The Measures of Christian Obedience, Book 3 · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII. Of obeying with all the heart, and all the soul, &c.
The CONTENTS.
Of obeying God with all the heart, and with all the strength, &c. It includes not all desire and endeavour after other things, but it implies, First, Sincerity. Secondly, Fervency. Thirdly, Integrity, or obeying, not some but, all the Laws of God. These three include all that is contained in it; which is shown from their obedience, who are said in Scripture to have fulfilled it. Integrity implies sincerity and fervency, and Love with all the heart is explained in the places where it is mentioned, by loving him entirely. Sincerity and uprightness the Conditions of an acceptable Obedience. This a hard Condition in the degeneracy of our manners; but that is our own fault. It was easie and universally performed by the primitive Christians. This shown from the Characters of the Apostles, and of the Primitive Writers. Hence it was that they could despise Death, and even provoke Martyrdom. Some Pleas from our impotence against the strictness of this obedience, which are considered in the next Book.
NOW as for this intire obedience of the whole man, at all times, to the whole will of God, whereof I have hitherto discoursed in the foregoing Chapters; it is that very obedience with all the heart, and with all the soul, and with all the mind, and with all the strength, which is so expresly called for in the words of the Commandment, Luke 10.27. Deut. 11.13.
It is not to be expected that all our heart, and all our mind, and all our soul, and all our strength should be so wholly devoted to God, as that we should never either will, or think, or desire, or do any other thing than what he has commanded us. No, that is a Dream of utter absurdities and impossibilities. For God has not only allowed us, but he has made it plainly necessary for us to employ our thoughts, and desires, and endeavours, upon several other things besides himself and his Commandments. Because we cannot live without meat and other necessaries, and these we cannot get without seeking, nor seek without desiring, nor desire without thinking on them. All the innocent enjoyments of Nature, and all the necessaries of life, all the laudable advantages of converse, and all the lawful benefits of trade and employment, require our minds, and hearts, and souls, and strength, as well as God and our Duty; all our Powers not only may be exercised about them, but they needs must. For God himself has so ordained it, it being a necessity of his own making; so that we must employ our endeavours about them, and we cannot do otherwise. And therefore when the Commandment calls for all our hearts and all our strength, &c. it is utterly absurd and unreasonable to understand it of such an all, as excludes the exercise of these faculties upon any thing besides. It doth not ingross all our power to God's use alone, and shut out all other things from any place in them; but may and must be understood so as to leave room for them likewise.
But all that is included in the latitude of that expression, with all thy heart, &c. is set out, agreeably to the use of the Phrase at other times, in these three Particulars.
1. It notes the sincerity and undissembledness of our faculties; so as the Phrase, with all the heart, signifies the same as in simplicity and honesty, without guile or a double heart. For a dissembling hypocritical man has one heart in shew, and another in reality. His heart is not one intire thing, but double and divided. He appears to will what indeed he doth not will, and to desire what in truth he doth not desire; so that his whole heart doth not go together, that which he outwardly professes being one, but that which he inwardly intends another. And this simplicity and sincere honesty of intention, is expressed in the course of our common speech by this Phrase, all the heart; nothing being more usual in our daily converse than to give assurances of our sincerity in any thing which we do, by saying it is with all our heart. And as sincerity is expressed by all the heart, so is dissimulation and hypocrisie on the contrary set out by a double heart. And thus the men of war who were faithful to David, and undissembled in their service of him, are said not to have been of a double heart, Psal. 12.2. Which sence the word double has, not only when it is applyed to this particular faculty, viz. our wills and hearts, but also when it is attributed to any other. And thus we read of a double, that is, of a dissembling tongue, 1 Tim. 3.8▪
2. This Phrase, all the heart, &c. implies the fervency and concernedness of our faculties. And thus the Latines use the word whole, when they express their being very busie, or industriously intent upon a thing, by saying they are aTotus in hoc sum.whole upon it.
And as this Phrase, all the heart, &c. in respect of our faculties themselves, denotes these two things, viz. sincerity, and fervency; so likewise in respect of their object, or that will of God which they are to be employed about, doth it imply
3. Integrity, so as that this fervency and sincerity be shown in obeying, not some, but all the Commandments; not part, but the whole will of God. For our heart, and soul, and strength must be all or whole for God; that is, they must be constant and uniform, not various and divided, being sometimes for him, and at other times against him. They must be for all things which he commands, and for nothing that he forbids; for we must neither think, nor desire, nor do any thing against him. And in this sense the word all or whole is opposed to divided; and expresses thus much, that our faculties do not stand for some commands▪ and against others; that they do not divide and parcel, pick and choose with Gods Laws; but that they obey wholly and universally, observing all and every one.
