The Sound Believer, Chapter 3
CHAP. III. All those that are translated into this blessed estate, are bound to live the life of love in all fruitfull and thankefull obedience unto him that hath called them, according to the rule of the morall Law. Psal. 40.7, 8.
THe Lord doth no sooner call his people to himselfe, but as soone as ever he hath thus crowned them with these glorious priviledges, and given them any sense and feeling of them, but they immediately cry out, Oh Lord, what shall I now doe for thee? how shall I now live to thee? they know now they are no more their owne, but his; and therefore should now live to him.
If you aske Moses, after all the love and kindnesse the Lord had shewne Israel, what Israel should doe for him? you shall see his answer full, Deut. 10.12, 13. And now, O Israel, what doth the Lord require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, and to love him and serve him with all thy heart, and to keepe his Commandements which I command thee this day for thy good?
If you aske Paul (as Evangelicall a Christian as ever lived) what now we are to do when we are in Christ? hee answers punctually, 2 Cor. 5.14, 15. The love of Christ constraineth us, because we thus judge, that Christ dying for those that were dead, they that live should not live unto themselves, but unto him that dyed for them and rose againe.
If we aske Peter the question, to what end the Lord hath called us out of darknesse into his marvelous light? he expresly tells you, it is to shew forth the vertues of him that hath so called, 1 Pet. 2.9.
If wee be doubtfull whether this be the Lords minde, the Lord himselfe resolves it by Zachary, Luk. 1.74. and tells us, that tis his oath, That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, wee should serve him without fear in holines (in all the rules of the first Table) and righteousnesse (in all duties of the second Table) all the dayes of our life, & that all this should not be out of a spirit of bondage and slavish feare, but without feare; i. e. Feare of our enemies, sin, death, wrath, and so consequently out of love, to him that hath delivered us; that one would wonder it should ever enter into the heart of any Christian man that hath tasted the love of Christ, as to think that there is no use of the Law to one in Christ; and that because they are to live the life of love to Christ, that therefore they are not to looke to the Law as the rule of their love, expresly crosse to the letter of the Text, Ioh. 14.15. If yee love me, keep my Commandements; which Commandements are not onelyonly faith and love to the Saints; but love to enemies, and spirituall obedience unto the morall Law, in a farre different manner and measure then as the Pharisees instructed the people in those dayes, as you may see, Matth. 5.17. Tis true indeed, obedience to the Law is not required of us now as it was of Adam; it was required of him as a condition antecedent to life, but of those that be in Christ it is required onelyonly as a duty consequent to life, or as a rule of life, that seeing hee hath purchased our lives in redemption, and actually given us life in vocation and sanctification, we should now live unto him, in all thankfull and fruitfull obedience according to his will revealed in the morall Law. Tis a vaine thing to imagine that our obedience is to have no other rule but the Spirit, without any attendance to the Law; the Spirit indeed is the efficient cause of our obedience, and hence we are said to be led by the Spirit, Rom. 8.14. but it is not properly the rule of our obedience, but the will of God revealed in his word, especially in the Law is the rule: the Spirit is the wind that drives us in our obedience, the Law is our compasse, according to which it steares our course for us: the Spirit and the Law, the wind and the compasse, can stand well together, Psal. 143.10. Teach me to doe thy will O God, (there is Davids rule, viz. Gods will revealed) thy spirit is good (there is Davids minde, that enabled him to steare his course according to it) the Spirit of life doth free us from the law of sin and of death, but not from the holy, and pure, and good, and righteous Law of God, Rom. 8.1, 2, 3. The blood of Christ by the Spirit cleanseth us from dead workes, to serve the living God, Heb. 9.14. not to serve our owne selves, or lusts, or wills, to doe what wee please: the law indeed is not a rule of that by which we are to obey, viz. of our faith, yet it is the onelyonly rule of what we are to obey: we are not to performe acts of obedience now as Adam was to doe, viz. by the sole power of inherent grace, but we are to live by faith, and act by faith (for without me you can doe nothing, Ioh. 15.5.) we are not united to Christ our life by obedience as Adam was to God by it, but by faith: and therefore as all action (in living things) comes from union, so all our acts of obedience are to come from