The Truly Blessed Man, Part 8 · Section 5
The Rewards of Obedience, fruits of meer mercy.
DOCTRINE IV.
ALl the rewards of Obedience that are beſtowed on believers, are the fruits of meer mercy. Let a man believe never ſo ſtrongly, and exerciſe this faith in the Service of God never ſo fervently, yet if God accept and reward him, it muſt be acknowledged to no other fountain but his mercy. Here then we may enquire,
1. What is the mercy of God here intended?
A. There are two words moſt frequently uſed In the Scriptures, to ſet out the kindneſs of God which he expreſſeth to ſinful man, viz. his Mercy and his Grace. Now the conceptions which we entertain of theſe two Attributes are divers. Mercy is conceived to be an inclination to afford ſuccour to thoſe that are miſerable; and hence it hath a reſpect to the miſery of the Subject. Grace is a diſpoſition to beſtow a favour freely, whether the Subject on whom it is beſtowed be miſerable or no. So that man in his ſtate of integrity was capable of partaking in Grace from God: & doubtleſs there was Grace in the Firſt Covenant wherein God tranſacted with man. Whereas man was not a ſubject for the application of merey, ſtrictly taken, till by his fall he had made himſelf miſerable, and ſo an object needing pity and compaſſion to be ſhewn him. But the Spirit of God uſeth theſe two words often promiſcuouſly, one for the other, or each comprehending both under it; and the reaſon is, becauſe fallen man being become miſerable, there muſt be mercy mixing in all the Grace that is extended to him, which reacheth to all the benefits he partaketh in: for, being a relief to him in his miſery, they are, mercy; and being without his deſerving, who hath by ſin forfeited all, they muſt needs therefore be of Grace; and in this large comprehenſive ſenſe we are to underſtand Mercy in our Text. We obſerved that the word ſignifieth a ſacred affection of piety & pity, without any regard to the merit of the Subject that partakes in it. Now there is a twofold mercy that is aſcribed to God in his Word; a Common Mercy which he extends to good and bad, expreſſe… in all the favours which mankind in general are made to ſhare in, whom ſin had made miſerable by expoſing them to all the Curſes written; who had forfeited their lives, and all the ſupports of them: and hitherto belongs all that goodneſs which men partake in, in their preſervation, and the proviſion made for them, and the delight they find in theſe things; all which are fruits of Gods meer benignity and compaſſion: and of this wicked men, and his greateſt enemies have as large … ſhare as any; and there is a ſpecial mercy of God which he extends only to his Elect, whom he hath choſen in Chriſt unto Salvation, and accordingly beſtows on them ſuch benefits as he vouchſaves to no other in the world but them; and we therefore call them ſpecial, both becauſe they are reſtrained to theſe Subjects, and alſo becauſe they are the fruits of his everlaſting love, which he bare to them before the world was, and the diſplays of it to them in the Works of Efficiency; and this is the mercy we have under our preſent conſideration: concerning which mercy we may obſerve both the benefits that belong to it, and the mercy diſcovered in them.
1. Touching the benefits that belong to it, they are all thoſe things which are, by the Spirit of God, made ſervicable to the bringing them to, and poſſeſſing them of eternal Salvation. And here let us obſerve,
1. There are thoſe benefits whereby they are brought into the New Covenant, and entituled to Salvation. Theſe are the firſt ſpecial fruits of Election, breaking … in Effectual Vocation, Rom. 8. 29. And hitherto …ong thoſe great works of Faith and Repentance, which are wrought in them by the Spirit of God, by which they are made to turn from ſin to God, …nd from all other truſt to rely upon Chriſt alone, according to the terms of the Goſpel, and theſe are accompanied with Juſtification and Adoption, by which they are diſcharged from Condemnation, and entituled to life, and made heirs of God, and co…rs with Chriſt, and ſo have a right to all the good …id up in the promiſe, and theſe are not not common favours, 2 Cor. 1. 26. Not many wiſe, &c.
