The Natural Mans Case, Part 1 · Sermon 17
SERMON, XVII.
EPHES. 2. 12.
—And without God in the World.
BEſides that Doctrine which I finiſht, the laſt ſabbath, there is ſomething elſe in the Text; wicked men are without God in the World, that is, they are without any ſpeciall intereſt or propriety in God as their God, the words doe not only imply that they live, as if there were no God in the World, but they live without any right, intereſt or propriety in God as their God, though they are not without wiſdome or wealth, or goods and eſtate, or honour and eſteeme in the World, yet they are without any reall intereſt or propriety in God as their God, they are without God in the World: from whence I would note you this Doctrine,
Doctr. That every man by nature is without any reall intereſt or propriety in God as his God.
Now (Beloved) before I come to handle the point. I ſhall onelyonly premiſe three concluſions by way of explanation, to delucidate the point, and ſhew you what I mean by this Doctrine: as
1. Take this concluſion, that in ſome ſenſe there is no creature in the world that is without God, though in other regards men may be truly ſaid to be without God; in ſome ſenſe there are none without God, that is by way of Creation, and preſervation, ſo the worſt Devill in hell may ſay that God is his God: and
2. A wicked man may have God to be his God by way of profeſſion, he may profeſſe to know God, and profeſſe that God is his God; but now in another ſenſe a wicked man cannot be ſaid to have God for his God, (that is) in a way of relation and reconciliation for God to be a God in Covenant with him through Jeſus Chriſt.
2. Take this concluſion, that though multitudes of people may lay claim to God as their God, yet there are but a few men in the world, that have God to be their God in a Covenant way; as in Zach. 13. 8 9. the Lord there lookes upon the Jewiſh Church under a threefold conſideration. And it ſhall come to paſſe that in all the land (ſaith the Lord) two parts therein ſhall be Zach. 13. 8, 9.cut off and die, but the third ſhall be left therein, and I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as ſilver is refined, and will try them as Gold is tryed; they ſhall call on my name, and I will hear them; I will ſay, it is my people, and they ſhall ſay, the Lord is my God: though you all lay claime to God, yet there may be but one part in three, that can truly ſay that God is their God in covenant with them.
3. Take this concluſion, that ſuch is the deceitfulneſſe and deluſion of mens hearts naturally, that the worſt of men are ready to beleive and think that God is their God, when hee is not: as you may read in Jer. 3. 4, 5. ſayes God there, they ſhall cry unto me, My Father, thou act the guide of my Jer. 3. 4, 5.youth, and yet ſayes God thou haſt done evill as much as thou couldſt, ſo in Pſal. 14. 1. The Pſal. 14. 1.… hath ſaid in his heart there is no God, they have corrupted and done abominable workes, there is none that doth good, thoſe that have not God in their hearts, nor in all their ways, yet they will lay claim to God as their God, though they have committed abominable works and done evill as much as they could.
Thus much for the concluſion, I come now to handle a practicall queſtion that neceſſarily muſt be ſpoken to in the purfuance of this Doctrine, which is this.
Queſt. Queſt. What are the characters of thoſe men that are without any reall intereſt and propriety in God as their God, in a way of Covenant and relation?
This queſtion I do the rather reſolve upon the conſideration of the great deluſion and miſtake that mens hearts are very apt to run into, to think that God is their God when he is not, and therefore I ſhall lay down to you ſeven diſtinguiſhing characters Seven Characters of thoſe men that have no reall propriety in God.of ſuch men, and it may be I may come neer the boſomes of many of you, though the Lord knows I would not ſtagger the hope of the leaſt of you that have a reall and well grounded intereſt in Jeſus Chriſt: thoſe men are without any reall intereſt in God as their God,
1. That are without any effectual knowledge of God as their God.
2. Thoſe that live without making the Word of God to be their rule.
3. Thoſe that live in the world, without making the wayes of God to be their pleaſure.
4. Thoſe that live in the World without making the glory of God to be their aime.
5. Thoſe that live in the World without making the day of the Lord to be their delight.
6. Thoſe that live in the World without making the people of God to be the objects of their Love: and
Laſtly, thoſe that live in the world without making ſinne to be the object of their hatred.
