Believers Evidences for Eternal Life, Chapter 2 · Section 6
VI.
Doing, or practising of Righteousnesse, may be a sixth Evidence of Regeneration. If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doth righteousnesse is borne of him, 1 Joh. 2. 29. And in another chapter; In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the Devil: whosoever doth not righteousnesse is not of God, 1 Joh. 3. 10. In these two places consider, 1. The Evidence or Signe of Regeneration laid down; Posively, He that doth righteousnesse is borne of God, Negatively, He that doth not righteousnesse is not of God. 2. The amplification of this Evidence: 1. By the universality of it: Every one that doth righteousnesse,—Whosoever doth not righteousnesse. 2. By the perspicuity of it: In this the children of God are manifest, ane the children of the Devil. 3. By the ground of it: God regenerating is Righteous; therefore they that are regenerated of God must needs be righteous, the child like the father: New-created according to his image in righteousnesse, &c. Eph. 4. 24. Now in this 1 Ioh. 3. 10▪ compared with v. 9. Righteousnesse (as *Facere justitiā, & facere; peccatum, sut hic inter se opposita. Itaque facere justitiam nihil aliud est quam ex animo Deum timere, & ambulare in ejus praeceptis, quantum fert humana fragilitas, &c. Calvin, comment in 1. ep. Ioan. 3. 10.Calvin well observeth) is opposed to sinne; and doing or practising of righteousnesse, to committing of sinne. And therefore in this place, to do righteousnesse is nothing else but from the heart to feare God, and (so far as humane frailty will permit) to walk in his precepts, not in a Legal exactnesse, which man cannot reach unto; but in an Evangelical uprightnesse, which God will accept.
So that every one that leads a truly godly and righteous life, is borne of God. He that lives contrary, is the child of the Devil. For, 1. Gods children are predestinate to be conform to the image of Christ, Rom. 8. 29, 30. being elect through sanctification of the Spirit to obedience, 1 Pet. 1, 2. 2. Gods children are redeemed from their vain conversation by the precious blood of Christ, that they might glory fie God both in their body and spirit, which are Gods, 1 Pet. 1. 18, 19. 1 Cor. 6. 19, 20. Luk. 1. 74, 75. 3. They are called unto holinesse, 1 Thess. 4. 7. 2 Tim. 1. 9. And created in Christ Iesus unto good works, Eph. 2. 10. 4. Such as are mens persons, good or bad, such will be their works and conversations: Like tree, like fruit. Carnall men will walk carnally; Spiritual, spiritually, Mat. 7. 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. &. 12. 33, 34, 35. Rom. 8. 1, 5. 5. All pretences of Faith, without good works, are vain; and such faith, dead, Jam. 2. 20, 26. All such mens religion is but abominable hypocrisie, Tit. 1. 16.
But how may I know that I truly practise Righteousnesse, as becomes one that is borne of God?
Answ. They act or practise Righteousnesse truly who walk in paths of piety and righteousnesse, for (1.) Matter, (2.) Ground, (3.) Form, and, (4.) End, as Scripture requires of them.
I. Who act or practise things for substance & matter righteous. Possibly the matter may be sometimes good, when the manner and circumstances are naught: but nothing can be good, if the matter be naught. Matters practised, are in their own nature either 1. Good, as things prescribed, Exod. 20. 2. Evil, as things prohibited, Exod. 20. 3. Indifferent, as things left at liberty, Rom. 14. 2, 3. For matter, they practise Righteousnesse, who practise things Good, or Indifferent: But they practise unrighteousnesse, who practise things Evil. Ye are of your father the Devill, and the works of your father you will do, Joh. 8. 44.
II. Who do that which is materially righteous from a right Ground and Principle. Such as are mens Principles within, such are their Practices without, Mat. 12. 33, 34. Iehu did for matter that which God required, but not from a right ground, 2 King. 10. 30, 31. The right ground and principle from which all holy and righteous acts should flow, is threefold, viz. 1. A pure heart. 2. A good Conscience. And 3. Faith unfeigned, 1 Tim. 1. 5.