2. There are alſo thoſe benefits which are beſtowed on them after they are brought home to Chriſt, and engaged …he new Covenant, which contain all the good that is … up in the promiſe made to them that love God, and … in his Son Jeſus Chriſt: and thoſe are ſpecially the Sanctification of the Spirit, enabling them to ſerve and glorify God in their generation; the preſerving them in a ſtate of grace to perſeverance, the perfecting of all their graces in them, and the …inging them at length into, and poſſeſſing them for ever of the Kingdom of Glory, comprehended ſummarily in, Pſal. 84. 11.
3. And there are alſo the ſaving operations of common providence, by which they are made ſpecial mercies to them. Thoſe things which they have in the ordinary courſe of providence, and are to wicked men but common mercies, and do in their operation tend to their hurt, are ſanctified to the Children of God, ſo as to be ſervicable to farther their Salvation. Thoſe things that are a Snare to ungodly men, and abuſed by them to diſhonour God, are helps to their Obedience, and they glorify God with them, 1 Cor 10. 31. They make them to ſtudy gratitude, Pſal 116. 12. Yea and Afflictions too, which are to the wicked the beginnings of ſorrows, are the happy means to do theſe great good, Pſal. 119. 71. Iſa. 27. 9. The means of Grace, which are to others a Savour of Death are to them a Savour of Life, &c.
2. As to the mercy that is diſcovered in theſe benefits, we may obſerve it in theſe things.
1. The Creature which is the ſubject of them is in it ſelf miſerable; for ſo had the fall of man made the whole race to be, in as much as they were involved in Guilt and a Curſe, which contained all miſeries in it. Read the deſcription given of a natural man Rom. 3 10 &c. and the doom that is fallen upon him, Chap. 5 12. And what a forlorn wretched Creature muſt we conclude him to be? and by this he is a ſubject capable of mercy.
2. The miſerable Creature receives inexpreſſible kindneſs by theſe benefits. His miſery is relieved in it yea and remedied, and finally removed by it. Common favours give a preſent relief, but theſe make him of miſerable to become happy: they take of the guilt, and ſo remove the Curſe that was lying upon him, and confer on him that which fills him with ſatisfaction, and crowns him with endleſs felicity: hence bleſſedneſs is pronounced on all believers, Pſal 2. 12.
3. And all theſe flow from the fountain of his fre… benignity. There is no merit of the Creature in it the beſt of men is leſs than the leaſt of all mercies, Ge… …. They deſerve the quite contrary, Dan. 9. 8, 9. They do nothing for them, have nothing to pro…re them withal; are no better than thoſe that go without them: God beſtows them on them for his … name ſake. And when theſe things meet together, what is done for them muſt needs be called mercy.
2. Wherein it appears that all the rewards of Obedience are fruits of this mercy?
A. We may come at it in the following conſiderations.
1. There is a reward promiſed to the Obedience of … Children. There are not only great and pre…ous promiſes made in the Goſpel to the people of God, but there are the things mentioned to which they are connected; and theſe are propoſed … the Spirit of God for their encouragment in …ing him. God would have them to know that they ſerve a good Maſter, and would have them to animate themſelves by the contemplation and faith thereof. Thus did Moſes by reſpecting the recompenſa of reward, Heb 11. 26. Hence ſuch encouragements, Gal. 6. 9. Iſa. 3 19. Rom. 2. 7. 1 Cor. 15. ult.
2 Hence their faithful Obedience is the way to receive …he reward. God hath not only told his people what he will do for them, but how they are to expect to come by it: for the Goſpel promiſes are Covenant promiſes; nay we ſhall find the connexion ſo ſtrong, that there are awful threatnings againſt ſuch as neglect to ſeek to enjoy theſe benefits in the way preſcribed; we read, Rom. 8. 13. If ye live after he fleſh, ye ſhall dy. This is not to be underſtood as … the Children of God ſhould be left to fall from the promiſe, but to let them know that God hath appointed the means in order to the end, and thereby to nouriſh in them awful fear, and quicken them to duty.