Now these three, (viz.) the sincerity and fervency of our faculties, and the integrity of our obedience, which are conveniently expressed by the word all or whole, are all indispensably required of us; as appears plainly from what has been above discoursed upon this subject. So that they are all implied in the latitude of this Commandment: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy mind, &c.
But besides them nothing else is. For if we should extend that precept further, and make it include all that the largest compass of those words would comprehend; we should give it a sence which is, as I said, absurd, and utterly impossible.
And to clear this a little more, wherewith so many good souls are oft-times perplexed, we may further observe, that those very men who will'd, and thought, and desired, and acted other things, as well as Gods Laws; are yet in the Scriptures expresly recorded to have performed all that is meant in this Commandment, because they served God in the particulars which I have mention'd, (viz.) sincerely, fervently and entirely. For bNumb. 14.24. Deut. 1.36.Caleb and Joshua are said to have followed the Lord wholly, Numb. 32.12. David kept my Commandments, saith God, and followed me with all his heart, 1 King. 14.8. Josiah did what was right in the sight of the Lord, 2 Kings 22.2. Now these persons were men, not only of as great necessities as others, but also of far higher place, and greater business in the world. For their station required them to be much employed about it, and to spend frequent thoughts, and many desires, and great pains upon it. So that their whole heart, and mind, and soul, and strength, could not be employed in Gods service any otherwise, than as they loved and served him entirely and above all things; and neither will'd, nor acted any thing besides, when it stood in competition with him. The sincerity, fervency and integrity of their service was all which they had to shew in answer to this Commandment; and upon the account of them God did accept them, and has left it on record to all the world that they have fulfilled it.
As for the last of these, (viz.) Integrity, it indeed includes in it all the rest. For it is the greatest warranty and effect of fervency, and the best evidence of the sincerity of our service. Because this, as I said before, is the great measure of acceptance in our thoughts and affections, (viz.) that they carry us on to acceptable works and actions. And this is the great Rule whereby to judge of a sincere service, (viz.) that men be universal and entire in their obedience. So that if once we perform all that God requires of us; there is no further question to be made but that we perform it honestly, and with that fervency and concernedness which is sufficient to our acceptance.
And this integrity of obedience including both the other, is that very thing which is meant by the service with all the heart, and with all the soul, which is exacted of us in the Commandment. Whereof we have still a further argument, because in almost all the places where any man is said to fulfill this, we find that annexed as its explication: Which is a plain interpretation of the Scripture to it self, that to obey with all our powers in its sence is nothing else, but to be uniform, undivided, and entire in our obedience.
David, sayes God, followed me with all his heart; which appears in this, because he followed me so as to fulfill all my will, and to act nothing against it, but to do that only which is right in mine eyes, 1 Kings 14.8. Caleb and Joshua followed the Lord wholly; which was seen in that their obedience was entire to him, and they did not transgress in those particular Laws of Duty, by the breach whereof others provoked him, Numb. 32.10, 11, 12. And of Zacharias and Elizabeth, St Luke sayes that they were blameless, because they walked, not in some, but in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord, Luk. 1.6. But on the other side, as for all such as were partial in their obedience to God, and kept some instances of duty, but transgressed others according as they themselves listed; they are said not to be whole in their hearts and other faculties towards him. Jehu, sayes the text, took no heed to walk in the Law of the God of Israel with all his heart, for of this there is a clear proof, in that his heart run after some sins as well as some duties, because he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, although he did from others, 2 King. 10.31. If you return unto the Lord with all your heart, sayes Samuel, then put away that particular sin which you still adhere to, your strange Gods, and serve him only, 1 Sam. 7.3. And that this is true in every mans case, as well as it was in theirs, the Psalmist plainly assures us, when he layes it down for an universal maxime, that they seek the Lord with their whole heart, who do no iniquity, Psal. 119.2, 3.
And thus upon all these accounts it appears, that to serve the Lord with all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our mind, and with all our strength, according to the tenour of the Commandment; is neither more nor less than to serve him universally and entirely. For it can bear no other sense, because upon no greater or better service than this, God himself has declared that men have served him with all their heart according to the Commandment; and more cannot be required when this fulfills it. It can mean no more, because that all which it should mean further is impossible in the present condition of humane nature, and therefore is no fit matter of a Law, nor subject to a Commandment. And lastly, it doth mean no more, because the Scriptures themselves, where they set it down, are wont to annex this interpretation, and thus explain it.