For the firſt, thoſe are without any reall intereſt or propriety in God as their God, that doe live in the world without a ſaving and effectuall knowledge of God: as in 2 Chron. 15. 3. it is ſaid there that for a 2 Chr. 15. 3.long time, Iſrael was without the true God, and without the teaching Priest, and without the Law, all that time (while they were without the Law, and the Prieſt to teach them) it is ſaid they were without God, thoſe that live without a ſaving knowledge of God, the Scripture lookes upon them as having no reall intereſt in God. Joh. 8. 54, 55. Ioh. 8. 54, 55.You ſay (ſayes Chriſt) that he is your God, and yet you have not known him, intimating that God was not their God becauſe they were utterly ignorant of him. Now (Beloved) every knowledge of God does not demonſtrate your intereſt in God, unleſſe it be,
1. A practicall knowledge of him, as in 1. Ioh. 8. 55.Joh. 8. 55. ſayes Chriſt there, I am of God, I know him, and I keep his ſayings: intimating that that man that does lay claim to God, as his God, muſt know him, and this knowledge of him will make him yeeld obedience to him, and keep his ſayings; And,
2. It muſt be an experimentall knowledge of God, as David ſayes in Pſal. 51. 6. Thou haſt made me to know wiſdom in my inward parts. If ſo bee you were perſons living without a practicall and experimentall knowledge of God, you are without any intereſt in him as your God.
But before I can leave this particular, Object.I muſt anſwer an Objection: Me thinks I hear a poor perplexed ſoul ſay, If this be ſo that only thoſe that know God aright have an intereſt in him, then the Lord be mercifull unto me, for I am a poor ignorant ſinfull wretch, that do know nothing of God at all as I ought to know him; and therefore ſurely I have no intereſt in God my God.
Anſ. Now to ſuch as you are, by way of Anſw.anſwer, I ſhall leave theſe two or three words for your comfort.
1. Take this for an anſwer, that in Scripture account to complain of thy ignorance, is a good degree of knowledge: in Prov. 30. 23. you read there of Agur, who was an excellent man in vertue and knowledge, in the time of Solomon, and yet you ſhall not read of a man that more complaines of his ignorance then this man doth: Surely (ſayes hee) I am more brutiſh Prov. 30. 23.then any man, and have not the underſtanding of a man: I have neither learned wiſdome, nor attained to the knowledge of the holy; and yet this man that ſo much complains of his ignorance, did demonſtrate ſuch fruits of grace and knowledge in his practiſe, as ever man did.
2. Take this for an anſwer, that in Gods account, he knowes moſt that doth moſt. He does not know moſt, that hath a great judgement to dive into and diſpute about vain queſtions and niceties, but he is a knowing man in Gods account, that does walk anſwerably to that ſmall meaſure of knowledge that he hath, as in Pſal. 111. 10. A good underſtanding have all they Pſal. 111. 10.that doe thy commandements: God does not meaſure your knowledge by your queſtions and diſputes, but by your practiſe, as in Jer. 22. 16. He judged the cauſe of the poore Ier. 22. 16.and needy, then it was well with him; was not this to know me, ſaith the Lord?
3. Take this for an anſwer, that it is not the wanting of ſome meaſures or degrees of knowledge, nor the having of much ignorance, that does demonſtrate thy want of an intereſt in God, unleſſe your ignorance hath theſe three properties with it: As,
1. Suppoſe thou art ignorant of God, yet if thou are not conceitedly ignorant, if thou art not a ſelf-conceited man, that thinkeſt thou knoweſt much when thou knoweſt little, thou art well enough: if you are not like thoſe in Hos. 8. 2. Iſrael Hoſ. 8. 2.ſhall ſay unto me, My God we know thee, and yet there is no fear, nor knowledge of God in the land.
2. If thou doeſt not ſit down contentedly in thy ignorance, but doeſt labour and endeavour after more knowledge, then thy condition is good enough. But if thou ſayeſt unto God, Depart from me, for I deſire Iob 21. 14.not the knowledge of thy wayes, like thoſe ſpoken of in Job: this is a ſad ſigne, that you have no intereſt in God at all.
3. If thou art not obſtinately ignorant, like thoſe ſpoken of in Pſal. 82. 5. They know not, neither wil they underſtand When men are ignorant, and will be ignorant, this is an evidence that they have no intereſt in God; in 2 Pet. 3. 5. ſayes the Apoſtle, theſe things they are willingly ignorant of; now if your ignorance bee accompanyed with theſe three circumſtances, that you are conceitedly, and contentedly, and obſtinately ignorant, if it be ſo, the Lord be mercifull to you; for theſe are apparent demonſtrations, that you have yet no intereſt and propriety in God, as your God. But though you have abundance of ignorance in you, yet if you bewail your ignorance, and labour and deſire after more knowledge, if you follow on to know the Lord, and are not obſtinately ignorant, but would doe more if you knew more, if it be thus with you, thy ignorance doth not evidence, that thou haſt no intereſt in God.