3. This notwithstanding, the reward is every way of mercy. It is a great error, from the notion of a reward to infer a merit in the perſon that receives it. There is a reward of Grace, as well as of Debt, and is dayly exemplified among men. A father beſtows a favour on his Child, in teſtimony of his accepting his fidelity, in chearfully doing that which was his duty: now that all the rewards which God beſtows on his faithful people are fruits of meer mercy, is evident; for,
1. The ſubjects of them are ſuch as were miſerable in their natural ſtate, and ſo ſtood in need of mercy to relieve them. They were every whit as miſerable in themſelves as thoſe that goe without them: and this God would have his people to bear in mind, and often reflect on, to put the greater value upon his kindneſs. Paul would have them to reflect hither, Eph. 2. 2, 3. ver. 12. And he puts himſelf together with others in declaring how it was with them before, Tit. 3, 3, 4.
2. It is by theſe rewards that they are made actually to partake in freedom from that miſery, and enjoy true felicity. This is the very nature of them; for all the good that is laid up in the promiſes is herein contained, and that conſiſts in a freeing them from thoſe evils which the Curſe of God laid upon them, and an enjoyment of that peace, grace, and happineſs which is purchaſed by Chriſt: the whole of it is ſummed up in Salvation, in which there is ſomething that we are ſaved from, and ſomething that we are made to poſſeſs; & hence Salvation is ſo often mentioned in the Goſpel as the portion of the faithful; & is the greateſt mercy the undone creatures can partake of.
3. It is free grace that they come to receive this reward. There can be no merit in it, and this will appear if we conſider,
1. It is mercy that gave them power to obey. They were as rebellious and impotent by nature as others; they had no power of their own, Rom. 5. 6. If God had not Created them to good works, Eph. 2. 10. They had not been capable of doing one: they were dead, and he quickened them, Eph. 2. 1. They were made new creatures before they could Serve him in newneſs of life, and they no more deſerved this than others, nor had they a better inclination.
2. It is mercy that propoſed ſuch a reward to Obedience. The Creature ows it ſelf entirely to God, … he owed it nothing but what he pleaſed freely to oblige himſelf in unto it; the Creature was liable to damnation for diſobedience, but could not deſerve Salvation for Obedience: hence the Obedience of Gods Children is not the cauſe of, but only the way to the reward; this being that which Chriſt hath purchaſed for his people, on whoſe account it is beſtowed on them.
3. It is mercy that helps them in their Obedience. Not only doth it beſtow a new principle on them, but ſupplies them with freſh ſtrength for the performance of every new act, ſo as to do it acceptably, Joh 15. 5. 2 Cor. 3. 5. So that if at any time he withdraws his influence of aſſiſtance from us, we are a… a ſtand, and cannot go forward; he worketh our works in us and for us.
4. It is of mercy that they are kept in Obedience. Not only is there a corrupt nature remaining in them, but it is able, when God ſuffers it, to Captivate them, Rom. 7. 23. The Grace in them, from whence their Obedience flows, is maintained by him, elſe it would dy. It is indeed called an immortal ſeed, becauſe it ſhall never dy, becauſe he keeps it alive, ſupports, defends, revives it, 1 Pet. 1. 5. The Obliquities which the Children of God ſometimes turn aſide to, ſay what they would ſoon be at, if God did not preſerve them; and did he not pity them, there is provocation enough in every ſuch fall, for him to leave them.
5. The beſt Service they perform needs mercy to accept it. The beſt will not bear a Law trial, Pſal. 130. 3. There is dung in all their Sacrifices, … mixing with their moſt holy actions, which, i… God did not in pity over look, would procur… them a rejection; their ſincerity finds acceptance and that is attended with ſuch ſhort comings, tha… were there not the Incenſe of Chriſt to perfum… their duties, they would be unſavoury to him… the ſenſible Chriſtian ſees enough in it, to diſlik… himſelf for it; What then but mercy can receiv… it with a Teſtimony of approbation?
6. They owe to God far better Service than th… either do or can perform. Could they Serve him … perfectly as man was able to do in his ſtate of integrity, it was no more than his due, Luk. 17. 10. Surely then, the beſt that imperfect believers perform, who have that in them which hinders their doing the good they would, muſt come incomparably ſhort of what is their duty: if then for all this it be rewarded by God, he therein ſhews his rich mercy to us.