And thus at last we have seen what degrees and manner of obedience to all the Laws recounted in the former Book, is necessary to our acceptance. For we must obey sincerely and entirely, if ever we expect to reap the rewards of obedience. We must keep every particular Law of God, and that through our whole lives: we must think on them in our minds, and pursue them with our affections, and choose them with our wills so far, till we perform them with our strength, in outward and bodily operation. This uprightness of obedience, which is a certain evidence of its sincerity, is all that Gods Law requires of us; and it will infallibly save us at the last day, although less than it nothing in the world will.
As for that condition of life and pardon then which the Gospel indispensably exacts of us, we now see plainly what it is. For it is nothing else but our obedience to all the forementioned Laws of God in sincerity and uprightness. It is by this that all the world must stand or fall at the last day; according to their performance or neglect whereof they shall then be judged either to live or die eternally.
This indeed, though it be a very great, will seem a very uncouth and severe truth in the degeneracy of manners, and loose lives of our times. But if it do, that is wholly our own fault, and can be no prejudice at all to the declarations of Christs Gospel. For our Lord has proclaimed it to us plainly enough, and if our own wicked hearts make us shut our eyes, and willing to overlook it; for that we must blame our selves, but can never hope thereby to evacuate his sentence. This in very deed is the Gospel that he has published, and these are the terms of mercy which he has procured for us: So that if we live up to them, we shall be saved by him; but if we fail to perform these gracious demands, we have no benefit at all by his death, nor any ground of hope from his Gospel. All that can be said is, that he offered us Grace and Pardon upon most fair and easie terms, but that we would not accept them. But we preferred the pleasure of our sins before all the glory of his rewards, and chose to hazard all those evils which he threatned, rather than to be at the pains to perform that condition which he peremptorily injoyned.
But although by our wicked lives we in these dayes cast off the light yoke of Christ as over-burdensome, and make the Covenant of Grace it self to become a rigorous condition: yet once the case was otherwise, and the world was more Christian. For they who professed Christs Religion then, performed all that he commanded, and practised all that, which, as we have seen, his Gospel doth injoyn. And to go no further for an evidence of this, we will take those accounts of the obedience of Christians in the first times, which the Apostles themselves give us.
You, sayes the Apostle to the Colossians, that were sometimes, in your Gentile State, alienated from God, and enemies in your minds by means of your wicked works; yet now, since you become Christians, hath he reconciled in his death, to present you holy, and unblameable, and unreproveable, according to the terms of the Gospel, in his sight, Col. 1.21, 22. And to the same purpose he speaks of the Ephesians yet more fully. You, saith he, hath God quickned by the preaching of the Gospel, who, before you heard of that, were dead in trespasses and sins, wherein, in times past of Gentilism, ye walked, as well as others, according to the wicked course of this world, according to the instigation of the Prince of the powers in the air, who is the spirit that both aforetime, and even now worketh in the children of disobedience. Among whom also we all, as I say, had our conversation in times past, living, just as they did, in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling and performing the desires of our flesh, and were thereby the children of wrath as well as others. But God, even when we were thus dead in sins, hath, upon our embracing of Christs Religion, quickned us together with Christ, by that same spirit whereby he raised up him, Ephes. 2.1, 2, 3, 4, 5. But the character which he gives of the Corinthians is more particular and compleat still. No unrighteous, saith he, of one sort or other shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. For neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor revilers, nor drunkards, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such indeed as these were some of you once, (viz. in your Gentilism;) but since you were Christned I bear you record, that you are washed from those impurities, that you are sanctified from those wickednesses, and that you are justified from the condemning force of all these Commandments in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the help of the enlivening and converting spirit of our God, 1 Cor. 6.9, 10, 11. These places are very full and particular for the power of Christianity, and the perfect and entire obedience of Christians in those dayes. And yet there is one testimony more of this Apostle, which I must not omit, because it is so very comprehensive; and that is the account which he gives us of the Reformation which the Gospel wrought among the Romans. For before it was preached among them, they were strangely debauched, and unaccountably wicked; as we may be fully informed, were there no other register of their vices, from that prodigious Catalogue of their sins, which St Paul himself has given us, Rom. 1.Vers. 25.26. For they worshipped and served the Creature more than the Creator. Their very women were so unnatural in their lusts, as to change their natural use, into that which is against nature. 