2. Another Character of a man that is without an intereſt in God, is this, hee is ſuch a one that lives in the world without making the Word of God to bee his rule. Joh. 8. 47. He that is of God, heareth Ioh. 8. 47.Gods Word; you therefore hear him not, becauſe you are not of God: thoſe that will not make the Word of God to be their rule, and conform their practiſes in obedience thereunto, Chriſt ſayes the reaſon of it is becauſe they are not of God: and ſo in 1 Joh. 1 Ioh. 4. 6.4. 6. Hee that knoweth God, heareth us, and hee that is not of God, heareth not us; and therefore you that walk after the vaine imaginations of your own hearts, that are ſwayed and ruled by your luſts, and will not make Gods Word a bridle to curb, and reſtrain your luſts and corruptions, but you will doe what you liſt, let God command what he will: all theſe are manifeſt arguments, that you are not of God.
3. That man is without an intereſt in God, that lives in the world without making the wayes of God to be his pleaſure: as in Joh. 3. 8. 10. In this the children of God are manifeſt and the children of the Devill, whoſoever doth not righteouſneſſe is not of God: righteouſneſs is not to be taken here only for juſtice or civil righteouſneſs, but for the whole bulk of godlineſs & the body of chriſtianity: he that doth not righteouſneſſe, is not of God: this not doing of righteouſneſſe is anſwerable to the committing of ſin, in 1 Joh. 3. 8. the text ſayes, Hee that committeth ſin is of the Devill, now this is not to be taken ſimply, that he that falls into ſin is of the Devill, but he that commits ſin, (that is) with complacency and delight, and without any compulſion, ſuch a man is of the Devill. And ſo likewiſe he that cloth not doe righteouſneſſe, is not of God, that is, he that doth not act and doe it with delight, and alacrity, and complacency, ſuch a one is not of God: ſo in Joh. 3. 11. ſayes the Apoſtle, (Beloved) follow not that which is evill, but that which is good: he that doth good, he is of God; but he that doth evill, hath not ſeen God; (that is) he that doth evill with delight and ſatisfaction, and he that doth not take delight in the wayes of God, and perform holy duties with chearfulneſſe and complacency, ſuch a man is not of God; and therefore you that take more delight in the committing of ſin, then you doe in the performance of holy duties, you are but in a bad condition.
4. Another Character is this, that man is without God, that lives in the World without making the glory of God to bee his aim: it is very obſervable, that when the Jews did accuſe Chriſt, ſaying, hee was a Samaritan, and bad a Devill, but did not come from God; he did convince them, that this was a ſlander caſt upon him, becauſe he fought not his own honour but the glory of God, Joh. 8. 49. 50. Jeſus anſwered, I have Ioh. 8. 49. 50.not a Devill, but I honour my Father, and ye doe diſhonour him, and I ſeek not my own glory, there is one that ſeeketh and judgeth.
5. That man is without an intereſt in God, that lives in the World without making the day of God his delight, hee that takes no delight in ſanctifying of the Lords day, but rather takes delight in prophaning it, that man is without God in the World, as in Joh. 9. 26. It was the ſpeech of the Phariſees to Chriſt, ſay they, This man is not of God, becauſe he keepeth not the Sabbath-day: this had been a very good argument, had it been rightly applyed, the argument had been very ſtrong, if the application had been good, if Chriſt had not indeed kept the Sabbath, but they were greatly miſtaken, for Chriſt did keep the Sabbath. Why now (beloved) theſe Phariſees, were they now alive, and ſhould ſee you Chriſtians prophaning the Sabbath day, ſpending and trifling it away in ſports and pleaſures, in ſwearing and drunkenneſſe, and diſhonouring the name of God; never imploying one hour of it in prayer, reading, or hearing, or any holy and religious exerciſe, they would preſently conclude that you are not of God, becauſe you doe not keep the Sabbath day.
6. That man is without God, that lives without making the people of God to be the object of his love; as you may ſee in 1 Joh. 3. 10. He that doth not righteouſneſſe is 1 Joh. 3. 10.not of God neither he that loveth not his brother, and ſo in 1 Joh. 4. 20. If any man ſay, I love God and hateth his brother, he is a lyer, for hee that loveth not his brother whom be hath ſeen, how can he love God whom he hath not ſeen? He that does not love his brother, the children and people of God, he cannot love God. You that carry in your hearts a ſecret malice and ſpleen againſt thoſe that are godly, and more holy and religious then your ſelves: you that doe tiger-like, hate the very pictures of godly men, you that hate the people of God, and the Miniſters of the Goſpell, becauſe they are ſo, that hate godlineſſe as godlineſſe, theſe are evident arguments that the love of God is not in you.