faith, from the Spirit on Christs part, and from faith on our part, which make our union: Noah built by faith, Enoch walked with God by faith, Iosuah and his Souldiers fought by faith. Abraham travelled, dwelt in his tents, lived and dyed by faith; they acted according to the rule, but all by the power of faith. It is a weak reasoning to imagin a man is not bound to pay his debts, because he is to goe unto another for the money: Obedience is our debt wee owe to Christ, Luk. 17.10. though wee are to goe to Christ poore, and weake, and feeble, to enable us to pay: Tis true, Christ hath kept the law for us, and are we therefore free from it as our rule? No verily, Christ kept the law for satisfaction to justice, and so we are not bound to keepe the Law; he kept the Law also for imitation, to give us a copy and an example of all holinesse and glorifying God in our obedience; and thus Christs obedience is so farre from exempting us from the Law, as that it ingageth us the more, having both rule and example before us, 1 Ioh. 2.6. He that saith he abideth in him ought to walke as he walked, 1 Pet. 1.14, 15, 16. Tis true, the Law is writ in a beleevers heart, and if he hath a Law within, what need he (say some) look to the Law without? when as our Saviour and David argued quite contrary, Psal. 40.7, 8. I come, I delight to doe thy will, it being written of me that I should doe it, because thy Law is within my heart; this argues, that you are not to attend the Law unwillingly as bond-men and slaves, but willingly and gladly, because the Law, even the Law of love is in your hearts, 1 Ioh. 5.3.
The place alledged by some for this liberty from the Law, viz. the Law is not made for a righteous man, 1 Tim. 1.9. if well considered, fully dasheth this dreame in pieces; for there were divers Jewish Preachers of Moses Law, and they had a world of scruples and questions about it, verse 4. and Paul and others were accounted of, as men lesse zealous, because they did not sound upon that string so much; away (saith Paul) with those contentions, questions; for the end of the commandement is not scruples and questions, but charity and love (i. e. both to God and men) out of a pure heart and faith unfained, vers. 5. and saith he, The Law is very good, when used lawfully, that is, for this end, and out of these principles, vers. 8. tis not talking, but doing, and that out of love, which is the end and scope of the Law; so that note by the way, you may as well abolish love as abolish the Law, love being the end and scope of the Law. But to proceed; The Law is not made (saith he) for the righteous, i. e. for the condemnation of the righteous, i. e. of such as out of a pure heart and faith unfeined love God in the first Table, love to shew all duties of respect to man in the second Table; and therefore they of all other men have no cause to abolish the Law, as if it was a bug-beare, or a thing that could hurt them, but its made for the comdemnation of the Lawlesse, Anomians, (as the originall word is) or if you will, Antinomians, (transgressors of the first command.) and disobedient (transgressours of the second command.) for ungodly and sinners (transgressours of the third command.) for unholy and prophane (transgressours of the fourth command.) for murderers of fathers and mothers (of the fift command.) for man-slavers (of the 6.) for whoremongers and defilers of mankinde (of the 7.) for men-stealers (of the 8.) for Lyars (of the 9.) and for those that in any thing walke contrary to sound doctrine, the purity of the Law and will of God (of the 10.) So that this place is farre from favouring any of those that run in this channell of abolishing the Law as our rule; No beloved, the love of Christ will constrain you to embrace it as a most precious treasure. It is the observation of some, that in the Preface to the Morall Law, Exod. 20.1, 2. the Lord reveales himselfe to bee the Lord their God that brought them out of the Land of Egypt; the very scope of which words, is to perswade to a reverend receiving & keeping of that good Law: this Law all nations are bound to observe, because he is Iehovah, the Lord; but to be thy God in speciall Covenant, and that redeemed thee from Egypt, and from that which was typified by it, this belongs to none but unto them especially, that are already the people of God; and therefore of all other people in the world; they are bound to receive it as their rule; for obedience doth not make us Gods people▪ or God our God: but hee is first our God, (which is only by the Covenant of grace) and thence it is, that being ours, and we his, we of all others, are most bound to obey.
To conclude, they that stick in these bryers, therefore cry downe the law as a Christians rule, because by this means a Christian shall find no peace; because he is continually sinning against this Law: the Law therefore say they, will be alway troubling of him.