27.And the men leaving the natural use of the women, burned in their lusts towards one another, men with men working that which is unseemly. They were filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, 29.wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; being full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, back-biters, 30.haters of God, despitefull, proud, boasters, inventers of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, 31.implacable, unmercifull. Thus had they degenerated from all sense of common honesty and honour; and fallen into the vilest sink of vices. But when once Christianity took place among them, it quickly turned them from a most impious and monstrously unclean, into a most religious and holy people. For so St Paul himself bears witness to them. You were, sayes he, in your time of Heathenism, the servants, nay, the rankest slaves of sin, but God be thanked that ye have now, since you became Christians, obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine, which was by us Apostles delivered to you. For being made free from that strange inventory of sins, ye became the servants of righteousness, Rom. 6.17, 18. And what St Paul tells us of these particular Churches under his care; St Peter will also inform us was true of all the Churches in Pontus and Asia with whom he was concerned, and to whom he directed his first Epistle. The time past of our life may suffice us, saith he, to have wrought the will of the Gentiles; when we walked with them in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquettings, and abominable idolatries. Yea, indeed this doth suffice us. For since we became Christians we have left off to accompany them in these vices, for which they are estranged to us, and revile us. For they think it strange that we run not with them to the same excess of riot as we used formerly, speaking evil of us for abstaining from them, 1 Pet. 4.3, 4.
Thus honest was the service, and thus entire was the obedience of Christians in the Apostles dayes. And when they had finished their course, and were called out of the world, Christs Gospel had still the same effects, and his subjects continued to pay him the same service. bDei autem praecepta, quantum valeant in animis hominum, quotidiana experimenta demonstrant. Da mihi virum qui sit iracundus, maledicus, effraenatus; paucissimis Dei verbis tam placidum quam ovem reddam. Da cupidum, avarum, tenacem; jam tibi eum liberalem dabo, & pecuniam suam plenis manibus largientem. Da timidum doloris ac mortis; jam cruces, & ignes, & Phalaridis taurum contemnet. Da libidinosum, adulterum, ganeonem; jam sobrium, castum, continentem videbis. Da crudelem, & sanguinis appetentem; jam in veram clementiam furor ille mutabitur. Da injustum, insipientem, peccatorem; continuo & aequus, & prudens, & innocens erit. Vno enim lavacro malitia omnis abolebitur; pauca Dei praecepta sic totum hominem immutant, & exposito vetere, no…um reddunt, ut non cognoscas eundem esse. Lactant. de Fals. Sap. l. 3. c. 26.As for the Religion and Laws of Christ, sayes Lactantius, what excellent effects they have upon the minds and lives of men, is plain from every dayes experience. For give me a man that is fierce, hasty, and ungovernable; and with this Law I will make him as tractable and gentle as a lamb. Give me one who is covetous, greedy and tenacious; this Religion shall quickly make him liberal and generous. It will make the cowardly and timorous, to become bold and venturous; the lustful and intemperate, to turn chast and sober; the cruel and revengeful, to grow merciful and placable. In one word, it works a perfect change and alteration, making the wicked and injurious, to become forthwith most innocent and holy men. For all manner of sin is renounced at their entrance, all filthy habits are washt off at the Font, and never again resumed. They are so wholly altered in their life and temper by embracing of our Faith, that you will scarce know them to be the same men. Thus were the Christians in those Days the holiest sort of men, and the most noble patterns of Vertue and Goodness: being cNon aliunde noscibiles quam de emendatione vitiorum pristinorum. Tertul. ad Scap. c. 2.distinguishable from other men, as Tertullian says, in nothing so much as this, That they had left off all their former vices. For they lived what they taught, and performed what others only could discourse of; their common Motto being this, dNon magna loquimur, sed vivimus. Cypr. de bono patientiae Ed. Rig. p. 222.Although we have not the skill to talk, yet we have the Grace to live as well as any. Nay, their very enemies themselves, who would be sure to spare no pains nor skill in fastening some immoralities upon them, were yet forced at last to confess that they had no fault but one; and that was, that they were called Christians. For it is a known Story and usage which Tertullian complains of, that the very Heathens themselves could not but cry out, Bonus vir Caius Sejus, sed malus tantùm quod Christianus. Tertul. Apol. c. 3.Such or such a one is a very good man, bating only this, That he is a Christian.