7. There is no proportion between the reward and the Obedience. The Service done is ſo little, and the reward given ſo great that in it ſelf it beſpeaks the rich Grace of God, … that he beſtows it freely: a Crown, a Kingdom, an Eternal weight of Glory; the Apoſtle ſpeaking of Afflictions, in which we Serve God by patience, ſo compares them, 2 Cor. 4. 17. A cup of cold water is recompenſed with Everlaſting Life, what a diſproportion! a few moments ſerving God crowned with endleſs joys; how ſuperlative! ſurely it is wondrous bounty that confers this.
USE I. For Caution; Let us beware of arguing from hence that there is no need of our Obedience Proud men caſt off the Service of God unleſs they may merit by it. It is a great deluſion for men to …hink that if all be of mercy, it is all one whether we obey God, or neglect to do ſo. We are inju…iouſly charged for diſcouraging men from good works, by aſſerting that their whole Salvation muſt be of mercy; and that we open a door to …centiouſneſs: but we are aſſured that Grace ſa…ngly applied, teacheth a contrary leſſon, Tit. 2. 11, 12. It is the wickedneſs of mens hearts that ſaith, let us ſin that grace may abound. Let us the… conſider, the ſame mercy that hath provided Salvation for Sinners, hath alſo laid out the way in which we are to come by it; ſo that though, … God prevents the opportunity of our ſo expreſſing our love to him, in faithfully Serving him, as he doth in ſuch as dy in Infancy, and cannot proſeſ… their faith, his mercy is not hereby impeded, yet where he affords the opportunity, and men neglect it, promiſing themſelves to obtain the rewards of glory, though they liv… their ſin, they will find themſelves to their coſt reckoned with the Workers of Iniquity, and deſpiſers of mercy. Let no… Gods mercy nouriſh in us a neglect of, but … in us a greater zeal in his Service: Such are th… Redeemed of Chriſt, Tit. 2. 14.
USE II. This truth may ſerve to ſtigmatize th… Doctrine of mans merit; Yea, let it ſerve to roo… out the very ſecret opinion of it. There is to… natural to us a pride on this account, though w… do not openly profeſs, but reject the Doctrine. How impoſſible is it that a perſon ſhould receive a reward of mercy, and yet for his own merits? th… is a manifeſt contradiction. We do not here deny Chriſt's merits, for indeed all the benefits we receive from God, are bought and paid for by him… Salvation is called the purchaſed poſſeſſion, Eph. 1. 1… But Chriſt merited all for us, that he might beſto… it freely upon us, and we muſt come ſo for it, I… 55. 1. Rev. 22. 17. And how ſhould it be poſſib… that they ſhould merit any thing of God by their Obedience, whoſe very Obedience is a fruit of grace, and all the power and help to do it is a gift; and the Obedience it ſelf a due debt, which God may challenge of us, whether he gives us ſtrength or no. Let us then entertain a due abhorrence of that which is ſo directly repugnant to the deſign of Salvation that is laid in the New-Covenant.
USE III. Let it adviſe us to beware what improvement we make of our Obedience in the exerciſe of faith in prayer. There is a great deal of danger of miſapplication here, and Gods Children are too often guilty of it; for help then obſerve,
1. We may fetch much of our evidence and encouragement from our Obedience, if it be right. Faith works by love. True Obedience is a fruit of ſaving …th, and will be a witneſs of it, & ſo aſſure us that we are entituled to the Covenant, & the promiſes of it, which muſt needs fortify our faith, when we come to ask mercy of God. Beſides, there are promiſes made to this uprightneſs, & careful Serving of God; ſo that by this we may know that we are in the way of receiving the reward, which may encourage us to ask believingly, Pſal. 18. 20.
