A Body of Practical Divinity, Sermon 49
Of Obedience to God's Revealed Will.
Deut. 27.9, 10.
Take heed and hearken O Israel, This Day thou art become the People of the Lord thy God; thou shalt therefore obey the Voice of the Lord thy God, and do his Commandments.
Quest. WHat is the Duty that God requireth of Man?
Resp. Obedience to his Revealed Will. It is not enough to Hear God's Voice, but we must Obey. Obedience is a part of that Honour we owe to God, Mal. 1.6. If I am a Father, where is my Honour? Obedience carries in it the Life-Blood of Religion. Obey the Voice of the Lord thy God, and do his Commandments. Obedience without Knowledge is Blind, and Knowledge without Obedience is Lame. Rachel was fair to look upon, but being barren said, Give me Children or I die. So if Knowledge doth not bring forth the Child of Obedience, it will Dye, 1 Sam. 15.22. To obey is better than Sacrifice. Saul thought 'twas enough for him to offer Sacrifice, though he disobeyed God's Command. No, to obey is better than Sacrifice. God disclaims Sacrifice, if Obedience be wanting, Ier. 7.22. I spake not to your Fathers concerning Burnt-Offerings, but this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my Voice. Not but that God did enjoyn those Religious Rights of Worship; but the meaning is, God looked chiefly at Obedience, without which Sacrifice was but Devout Folly. The end why God hath given us his Law, is Obedience, Levit. 18.4. Ye shall do my Iudgments, and keep my Ordinances. Why doth a King publish an Edict, but that it may be observed?
Quest. 1. What is the Rule of Obedience?
Resp. The Written Word. That is proper Ocedience which the Word requires; our Obedience must correspond with the Word, as the Copy with the Original. To seem to be zealous, if it be not according to the Word, is not Obedience but Will-worship Popish Traditions which have no Footing in the Word are abominable, and God will say, quis quaesivint haec? Who hath required this at your Hand? Isa. 1.12. The Apostle condemns the Worshipping of Angels, which had a shew of Humility, Col. 2.18. The Jews might say, they were loath to be so bold as to go to God in their own Persons; they would be more Humble, and prostrate themselves before the Angels, and desire them to present their Petitions to God. This shew of Humility was hateful to God, because there was no Word to warrant it.
Quest. 2. What are the Right Ingredients into our Obedience to make it acceptable? Or how must it be qualified?
Resp. 1. Obedience must be cum animi prolubio, Free and Chearful, else it is Pennance, not Sacrifice, Isa. 1.19. If ye be Willing and Obedient, though we serve God with Weakness, let it be with Willingness. You love to see your Servants go chearfully about your Work. Under the Law God would have a Free-Will-Offering, Deut. 16.10. Hypocrites obey God grudgingly and against their Will; they do facere bonum, but not velle. Cain brought his Sacrifice but not his Heart. 'Tis a true Rule, quicquid Cor non facit non fit, What the Heart doth not do, is not done. Willingness is the Soul of Obedience; God sometimes accepts of Willingness without the Work, but never of the Work without Willingness. Chearfulness shews that there is Love in the Duty; and Love doth to our Services, as the Sun doth to the Fruit, Mellow and Ripen them, and make them come off with a better Relish.
2. Obedience must be Devout and Fervent, Rom. 12.11. foreign, Fervent in Spirit, &c. Quae ebullit prae ardore, It alludes to Water that boils over. So the Heart must boil over with Hot Affections in the Service of God. The Glorious Angels who for their burning in Fervour and Devotion, are called Seraphims; these God chooseth to serve him in Heaven. The Snail under the Law was unclean, because a dull Sloathful Creature. Obedience without Fervency, is like a Sacrifice without Fire. Why should not our Obedience be lively and Fervent? God deserves the Flower and Strength of our Affections. Domitian would not have his Statue carved in Wood or Iron, but in Gold. Lively Affections make Golden Services. It is Fervency makes Obedience acceptable: Eliah was fervent in Spirit, and his Prayers opened and shut Heaven: And again he pray'd, and fire fell on his Enemies, 2 Kings 1.10. Eliah's Prayer fetch'd Fire from Heaven, because being fervent it carried Fire up to Heaven: Quicquid decorum ex Fide proficiscitur, Aug.