And when the World of Christians were thus intirely obedient, and compleatly vertuous; it was no wonder that they could so bravely despise Death; and not only suffer, but even seek and fQuid facies de tantis millibus hominum, tot viris ac foeminis, omnis Sexus, omnis Aetatis, omnis Dignitatis, offerentibus se tibi? Tertul. ad Scap. c. 4.provoke martyrdom. They durst dye for the Gospel, because they were sure to gforeign. Ignat. Epist. and Smyrn.live by it. For they performed all that it required, and were thereby secure of all the happiness which it promised: and when by this means Death was become to them only a passage to a most glorious and eternal life; it had nothing in it that could fright them. All Sorts, Sexes, and Ages, had lived their Religion so well, that they feared not to dye for it; but with the most undaunted courage, and hforeign, is St Clement's Character of good men, 1 Ep. ad Cor. c. 26.assured hope, they every where in great numbers sealed their profession with their blood, and gave testimony to the truth of their Faith with their own lives.
And now if we fall short of that obedience that God requires, and which was performed by former Ages; whose fault is that, or who must in reason suffer for it? For Christ's Gospel is the very same that it was sixteen hundred years ago, the Precepts are still unchanged, and the penalty altogether unaltered. It always was, and always will be the same Rule of Faith, and the same measure of mercy or damnation. And therefore if we lose what it promises, we may thank our selves for neglecting what it enjoyns. For the same terms of life have stood fixt hitherto, and shall stand through all Ages; the primitive Christians kept, and were saved by them, and if we break them, we shall certainly be condemned for them.
How small soever therefore that be which in these loose times men perform; yet an intire obedience is that which God indispensably enjoins. It is the peremptory Demand of his Gospel, and will at the last Day be the inviolable Rule of his Judgment. It saved the antient Christians, and less than it nothing in the World will save us.
But this, some will be ready to say, instead of a gracious and merciful, is a very rigorous and severe Condition. It binds us to more than is in our power, and threatens us for what we cannot help, and is a task too heavy for any mere man, and proportioned only to the strength of an Angel. For to obey all God's Laws, and that at all times, who is sufficient? God's Laws themselves are not Rules so general as to admit of no exception. For we are commanded, for instance, to live in peace; but yet sometimes we may, and must be engaged in striving and contention. And as it is in this, so it is in other parts of Duty; the Commandment holds not in every Case, but some are excepted. And who now is of an understanding so discerning and sagacious, as to see in all things where he is fast and where he is loose, and never to mistake that for his liberty, which is indeed his Duty? To be infallible in judgment, and to think right in all things, is the property of a God, not of a man; And if through this weakness of understanding, whereto all mankind are subject, we are ignorant at any time and do not see, or erroneous and mistake our Duty; how is it possible that we should in all instances, and at all times perform and fulfil it.
But even where we do know God's Law, yet neither there can we always observe it. For since we have many other thing to do besides our Duty, and opportunities for action call frequently upon the sudden; we are oft-times drawn to act before we have time to think, and so although we know what we should do in the general, yet in this particular Case we have not leisure to attend to it. We are surprized into action e're we are aware, and perform before we can consider; and therefore, as the chance happens, many times do ill, because we have not time to look about us, and to see what is well doing.
But if an opportunity for some sin happen when we are at leisure to consider of it, and to avoid it; yet many times, although for the present it doth not, afterwards it shall win upon us. For all temptations do not come upon us suddenly, and pass away as suddenly again; but some stay long with us, and persist to obtrude themselves upon us. And although we can consider for a while, and watch well, and resist long: yet such is the imperfection of our very faculties, that they cannot be held long at stretch, but they will at last grow weary. They will be tired out by continuing so strict a Guard, and begin at last to remit of their care, and to slacken their diligence: and when they unbend, the temptation encreases, and our lusts take advantage; so that albeit we were not surprized at first, yet we shall at last, and be tired and wearied into a transgression.
And since all these, with others, are infirmities not only incident to, but inseparable from our Natures, and such as we cannot throw off till we shake off our Bodies, and all converse with the tempting world: how can it be thus exacted of us, who cannot always stand upright, that we should never fall, but obey God intirely, in all things, and at all times?
But to give a clear Answer to these difficulties, which are here with great truth objected; having shown that Obedience is the Condition which is indispensably required of us, and what those particular Laws are which we are to obey, and what degrees and measures of obedience is required to them: I shall now proceed to enquire into that which I promised in the next place, viz. What are the mitigations and allowances of this Condition of happiness, and what those defects are which it bears and dispenses with; of which in the next Book.