I answer, first a corrupt heart and putrid conscience, can have no peace by the Law; Isa. 57.21. there is no peace to the wicked, and it is good it should be so.
2. A watchfull Christian may, Psal. 119.15. Great peace have they that keepe thy Law. Hezekiah had it, when he desired the Lord to remember how he had walked before him with a perfect heart, Isa. 58.1, 2, 3. Paul found it the testimony of his conscience bearing him witnesse, was his rejoycing herein; 2 Cor. 1.12.
3. If a Christian ignorant of maintaining his peace with God by faith in his justification, notwithstanding all the errors in his obedience and sanctification; if I say hee wants his peace, shall wee therefore break the Law in pieces? if a secure Christian that walkes loosely want peace, by the accusations of the Law; tis Gods mercy to him to give him no peace in himselfe, while he is at truce with his lust.
4. That peace will end in dismall sorrow which is got by kicking against the Law, it is but dawbing for a man to keep his peace by shutting his eyes against the way of peace; a servant may have peace in his idlenesse by thinking that his Master requires no work from him, and by hiding his talent, yet what will his Lord say to him when his day is ended, and he comes to reckon with him at Sun-set? bring the Law into thy conscience in point of justification, it will trouble conscience: for there only Christs righteousnesse, Gods grace, and the promise are to be looked on, and our own obedience & holines laid by in the dust; but bring it before thee as a rule of thy sanctification, and as thy copy to write after, and to imitate, and aspire after that perfection it requires, it will then trouble thee no more, then it doth a child, who having a faire copy set him to write after, and knowing that he is a sonne, is not therefore troubled, because he cannot write as faire as his copy; hee knows if he imitates it, his scribling shall be accepted: howsoever though his Father may chastise him with rods, if he be carelesse to imitate; yet he will never cast him therefore off from being his sonne. The truth is this, it argues a most gracelesse, carnall, wretched heart, for a man to cast by Gods rules, because attendance to them is his trouble and torment, which unto a gracious heart are life,Prov. 3.17. and peace, and sweetnesse; All the wayes of wisdome to him, are wayes of pleasantnesse, and her paths peace: And it is Gods common curse upon them that love not the truth in these dayes, that because sin is not their sorrow, nor breach of rules their trouble; that therefore, the observance of the Law, and attendance unto rules shall bee their burden and trouble; they feele not the plague in their owne hearts, and therefore reproofes plague them, and commands are a plague and a torment to them: crooked feet, and crooked wills, make men tread awry in such corrupt opinions.
All the called ones of God are therefore to live this life of obedience, and that out of love, which I call the life of love, Gal. 5.6. for else circumcision availes nothing, nor uncircumcision, no nor faith it selfe; unlesse it be of this nature, as that it works by love: there is much obedience and externall conformity to the Law in many men, but the principall difference between these formalities, and the obedience of the Saints, is love; the obedience of the one ariseth from selfe-love, because it pleaseth themselves, and suits with their owne ends; the other from the love of Christ, because it pleaseth him, and suits with his ends: 1 Cor. 13.4. &c. 1 Iohn 5.3.
Quest.Wherein doth and should this life of love appear?Answ.
In these five particulars.
In thinking and musing much on Christ and upon his love, and on what you shall doe for him; he that saith he loves another, and yet seldome thinks on him, or will seldome give him a good look when he meets him, certainly deceives himselfe; the least degree of love appeares in thinking on what we love, because the loving kindnesse of God was better then life unto David; hence hee did remember him upon his bed, and meditate on him in the very night: Psal. 63.3.6. they that feare the Lord, i. with a sonne-like feare; where love is chiefly predominant, are such as think upon his name: Mal. 3.16. We have thought of thy loving kindesse oh Lord in thy Temple, Psal. 48.9. Thou that canst spend dayes, nights, weeks, months, yeares; and hast thy head all this time swarming with vain thoughts, and scarce one living thought of Christ, and his love, that didst never beat thy head, nor trouble thy selfe in musing, oh what shall I doe for him, nor in condemning thy selfe because thou dost so little, verily thou hast not the least degree of this life of love.