3. Obedience must be extensive, it must reach to all Gods Commands, Psal. 119.6. Then shall I not be ashamed (or as it is in the Hebrew lo Ebosh, blush) when I have respect to all thy Commandements. Quicquid propter Deum fit aequaliter fit. There is a Stamp of Divine Authority upon all Gods Commands; and if I obey one Precept, because God Commands, I must obey all: True Obedience runs through all the Duties of Religion, as the Blood through all the Veins; or the Sun through all the Signs of the Zodiack. A good Christian makes Gospel Piety and Moral Equity kiss each other: Herein some discover their Hypocrisie, they will obey God in some things which are more facile, and may raise their Repute; but other things they leave undone, Mark 10.21. One thing is lacking, Unum deest. Herod would hear Iohn Baptist, but not leave his Incest: Some will Pray, but not give Alms; others will give Alms but not Pray, Matt. 23.23. Ye pay Tithe of Mint and Anise, and have neglected the weightier things of the Law▪ Iudgment, Mercy and Faith. The Badger hath one foot shorter than the other: So these are shorter in some Duties than in other. God likes not such partial Servants that will do some part of the work he sets them about, and leave the other undone.
4. Obedience must be sincere, viz. We must aim at the Glory of God in it. Finis specificat actionem: In Religion the end is all. The end of our Obedience must not be to stop the Mouth of Conscience, or to gain Applause and Preferment; but that we may grow more like God, and bring more Glory to God, 1 Cor. 10.31. Do all to the Glory of God. That which hath spoiled many glorious Actions, and made them lose their Reward, is, when Mens aims have been wrong: The Pharisees gave Alms, but blowed a Trumpet, that they might have Glory of Men, Matt. 6: 2. Alms should shine, but not blaze. Iehu did well in destroying the Baal-worshippers, and God commended him for it; but because his Aims were not good (he aim'd at setling himself in the Kingdom) therefore God look'd upon it no better than Murder, Hos. 1.4. I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the House of Jehu. O let us look to our Ends in Obedience; it is possible the Action may be right and not the Heart, 2 Chron. 25.2. Amaziah did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a perfect Heart. Two things are chiefly to be eyed in Obedience, the Principle and the End: A Child of God, though he shoots short in his Obedience, yet he takes a right Aim.
5. Obedience must be in and thorough Christ, Eph. 1.6. He hath accepted us in the Beloved. Not our Obedience, but Christs Merits, procure acceptance; we must in every part of Worship, tender up Christ to God in the Arms of our Faith. Unless we serve God thus, in Hope and Confidence of Christs Merits, we do rather provoke God than please him: As when King Uzziah would offer Incense without a Priest, God was angry with him, and struck him with Leprosie, 2 Chron. 26.16. So when we do not come to God in and thorough Christ, we offer up Incense to God without a Priest, and what can we expect but severe Rebukes?
6. Obedience must be Constant, Psal. 106.3. Blessed is he who doth righteousness, Be Col Gnet, at all times. True Obedience is not like an high Colour in a Fit, but it is a right Sanguine: It is like the Fire on the Altar, which was always kept Burning, Lev. 6.13. Hypocrites Obedience is but, foreign, for a Season: It is like plaistering Work, which is soon washed off; but true Obedience is constant: Though we meet with Affliction, we must go on in our Obedience, Iob 17.9. The Righteous shall hold on his way. We have vowed Constancy: We have vowed to renounce the Pomp and Vanities of the World, and to fight under Christ's Banner to the Death. When a Servant hath entred into Covenant with his Master, and the Indentures are sealed, then he cannot go back, he must serve out his time. There are Indentures drawn in Baptism, and in the Lords Supper: The Indentures are renewed and sealed on our part, that we will be Faithful and Constant in our Obedience: Therefore we must imitate Christ, who became obedient to the Death, Phil. 2.8. The Crown is set upon the Head of Perseverance, Rev. 2.26. He that keeps my works unto the end, to him will I give the morning Star.
Use 1. This indicts such who live in a Contradiction to this Text; they have cast off the Yoke of Obedience, Ier. 44.16. As for the word which thou hast spoken to us in the Name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee. God bids Men pray in their Family, they live in the total Neglect of it: He bids them Sanctifie the Sabbath, they follow their Pleasures on that day. God bids them abstain from the Appearance of Sin, they do not abstain from the Act: They live in the act of Revenge; in the Act of Uncleanness. This is an high Contempt of God; 'tis Rebellion, and Rebellion is as the Sin of Witchcraft.
Quest. Whence is it Men do not obey God? They know their Duty yet do it not?
Resp. 1. The not obeying of God is for want of Faith, Isa. 53.1. Quis credidit? Who hath believed our Report? Did Men believe Sin were so bitter, that Hell followed at the Heels of it, Would they go on in Sin? Did they believe there were such a Reward for the Righteous, that Godliness were Gain? Would they not pursue it? But they are Atheists, not fully captivated into the Belief of these things. Hence it is they obey not. This is Satan's Master-piece; His Draw-net by which he drags Millions to Hell by keeping them in Infidelity, He knows if he can but keep them from believing the Truth, he is sure to keep them from obeying it.
