A Vindication of Godliness, Sermon 2 · Mark 1
1. Mark.
1. Whereſoever there is true Grace, there is an hearty willingneſs to part with every ſin.
The firſt work of the ſanctifying Spirit upon the ſoul, is, the diſcovering of ſin, making it appear to be an enemy; and the firſt ſaving work is, the dividing betwixt ſin and the ſoul, making an utter breach betwixt them. The Spirit of God makes us firſt to look on ſin as an enemy, and then to deal with it as an enemy; to hate it, to fear it, to be impatient at the preſence of it. Rom. 7. 24. Wretched man that I am, who ſhall deliver me from the body of this death? When the good Spirit enters into the heart, from that day forward, the Soul looks on ſin, as Saul look'd on David, when the evil ſpirit fell upon him; It's ſaid, he eyed David from that time forward, he looked on him with an evil eye, with an envious eye: Oh! that I were once well rid of this David; Oh! (ſaith a Convert) that I were once well rid of this Luſt. It's now become to the Soul, as the Daughters of Heth were to Rebeccah, Gen. 26. 35. A grief of mind to it, a wearineſs to it. I am weary of my life, becauſe of theſe daughters of Heth.
When there is this breach made betwixt ſin and the Soul, it's grace that hath made it; when ſin hath loſt the will, it hath loſt the man; when Chriſt hath gotten the will, he hath gained the man. The will, is the heart; give me thy heart, is the ſame, as be willing to be mine; the will is the ſtrong hold of the ſoul; this is it that holds out laſt againſt God; when this is won, all is won. Sin may have loſt the underſtanding, and loſt the conſcience; theſe may plead for God, and for holineſs, and may cry out againſt ſin, Away with it, away with it; Crucifie it, crucifie it; there is Death and Hell in the bowels of it, away with it. But as long as ſin hath the will for it, it ſtill hath the man. Reaſon ſaith, I ought to tura; Conſcience ſaith, I muſt turn, but yet nothing follows; but when the heart ſayes, I will turn, then the work is done: Reaſon ſaith, theſe Idols ought not to ſtand; Conſeience ſaith, theſe Iuſts muſt be ſubdued; theſe my ſinful pleaſures, theſe my ſinful wayes, theſe my ſinful companions, muſt be left; but when the will ſayes to them, Get you hence, there's a work of Grace begun.
But now this willingneſs to part with, or turn from ſin, that it may infallibly prove grace to be in us, muſt be,
1. Univerſal. A willingneſs to be rid of all ſin. The enmity againſt ſin, that's wrought by grace, is againſt the whole kind, againſt all ſin, Root and Branch, Body and Members. A true Iſraelite, would not have one Canaanite left in the Land, would have the whole generation rooted out, Pſal. 119. I hate every falſe way. Pſal. 139. Search me, O Lord and ſee if there be (any) wickedneſs in me.
2. Habitual. It muſt not be onelyonly for the time that the heart is ſet againſt ſin, when it is under ſome terrour or trouble, but there muſt be an abiding willingneſs. Pharaoh, when the Thunder, and the Hail, and the Fire, and the Frogs, and the Flies, were upon him, for the time was willing to let Iſrael go, but preſenrly after he meant no ſuch thing: 'Tis not what thou art in a fit, in a fright, or ſudden paſſion, in ſickneſs, or under the apprehenſions of death, that will give thee any certain light, by which thou mayeſt judge of thy ſtate, but what thou art in the ſtanding and abiding diſpoſition and bent of thy ſoul: A Godly man is never unwilling (when he is himſelf) to be rid of every ſin.
3. Prevalent. The willingneſs muſt be greater than the unwillingneſs. A gracious heart is more willing to be rid of ſin, than to continue in ſin. He had much rather, if it were put to his choice, live without all ſin, than to be allowed to live in any ſin. Whatever the pleadings and reaſonings of his fleſh are, for an indulgence to any particular ſins, whatever the advantages of yielding to the fleſh herein mîght be, whatever dammages or prejudices might follow upon his parting with them, yet he had much rather, whatever comes of it, be freed from them all. If the Lord ſhould come to ſuch a ſoul, and give him as large …grant as he did to Solomon, Ask what I ſhall give thee, ask what I ſhall do for thee, write down what thou wilt, and thou ſhalt have it; this is that which he would have, Lord take away mine iniquittes. 'Tis not the lives of mine enemies, or a revenge upon them, that I deſire; 'tis not freedom from trouble, or affliction, that I deſire; make me a clean heart, O Lord, purge me from my ſins, let my luſts die, my corruptions die, and then though mine enemies live, and their malice lives, and my troubles live, yet if my ſins be once dead, I have my deſire.
And this willingneſs will diſcover it ſelf to be prevailing by bringing forth,
1. Reſolution.
2. Reſiſtance againſt ſin.
1. Where a man is truly willing to be rid of ſin, there will be reſolution againſt it; he will not only be patient and content to give God leave to crucifie all his beloved luſts, and darling corruptions, and give the world leave to hew and ſtrike home at the root of them, without hiding them, or warding off the blow, or wiſhing they might be ſpared to him, but ſtands ſtedfaſtly on Gods ſide, and taking part with him againſt ſin, reſolves to uſe all his means for the conquering and overcoming of them.
2. This reſolution will bring forth reſiſtance. An heart that's weary of ſin, will fall to ſtriving againſt ſin, Gal. 5. 17. The fleſh luſteth againſt the spirit, and the ſpirit againſt the fleſh, for theſe two are contrary the one to the other. Contraries are naturally expulſive each of other. Such a pair as a Jacob and an Eſau, ſuch Twins, as an Iſaac, and an Iſhmael, cannot lie quietly togeth… in the ſame womb; no, nor live quietly together in the ſame houſe, but there will be a mutual proſecuting and perſecuting each of other; fire and water may as well agree in the ſame veſſel, as grace and ſin in the ſame heart. A gracious heart will be reſtraining, curbing, and withſtanding it, in all its workings. It's a mere vanity, for men to talk of being willing to be rid of ſin, when they let it live, and work, and rule, and run in its courſe, without ever laying the hand to the bridle to reſtrain it.
Let me add one word more; if you ſtrive againſt ſin, and your ſtriving be attended with ſucceſs; if you have gotten any degree of victory, the evidence will be much more full and clear.
This now is the firſt Mark, by which you may try your ſelves, whether there be the truth of grace in you, or not.
He that is willing to be freed from all ſin, habitually willing, prevailingly willing; he that's more willing to be freed from ſin, than to be allowed to live in ſin, and hereupon is reſolved to uſe all God's means for the conquering of it; and accordingly ſtrives, prayes, watches, and wreſtles againſt it, eſpecially if he finds his luſts begin to fall before him, undoubtedly there is grace in that mans heart. As Haman's Wife ſaid to her Husband, If this Mordecai be of the ſeed of the J…ws, before whom thou haſt begun to fall, thou ſhalt not prevail againſt him; I ſhall be bold to ſay to ſuch a perſon, without any ifs or ands, this Mordecai is of the ſeed of the Jews, this grace, before which thy luſts have begun to fall, is the Seed of God, and therefore thy ſins ſhall never totally preval againſt it; but ſhall finally fall and be deſtroyed by it.