7. That man is without God, that lives in the World without making ſinne to bee the object of his hatred, that man hath not God, that hates not ſin; though that man may have God, that hath ſin, yet that man cannot have an intereſt in God, that doth not hate ſin. And thus I have run over briefly theſe ſeven heads, whereby you may know whether you are the men that can lay a true claim to God as your God, yea, or no: if you are men that have a true knowledge of God, and make his Word your rule, and his way your pleaſure, and his day your delight, and his glory your aime, and good men the object of your love, and ſin the object of your hatred; if theſe things be in you, you may know undoubtedly, that you have an intereſt in God.
We come now to the application, which Uſemay ſerve for unſpeakable comfort to all you that are the people of God, that can lay a well grounded and Scripture claim to God as your God.
1. If you have God, you have all things; and let me tell you, you that have God for your God, you may outvie all the Kings, and Princes, and Potentates in the World. Other men may ſay, they have wealth, and you have none; they have riches, and honours, and pleaſures, and you have none: but you may goe further, and out-vye them all, for you can ſay, you have an intereſt in God, and they have none. Wicked men cannot lay claim to God as theirs; and therefore when they ſpeak of God, they ſpeak of him as a God to others, and not to them, as in Gen. 31. 29. when Laban ſpake to Jacob, (ſayes he) The God of your Fathers: and ſo Pharaoh in Exod. 8. 25. 28. (ſayes he) Go ſacrifice to your God in the land: and from hence Divines doe obſerve, that the Scriptures doe not ſuffer wicked men to name God, as in a way of propriety to them, as their God: but now thoſe that are righteous and holy, that have indeed an intereſt in God, God is not aſhamed to be called their God. You that have an intereſt in God though Heb. 11. 16.you are a poor deſpicable people, yet be not afraid to own God as your God, for the Lord is not aſhamed, that you ſhould call him your God; God is not aſhamed of us whoſe dwellings are in the duſt, he will own us: and therefore let this encourage you to goe to God as your God, and apply him as your God, and truſt in him as your God, and pray to him and call upon him as your God, for he is not aſhamed of you. And here that I may ſpeak a little further to this particular, I would exhort you to two things.
1. To prove your intereſt in God: and,
2. To improve it.
1. Labour to prove your intereſt in God: examine and try whether or no, upon conſcientious grounds and Scripture evidences, your hearts can be ſatisfied, that you are a people in Covenant with God: reſt not, and truſt not upon It may bees, but labour to prove it to your own ſouls, that God is your God; & that I may Three diſcoveries of our intereſt in God.a little help and further you in this examination, I ſhall here lay you down three diſcoveries whereby you may know, & prove unqueſtionably that God is your God.
1. If thou art ſuch a one that doeſt labour to keep thy inward man from ſecret defilement by ſin, as well as thy outward man, from groſſer and greater enormities, as in 2 Cor. 6. 18. and in the firſt verſe of 2 Cor. 6. 18.the next chapter; I will be your God and Father, and you ſhall be my ſons and daughters, ſaith the Lord God Almighty: Having therefore theſe promiſes dearly beloved (ſayes the Apoſtle) let us cleanſe our ſelves from all filthineſſe, both of fleſh and ſpirit: and therefore if you have a care to abſtain from all ſecret ſins, whereby the inward man is defiled, it is a ſigne that you have a reall intereſt in God; becauſe God will be our God, and will own and accept of us to be his people; we muſt not onelyonly waſh our legs and our outward man, but our inward parts too, and if we do thus, we may be confidently aſſured that we are a ſacrifice well pleaſing, and acceptable unto God through Jeſus Chriſt: but now you that make conſcience of your wayes, ſo far only, as that men may not ſay black to your eye, if you doe not labour to keep your inward man from defilements as well as your outward man, you have no intereſt in God at all.
2. Another evidence of your intereſt in God is this; if you have an earneſt and unwearied labour and endeavour in your ſpirits to come to the neareſt reſemblance and conformity to Jeſus Chriſt, as poſſibly you can. Doe you labour to be holy as hee was holy? and humble, and meeke, and lowly as hee was? in 2 Cor. 7. 1. ſayes the Apoſtle there (dearly beloved) let us cleanſe our ſelves from all filthineſſe both of fleſh and ſpirit, perfecting holineſſe in the fear of God. Doe you labour ſtill to reſemble God in holineſſe? thy relation and intereſt in God will make thee labour to be like unto God, and to be ſtill perfecting holineſſe though you cannot be perfect in holineſſe, If you have an intereſt in God, you will labour more and more to be holy as he is holy, and to come to the neareſt reſemblance to him that may be.