2. The not obeying God is for want of Self-denial: God commands one thing and Mens Lusts command another; and they will rather dye than deny their Lusts. Now if Lust cannot be denied, God cannot be obeyed.
Use 2. Obey Gods Voice, foreign. This is the Beauty of a Christian.
Quest. What are the great Arguments or Incentives to Obedience?
Resp. 1. Obedience makes us precious to God; we shall be his Favourites▪ Exod. 19.15. If ye will obey my Voice, ye shall be a peculiar Treasure to me above all People; you shall be my Portion, my Jewels, the Apple of mine Eye, I will give Kingdoms for your Ransom, Isa. 43.3.
2. There is nothing lost by Obedience. To obey Gods Will is the way to have our Will. 1. Would we have a Blessing in our Estates? Let us obey, Deut. 28.1, 3. If thou shalt hearken to the Voice of the Lord, to do all his Commandments, Blessed shalt thou be in the field; Blessed shall be thy Basket and thy store. To obey is the best way to thrive in our Estates. 2. Would we have a Blessing in our Souls, let us obey, Ier. 7.23. Obey and I will be your God. My Spirit shall be your Guide, Sanctifier and Comforter, Heb. 5.9. Christ became the Author of eternal Salvation to all them that obey him. While we please God we pleasure our selves: While we give him the Duty, he gives us the Dowry: We are apt to say as Amaziah, 2 Chron. 25.9. What shall we do for the hundred Talents? You see you lose nothing by obeying: The obedient Son hath the Inheritance setled on him: Obey and you shall have a Kingdom, Luke 12.32. It is your Fathers good pleasure to give you a Kingdom.
3. What a Sin Disobedience is: 1. It is an irrational Sin. 2. We are not able to stand it out in Defiance against God; 1 Cor. 10.22. Are we stronger than he? Will the Sinner go to measure Arms with God? He is the Father Almighty, who can command Legions: If we have not strength to resist him, it is irrational to disobey him. 2. It is irrational, as it is against all Law and Equity: We have our daily Subsistence from God; in him we live and move: Is it not equal, that as we live by him, we should live to him? That as God gives us our Allowance, so we should give him our Allegiance?
2. It is a destructive Sin, 1 Thess. 7.8. The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming Fire, taking Vengeance on them who obey not the Gospel. He who refuseth to obey Gods Will in commanding, shall be sure to obey his Will in punishing: The Sinner, while he thinks to slip the knot of Obedience, twists the Cord of his own Damnation: He perisheth without excuse; he hath no Plea or Apology to make for himself, Luke 12.47. The Servant which knew his Lords will, but did it not, shall be beaten with many stripes. God will say, why did ye not obey? You knew to do good, but did it not, therefore your Blood is upon your own Head.
Quest. What means shall we use that we may obey?
Resp. 1. Serious Consideration: Consider Gods Commands are not grievous: He commands nothing unreasonable, 1 Iohn 5.3. It is easier to obey the commands of God than Sin: The Commands of Sin are Burdensome: Let a Man be under the power of any Lust, How doth he tire himself? What Hazards doth he run, even to the endangering his Health and Soul, that he may satisfie his Lust? What tedious Journeys did Antiochus Epiphanes take in persecuting the Jews? Ier. 9.5. They weary themselves to commit Iniquity; and are not Gods commands more easie to obey? Chrysost. saith, foreign. Virtue is easier than Vice; Temperance is less Burdensome than Drunkenness: Some have gone with less pains to Heaven, than others have to Hell.
Consideration 2. God commands nothing but what is Beneficial, Deut. 10.12, 13. O Israel what doth the Lord require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, and to keep his Statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good? To obey God, is not so much our Duty as our Privilege: His commands carry Meat in the Mouth of them: He bids us repent; and why? That our Sins may be blotted out, Acts 3.19. He commands us to believe: And why? That we may be saved, Acts 16.31. There is love in every command. As if a King should bid one of his Subjects dig in a Gold Mine, and then take the Gold to himself.
2. Earnest Supplication: Implore the help of the Spirit to carry us on in Obedience: Gods Spirit makes Obedience easie and delightful: If the Loadstone draw the Iron; now it is not hard for the Iron to move: If Gods Spirit quicken and draw the Heart; now it is not hard to obey. When a Gale of the Spirit blows; now we go full Sail in Obedience: Turn that Promise into a Prayer, Ezek. 36.27. I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my Statutes. The Promise encourageth us, the Spirit inables us to Obedience.