1. A pure heart, viz. not absolutely and compleatly purified from all sinne, which in this life is impossible, 1 Ioh. 1. 8. Thus, Who can say he hath made his heart clean? Prov. 20. 9. But comparatively and respectively purified. So purified, as no carnal mans heart in the world is purified. 1. Purified by the blood of Christ sprinkled upon the heart by way of Iustification, Zech. 13. 1. Psal. 51. 7. Act. 15. 9. 2. Purified by the Spirit of Christ; his gracious habits, as principles of purity, being infused. This is by way of Sanctification, 1 Cor. 6. 11. So faith is a principle of purity, Act. 15. 9. He that hath such a pure heart, mingles not with sin, but works it out and seperates from it, as honey works out the waxe, wine the lees, mettal in the furnace the drosse. Such regard not iniquity in their heart, Psal. 66. 18. Here's a right ground of righteous practices. Hast thou such a pure heart?
2. A good Conscience, viz. not metaphysically or naturally good; so every mans Conscience is good: But spiritually and supernaturally good. Conscience is supernaturally …ood, 1. When it is by Christs blood purged from dead workes to serve the living God, Heb. 9. …4. 2. When it is habitually exercised to inoffensivenesse to God & man, Act. 24. 16. compared with, Act 23. 1. 3. When Conscience endeavours to be compleatly, universally good: In al good conscience, Act. 23. 1. 4. When conscience approves it selfe good even in the sight of God, Act 23. 1. 1 Pet. 3 21. 5. When upon all this, Conscience gives a comfortable testimony of the Hearts simplicity and godly sincerity, able to support under greatest distresses and afflictions, 2 Cor. 1. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. Actest thou now from such a good Conscience?
3. Faith unfeigned, without hypocrisie. Without faith there's no pleasing of God, Heb. 11. 6. Faith washes all our duties and acts of obedience in the blood of the Lamb, and so …enders them acceptable to God, … Pet. 2. 5. Faith is then unfeigned: 1. When it hath the true nature of Faith in it, viz. Assenting to Gods truths revealed, 1 Ioh. 5. 10, 11 and Applying particularly those Truths assented to, Ioh 1. 11, 12 Gal. 2. 20. …. When it produceth effects of a living Faith, viz. Good works; without which fruits, whatsoever faith is pretended, it is but feigned faith, a dead faith, Jam. 2. 20, 26. Hast thou such a Faith whence all thy righteous actions spring?
III. Who for form and manner do righteousnesse in such sort as God requires: not only doing Bona, good things; but doing them Bene, well. God loves (as some note) to be served with Adverbs rather then with Nouns or Verbs. Now, Religious and righteous acts are then wel performed, when they are done.
1. Spiritually and heartily, with heart and spirit, not with body only. This God requires, Prov. 23. 26. Ioh. 4. 24. 1 Cor. 6. 20. This the godly perform, Rom. 1. 9. Psal. 25. 1. Phil. 3. 20. The carnal, meer corporal service God condemns, Ezek. 33. 31, 32. Mat. 15. 7, 8.
2. Sincerely and uprightly, as in the sight of God, and approving our hearts to him, Gen. 17. 1. as David, Psal. 18. 22. & 66. 18. Paul, 2 Cor. 2. ult. Peter, Joh. 21. 15, 16, 17.
3. Obedientially, because God commands the duty, therefore in conscience and love to the command obedience is performed: as in Noah, Heb. 11. 7. Abraham, Heb. 11. 8, 17, &c. David, Psa. 40 8. &. 119. 143. Paul, Rom. 7. 22.
4. Universally, fully, without reservations and exceptions. Hypocrites may do many things, as Iehu, 2 King. 10. 30, 31. Herod, Mar. 6. 20. But the gracious spirit hath respect to all things required; as in David, Ps. 119 6. Caleb, Num. 14. 24. Zechary and Elizabeth, Luk. 1. 6.
5. Constantly. Perseverance in well-doing crowns well-doing: true zeal like the fire in the sanctuary never goes out. See Psal. 1. 2, 3. Psal. 92. 13, 14. & 119, 20. Hypocrisie lasts not; like paint or varnish it will wash off, Job. 27. 10 Mat. 13. 20, 21. 1 Joh. 2. 19.
Dost thou practise Righteousnesse now, Spiritually, Sincerely, Obedientially, Universally, Constantly?
IV. Finally, Who practise Righteousnesse for right ends, viz. Gods glory primarily, 1 Cor, 10. 31. Their own and others spirituall or eternall good secondarily, Mat. 5. 16. 1 Pet. 4. 2, 3, 4. Rom. 2. 7. Low base ends spoile the highest undertakings, as in Iehu 2 Kings 10. Pharisees, Mat. 6. 2, 5, 16. K. Saul, 1 Sam. 15. 30.