In speaking and commending of him: is it possible that any man should love another and not commend him, not speak of him? if thou hast but a Hawk or a Ho…d that thou lovest, thou wilt commend it, and can it stand with love to Christ, yet seldome or never to speak of him nor of his love; never to commend him unto others, that they may fall in love with him also? you shall see the Spouse, Cant 5.9.16. when she was asked what her beloved was above others? shee s…ts him out in every part of him, and concludes with this, he is altogether lovely, because thy loving kindnesse (saith David) is better then life, my lips shall praise thee, and I will blesse thee whiles I live; Psal. 63.3, 4. can it stand with this life of love, to be alway speaking about worldly affayres, or newes at the best; both week-day and Sabbath day, in bed and at boord, in good company and in bad, at home and abroad? I tell you it will be one maine reason why you desire to live, that you may make the Lord Jesus knowne to your children, friends, acquaintance, that so in the ages to come his name might ring, and his memoriall might be of sweet odour, from generation to generation; Psal. 71.18. if before thy conversion especially thou hast poysoned others by thy vaine and corrupt speeches; after thy conversion thou wilt seek to season the hearts of others by a gracious, sweet, and wise communication of savory and blessed speeches; what the Lord hath taught thee thou wilt talke of it unto others, for the sake of him whom thou lovest.
In being oft in his company, and growing up thereby into a familiar acquaintance with him: can we be long absent from those we love intirely, if we may come to them? can we love Christ, and yet be seldom with him, in Word, in Prayer, in Sacraments, in Christian Communion, in Meditation and dayly Examination of our owne hearts, in his providences of Mercies, Crosses, and Tryals? (for Christ is with us here, but those two wayes, in his Ordinances, or Providences, by his holy Spirit,) Lord (saith David) I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth, Psal. 26.8. The ground of which is set down, vers. 3. Thy loving kindnesse is before mine eyes, my soule longeth for thee as in a land where no water is, that I might see thee, as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary; the reason of it was, because thy loving kindnesse is better then life: Psal. 63.1, 2, 3.
In doing much for him, and that willingly; did not Jacob love Rachel? how did hee expresse it? his seven yeares service, in frost and snow, in heat and cold, by day and night, were nothing to him, for her sake whom hee loved: Shall I serve the Lord (saith David) of what cost me nothing? And when he had prepared many millions for the building of the Temple, yet he accounted it a small thing for his sake whom hee loved; 1 Chron. 29.3. he gave it out of his poverty, as he speakes; this is love, to keep his Commandements, and those are not grievous: 1 John 5.3.
In suffering and enduring any evill for his sake. I confesse it is not every degree of love that will carry a man hither; yet where there is great and singular love, for a good man one may be willing to dye; Rom. 5.7. assuredly if there be any love to Christ, it will in time increase to this measure; it will think ten thousand lives too little to lay down for Christs sake, that laid down his precious life for him: What tell you me, saith Paul, of bonds and imprisonments? I am ready not only to be bound, but to dye for the sake of Christ at Jerusalem; my life is not dear to me, no more then a rush at my foot, that I may finish my course with joy: for thy sake we are killed all the day long. Rom. 8.36. I tell you the love of Christ will make you fall down upon your knees, and blesse the Lord, that he will accept of such a poore sacrifice as thy body is, though it be burnt to ashes; and thou wilt blesse him againe and againe, that whereas he might have left thee in thy sinnes to have troden him and his glory and grace under foot, as he hath done thousands in the world; yet that he should call thee to share in this honour not only to doe, but to suffer for his sake.