2. And we may make mention of it to God, and plead it when we come to him in prayer, and ſeek any mercy at his hand. There is a proud mentioning of it which we are to avoid, but there is a humble telling him of it, which his Servants have been wont to; thus Hezekiah, Iſa. 38. 3. And thus that good man once and again begs of God a remembrance of what he had done for his Houſe, Neh. 13. 14, 22, 31.
3 But we muſt for all this fly to the mercy of God as the fountain of all the good we hope for, and ask of him. We muſt not mention it as that which makes us any whit the more to deſerve the good we ſeek of him; we muſt not carry it to him as the price or purchaſe of theſe favours: ſo that though we claim the promiſe made to it, yet we ſtill acknowledge it to be a promiſe of Grace, and the reward none of our earnings, ſo he, Neh. 13. 22.
4. Hence we must not think our ſelves wronged if God withold from us the favours we requeſt. If we had no ſuch works, we ſhould ſay, if I ask and God grant, it is meer kindneſs, and if he deny he cannot wrong me: now if any thing that we have done abate from this frame, and make us more impe…ious in our demands, or impatient in his denials or delays, it ſaith that we put too high a value on our Obedience, and ſo diſhonour the free mercy of God. Let us then beware of this; and for that end,
1. Remember that you owe God for all the Grace … Strength by which you were helped to do theſe duties. You did them, but not of your ſelves, you could do nothing but ſin and diſhonour God; if he had not put his Spirit in you, you had never Served him; if he had not come in with his ſtrength, you had done nothing of this: if then he accepts of this, he accepts his own Grace; and this ſhould keep you humble. One would think it a noble act of Gods people ſo liberally to contribute to the building of the Temple; but ſee how David animadverts upon it, 1 Chron. 29. 13, 14.
2. That theſe very acts of Obedience are maimed & …ame things. Look on them again, compare them with the Rule, and that perfection which is the meaſure of our conformity preſcribed in the word of God, and you ſhall find ſo much deficiency in them, that it will make your plumes fall, and in ſtead of being proud you will be aſhamed of your ſelves, confeſſing all to be Rags; and this will make you ſo far from being diſcontented that they are not, that you will wonder that they ſhould ever be accepted; and help you to aſcribe all the returns of your prayers, not to your Obedience, but to his rich Grace.
USE IV. This may alſo ſerve to ſupport the Godly, under the ſenſe of the imperfection of their Obedience; and their fear leſt it ſhould not be accepted. Here then;
1. Remember it is mercy you have to do with. David comforts himſelf with this, Pſal 130. 3, 4. You are not under the rigour of the Covenant of works, where every defect incurs the Curſe; but the Covenant of Grace, in which God is pleaſed to make known the riches of his Grace, and hence his Children are encouraged to hope in it, under the deepeſt ſenſe of their own infirmities.
2. Know it that this mercy accepts of ſincerity, and covers imperfections in the Children of God. If there be truth in the inward parts, God hath a reſpect to it; Paul comforts himſelf in this, 2 Cor. 1. 12. And yet how doth he elſe where complain of his deficiency, Rom. 7. If your hearts are upright, you have the evidence of your being accepted; and he who accepts of you, will pity your infirmity, Matt. 26. 40. 41.
3. It is mercy that helps you to be ſincere. 1 Cor. 7. 25. Though God hath not beſtowed on you a legal perfection, becauſe he will have you entirely depend on his free Grace for your whole Salvation, yet he hath put a principle of integrity into you; you had nothing but falſhood and deceit in you by nature: and it being his own Grace thus beſtowed on you, he will look on it with a propitious eye: and you owe him all thanks for it, and ſhould pray as he, Pſal. 25. 21. Let uprightneſs and integrity preſerve me.
4. Hence if you rely on this mercy you need not to be afraid. The reaſon why the Children of God are terrified about this, is becauſe they ſo much rely on the Obedience it ſelf, whereas while we alone depend on the rich Grace of God, the teſtimony of our ſincerity will be a good ſupport under the moſt humbling ſenſe of our infirmity, becauſe hereby we know that God accepts us, and will magnify his mercy towards us, by taking occaſion from our infirmities to commend his love to us in accepting of us through Jeſus Chriſt.