled with him in their tongue; for their heart was not whole or intire with him, Psal. 78.36, 37.
To clear up this enquiry then, What qualifications of our obedience to all the forementioned Laws of God, must render it acceptable to him, and available to our salvation at the last day; I shall proceed to discourse of the second condition of all acceptable obedience, viz. integrity; of which in the next Chapter.