Now the good Lord perswade all our hearts unto this fruitfull obedience and life of love. Oh you young men, you have a faire time before you to doe much for Christ in; how pleasing will it bee to him to see such young trees hang full of fruit! You aged men have now one foot in your grave, and you have forgotten the Lord Jesus most of your time, and your time which now remaines is very little, and then your lampe is out, your Sun is almost set, and all your work is yet to be done for Christ, oh therefore awaken now at last, before you awaken when it is too late; you rich men have abilities and wherewithall to set forward Christs Kingdome in the Townes and Villages where you live; you poore men may doe much by ardent and instant prayers day and night, for the advancement of the Lord Jesus. You Husbands, Wives, Masters, Servants, remember if you are not good in your places, you are not good at all, what ever your profession be; a good woman, but a froward wife: a good man, but a haire-braind curst husband: a good servant, but a very sore tongue; these cannot well stand together. If you have any love to Christ, the life of love will make you move best in your proper place: oh therefore love much, and so think much and speak much of, and converse much with, and doe much, and suffer much for the Lord Jesus Christ; content not your selves with doing small things for him, that hath done and suffered much for you; if you can doe but little, yet set God on work by being fervent and frequent in prayer, not only that Christ may be honoured in your selves, but also in your families, and in all Churches and Kingdomes of the world. If you cannot doe much, yet maintaine alive a will to doe much, which is accepted as if you did, 2 Cor. 8.12. If thou art a poore man, and hast nothing to give, yet keep a heart as liberall as a Prince; if you can doe but little your selves, yet encourage others that may, thou art not a Preacher called to convert soules, yet doe thou encourage the messengers of Christ in their worke, by thy prayers, counsell, help, and at last day the conversion of soules shall be attributed unto thee, as well as unto them; if thou canst not doe any good, yet prevent what evill thou canst in thy place; to keep oft judgments, at least to delay them; mourne thou for other mens sins, as if they were thine owne, that so the Lord may pity and pardon them, and it may bee convert them, who shall doe more good it may be, then ever thou canst doe: let the Lord Jesus be in thy thoughts the first in the morning, and the last at night; doe what thou canst, nay, goe continually to him to enable thee to doe more then thou of thy selfe canst; and mourne bitterly, and lament dayly what thou hast not done, either through want of ability or will: remembring his love to thee, that he came out of h…s Fathers bosome for thee, wept for thee, bled for thee, powred out his life, nay, his soule to death for thee, is now risen for thee, gone to heaven for thee, sits at Gods right hand, and rules all the world for thee, makes intercession continually for thee, and at the end of the world will come againe for thee, who hast loved him here, that thou mightest live for ever with him then.
But is this our life, in these evill and luke-warme times? How many bee there that beleeve in Christ, that they may live as they list? If to drink, and whore, and scoffe, and blaspheme; if to shake a lock, and follow every fond fashion; if to crosse and cringe before a piece of wood; if to be weary of the Word, and outwardly zealous for long prayers; if to seek for purity of ordinances in Churches, and to maintain impurity in hearts, in shops, in families; if to set our hearts upon Farmes and Merchandizes, and so to bee covetous; if to set up our owne selves, and parts, and gifts, with a secret disdaine of Gods Ministers; if to cry downe learning, and set up ignorance; if to set up Christ, and destroy sanctification and obedience; if to be a sect-master of some odde opinions; if to cracke the nut of some superlunary and Monkish notions, and high-flown speculations; if to heare much, and do little; if to have a name to …, and yet dead at the heart; if this be to li…e the life of love, we have many that live this life; the Lord Jesus wants not love, if this be to love: But oh woe unto you, if you thus requite the Lord, foolish people and unwise! The Lord knowes we may complaine as Paul did, Every man minds his owne things, and none the things of Iesus Christ; none in comparison of that huge number that thinke they are religious enough, if they be baptized, and say that they beleeve in Jesus Christ: verily the time drawes neere wherein the Lord will come for fruits from his Vineyard; and if he findes it not, assuredly he will not be beholding to us for obedience, he can raise his glory out of other people, and there carry his Gospel to them who shall bring forth the fruits of it; the Lord will shortly lay his axe unto the root of our tree, and if wee will not serve the Lord in this good Land in the abundance of peace and mercy, we shall serve our enemies in hunger, cold, and nakednesse; if we will not serve him in love, we must serve our enemies in feare; doe not think that the Lord will bee put off with venerable names and titles, shadowes, and pictures; what is most mens profession at this day but a meer paint? which may serve to colour them while they live, but will never comfort them (unlesse conscience bee asleep) when they come to dye. Oh …y…e heed of such formality; I can never think enough of Davids expression, Psal. 119.167. I have kept thy Commandements, and I love them exceedingly; should he not have said first, I have loved thy Commandements, and so have kept them? Doubtlesse hee did so; but he ran here in a holy and most heavenly circle, I have kept them and loved them, and loved them and kept them; if we love Christ we also shall live such a life of love in our measure; and his Commandements will be most deare, when himselfe is most precious.
FINIS.