The Good of Early Obedience, Chapter 11
CHAP. XI.
Wherein the tryal of our ſtate is preſſed with ſeven reaſons for it.
USE 2. Of examination. If it be the great concernment of every one to take up Chriſts Yoke betimes; then the queſtion is, what progreſs have you made in this duty? what Yoke are you under? that of ſin, or that of Chriſt? for all men, young and old, rich and poor, high and low, bond and free, are under one of theſe Yokes, either the Yoke of ſin, or the Yoke of Chriſt. Theſe are the two great Lords of the world, and have the moſt extenſive rule and dominion; and therefore as ye read of the rule and Government of Chriſt, ſo you read of the rule of luſt,Rom. 6.17, 18. and the dominion of ſin; and of being ſervants of ſin, and ſervants of righteouſneſs. Now whoſe Yoke are ye under?Matt. 6.24. no man can be ſaid to be under both; no man can ſerve theſe two masters. He that is under the Yoke of ſin is free from righteouſneſs, Rom. 6.20. And he that is under the Yoke of Chriſt is free from ſin, Rom. 6.14. Can ye make it out that ye are under the Yoke of Chriſt? this is a queſtion of very great importance, and therefore every man ſhould labour to be ſatisfyed about it. And that for theſe ſeven reaſons.
1. Becauſe every one of us are naturally under the Yoke and thraldom of ſin; not only ignorant of God and Chriſt, but enemies to God and Chriſt; and not only enemies by natural depravation, but by actual oppoſition; enemies by wicked works, Coloſſ. 1.21. ſerving divers luſts and pleaſures, Tit. 3.3. Every man naturally is the ſervant of ſin (Rom. 6.17.) till he be made free by Chriſt, and brought under his Yoke by the power of converting Grace. Now what do ye know of this in your ſelves? can ye ſay, being made free from ſin, ye became the ſervants of righteouſneſs? Rom. 6.18.
2. So long as a man is under the power of ſin, he is in a ſtate of wrath. The reign of ſin ſubjects the ſoul to the wrath of God; and no wonder, for it is the higheſt contempt and affront the creature can put upon God to give up himſelf to the dominion of ſin;1 John 3.4. Amos 2.4. he that doth ſin, tranſgreſſeth the law; but he that ſubjects himſelf to the power of it, contemns the law, and deſpiſes the Authority of him that gave it; and there is nothing can lay man under the wrath of God more than this.
3. Becauſe many there are that deceive themſelves about the Yoke of Chriſt, thinking they have put it on, when they are miſtaken. Few will deny that ſubjection to Jeſus Chriſt is a duty; but the miſery is, they undo themſelves with a ſelf-deluding confidence that they have taken the Yoke of Chriſt upon them when they have not. Many bleſs themſelves in the goodneſs of their condition, and the uprightneſs of their hearts with Chriſt, when it is no ſuch matter. Solomon ſays, there is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet are not waſhed from their filthineſs, Prov. 30.12. This was the caſe of Laodicea; ſhe thought her ſelf rich, her ſtate good, her intereſt firm, her heart right, when it was quite otherwiſe; wretched, and miſerable, and poor, and blind, and naked, Revel. 3.17. who better perſwaded of the goodneſs of his caſe than Paul, and yet he was an utter enemy to Jeſus Chriſt at the ſame time? Rom. 7.9.
4. To be deceived in a matter of this moment is a thing of very dangerous conſequence. If you take counterfeit money for true, the loſs is not great; but if you take common Grace for ſaving Grace, an hypocritical obedience to Chriſt, for ſubjection to the Yoke of Chriſt, a deceit in this matter is as much as the ſoul is worth. It is an undoing miſtake;Matt. 25. v. 1. the fooliſh virgins that went out to meet the bridegroom, thought their hearts had been right with Chriſt; that they had had oyl enough in their lamps,v. 3. and of the right kind, till the coming of Chriſt diſcovered the miſtake;v. 10. and it was ſuch a miſtake as proved their utter undoing.
5. It is a good argument of the goodneſs of thy condition, and of thy ſincerity of heart to be willing to come to the touchſtone. Some are great enemies to trying Doctrines; they can't indure the ſearches of the word; but cry out againſt ſuch preachers as cenſorious; theſe men will take Gods work out of his hand, and be judges of mens hearts and ſtates, ſay they. This is a very great ſign of an unſound heart;John 3.20. they come not to the light leſt their deeds ſhould be reproved. Tertullian ſays of Hereticks, they are lucifugae ſcripturarum, they cannot indure to be tryed by the word. So it is with an unſound profeſſor.
6. The knowledge of this is of great uſe, living and dying.
Firſt, It is very uſeful in life, it is that which you will be forced to have recourſe to a thouſand times before you dye. When temptations or deſertions are upon you, the ſenſe of the uprightneſs of your heart in your walking with God will be an admirable ſupport. So it was to Job, when he was under the hidings of God, and had loſt the wonted comfort of the light of his countenance, he comforts himſelf in his own uprightneſs. He knows the way that I take,—my foot hath held his ſteps, his way have I kept and not declined, neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips, Job 23.11, 12.
Secondly, It is of great uſe in death. For what is it that can ſupport the ſoul in a dying hour, but a ſenſe of intereſt in Chriſt evidenced by the uprightneſs of the heart in walking with him. This was that Hezekiah had recourſe to when the ſentence of death was upon him, Iſai. 38.3. Remember O Lord how I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, and have done that which was good in thy ſight. O it is a bleſſed thing in a dying hour to have a witneſſing conſcience to the ſincerity of our obedience. For if our hearts condemn us not, then have we confidence towards God, 1 John 3.21. It is of great uſe therefore to put this matter to the tryal. For,
7. The day is coming when God will put it to the tryal. The fire of that day ſhall try every mans work of what ſort it is. 1 Cor. 3.13.It is not the livery of Chriſt, nor the badge of baptiſm, nor the name of a Chriſtian, nor outward profeſſion of Religion that will ſtead us in that Day. It is not ſaying Lord, Lord, Matt. 7.21.but doing the will of God that will then ſtand us inſtead; not a profeſſion of Chriſt, but an unſeigned ſubjection to him. Chriſt is ſaid in that Day to ſeparate the ſheep from the goats, Matt. 25.32, 33.and to ſet the ſheep at his right hand, and the goats at his left. The one for a bleſſing, the other for a curſe. And who are the ſheep? why he tells you John 10.27. they that hear his voice and follow him; and to theſe he gives eternal life, v. 28. And who are the goats? but carnal ſinners that will have their luſts rather than Chriſt; that caſt off his Yoke, Luk. 19. v. 14. v. 27.and will not have him rule over them. And what is their doom? bring them out and ſlay them before me.
There will be but two ſorts of men in that day; ſaints and ſinners; obedient and diſobedient; ſubjects and rebels; the great queſtion then will be, whoſe ſervants you have been? to whom have you lived? to the world? to luſt? or to Jeſus Chriſt? and according to this, ſo ſhall your ſentence be; as you have lived, ſo ſhall you be judged, ſee Rom. 2.6, 7, 8. And therefore as ever you would be able to lift up your heads in the Day of Gods tryal, it concerns you to try your ſelves.