3. Another diſcovery of your intereſt in God, is this, if God hath engraven upon thy ſoul thoſe ſaving effects and bleſſings which he doth beſtow upon all thoſe that have an intereſt in him; God hath promiſed that he will be their God, and they ſhall be his people: that he will give them a new heart taking away the heart of ſtone, and giving them a heart of fleſh; and that he will ſanctifie and renew their natures, and write his Law in their inward parts, and work in their hearts a ſutable diſpoſition to his Law, and put his fear into their hearts that they ſhall never depart from him: Theſe are the bleſſings of the Covenant of Grace. Now you that can give abundant and evident teſtimonies in your own ſouls, that you have found God cleanſing and purifying your hearts, and ſanctifying and renewing your natures, and writing his Law in your inward parts, and putting his fear into your hearts, that you doe never depart from him; if you finde theſe things in you, they are undoubted evidences, that you have an intereſt in God.
2. As I would have you prove your intereſt in God, ſo I would exhort you to improve your intereſt in God too. Many of you do let God lye by you, (as I may ſo ſay) and never make uſe of him for your ſpirituall comfort and ſupport, and never goe to him for help, and ſuccour, and relief in times of danger, you doe not improve your intereſt in God.
Object. But here it may be you would ask mee how you ſhould improve your intereſt in God.
Anſw. 1 I anſwer, 1. Improve it thus, in making your intereſt in God, a great incentment and provocation to thee, to obey God; thus David did in Pſal. 143. 10. Teach me to doe thy will, (ſayes he) for thou art the Lord my God: here David did well improve his intereſt in God, ſo in Pſal. 119. 115. Depart from me ye evill doers, (ſayes he) for I will keep the commandements of my God. We ſhould make our intereſt in God, an ingagement upon our ſouls, to keep the commands of God.
2. Then you doe rightly improve your intereſt in God, when this doth ſtir you up, to aggravate all the ſins you have committed againſt God, when your intereſt in God doth make you ſee, how exceeding ſinfull ſin is, and how greatly you have provoked the Lord your God by your ſins: as in Jer. 3. 25. We have ſinned againſt the Lord our God, we and our Fathers from our Ier. 3 25.youth even to this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God: here the children of Iſrael aggravate their ſins againſt God as their God. And ſo Daniel he makes his intereſt in God, a motive to ſtir him up to aggravate ſin againſt God, in Dan. 9. 5. ſayes Dan. 9 5.he there, We have ſinned, and have committed iniquity, and done wickedly, and have rebelled even by departing from thy precepts, and from thy judgements, and then in verſ. 7. Oh Lord, (ſayes he) righteouſneſſe belongeth unto thee, but unto us confuſion of face as at this day: ſo again in verſ. 8. Oh Lord to us belongeth confuſion of face, to our Kings, and to our Princes, and to our Fathers, becauſe we have ſinned againſt thee: but to the Lord our God belongeth mercy and forgiveneſſe, though wee have rebelled againſt him: and ſo hee goes on all along, aggravating their ſins againſt God: no leſſe then ten times he mentions their intereſt in God, and ten times he aggravates their ſinnes againſt God. It is the conſideration of our intereſt in God, that does ſtir us up to aggravate our ſins againſt God, when we doe conſider that we have ſinned againſt our God, againſt our gracious and mercifull Father, who hath loved us, and given us everlaſting conſolation and good hope through grace; who is infinite in goodneſs, and abundant in mercy and truth; Such conſiderations as theſe will exceedingly provoke us to aggravate our ſins againſt him.
3. Improve your intereſt in God by making it a prop and pillar of marble to bear up, and ſupport your hearts under all the miſeries, and afflictions, and troubles you meet withall here in the World: thus David incouraged himſelf in the Lord his God, in Pſal. 3. 7. I am thine (ſayes hee) Lord ſave me: then you make a right improvement of your intereſt in God, when you go to him, and truſt, and rely, and depend upon him in all times of danger and diſtreſſe, for you have an intereſt in that God that is both able and willing to relieve and ſuccour you, a God that hath helped you, and doth help you, and will never leave you, nor forſake you, and therefore be incouraged to caſt your care upon him.
FINIS.