A Vindication of Godliness, Sermon 2 · Part 4
IV. Reſign, and deliver up your ſelves to God in Christ.
2 Chron. 30. 8. Yield your ſelves to the Lord; that is, as his ſervants, give up the dominion and government of your ſelves to Chriſt, Rom. 6. 13. Neither yield your members as inſtruments of unrighteouſneſs unto ſin, but yield your ſelves to God, as thoſe that are alive from the dead, and your members, as instruments of righteouſneſs unto God, Ver. 16. To whom ye yield your ſelves ſervants to obey, his ſervants you are to whom you obey: Yield your ſelves ſo to the Lord, that you may henceforth be the Lords; I am thine, ſaith the Pſalmiſt, Pſal. 119. Thoſe that yield themſelves to ſin, and the World, their hearts ſay, Sin, I am thine; World, I am thine; Riches, I am yours; Pleaſures, I am yours, I am thine, ſaith the Pſalmiſt, devoted to thy fear, dedicated to thy ſervice; I am thine, ſave me: Give your ſelves to Chriſt ſinners, be devoted to his fear.
And this giving your ſelves to him, muſt be ſuch, as ſuppoſes that you be heartily contented:
1 That he appoint you your work.
2 That he appoint you your ſtation.
1 That he appoint you your work, that he put you to whatſoever he pleaſeth; ſervants, as they muſt do their Maſters work, ſo they muſt do that work which their Maſter appoints them, they muſt be for any work their Maſter hath for them to do; they muſt not pick and chuſe, this I will do, and that I will not dot; they muſt not ſay, this is too hard, or this is too mean, or this may be well enough let alone. Good ſervants when they have choſen their Maſter, will let their Maſter chuſe their work, and will not diſpute his Will, but do it.
Chriſt hath many ſervices to be done, ſome are more eaſie and honourable, others more difficult and diſgraceful; ſome are ſutable to our inclinations and intereſts, others are contrary to both: In ſome we may pleaſe Chriſt, and pleaſe our ſelves, as when he requires us to feed and cloath our ſelves, to provide things honeſt for our own maintenance; yea, and ther are ſome ſpiritual duties that are more pleaſing then others; as to rejoyce in the Lord, to be bleſſing and praiſing of God, to be feeding our ſelves with the delights and comforts of Religion; theſe are the ſweet works of a Chriſtian, But then, there are other works wherein we cannot pleaſe Chriſt, but by denying our ſelves; as giving and lending, bearing and forbearing, reproving men for their ſins, withdrawing from their ſocieties, witneſſing againſt their wickedneſs, owning and confeſſing Chriſt and his Name, when 'twill coſt us ſhame and reproach; ſailing againſt the wind, ſwimming againſt the tide, ſteering contrary to the temper and diſpoſition of the times; pinching upon the fleſh, parting with our eaſe, our liberties, relations, and accommodations for the Name of our Lord Jeſus, with much work of this kind.
It is neceſſary Beloved, to ſit down and conſider what it will coſt you to be the ſervants of Chriſt, and take through …urvey of the whole buſineſs of Chriſtianity, and not engage hand over head to you know nor what.
Firſt, See what it is that Chriſt doth expect, and then yield your ſelves to his whole will. Do not think of indenting, and compounding, or making your own terms with Chriſt, that will never be allowed you.
Go to Chriſt and tell him, Lord Jeſus, if thou wilt receive me into thine houſe, if thou wilt but …wn me as thy ſervant, I will not ſtand upon terms; impoſe on me what condition thou pleaſeſt, write down thine own Articles, command me what thou wilt, put me to any thing thou ſeeſt good. Let me come under thy roof, let me be thy ſervant, and ſpare not to command me. I will be no longer mine own but give my ſelf up to thy will in all things.
2 That he ſhall appoint you your ſtation and condition, whether it be higher or lower, a plentiful, or a wanting, a proſperous, or an afflicted eſtate. Be concontent, that Chriſt ſhould both chooſe your work, and chooſe your condition, that he ſhould have the command of you, and the diſpoſal of you; make me what thou wilt, Lord, and ſet me where thou wi…: let me be a Veſſel of Silver or Gold, or a Veſſel of Wood or Stone, ſo I be a Veſſel of Honor, of whatſoever form or mettal, whether higher or lower, ſiner or courſer, I am content; If I be not the head, or the eye, or the ear, one of the nobler and more honorable inſtruments thou wilt imploy, let me be the hand, or the foot, one of the moſt laborious, and loweſt, and moſt contemptible of all … ſerv…n…s of my Lord, let my dwelling be on the dunghill, my portion in the wilderneſſe, my name and my lot be amongſt the he…ers of wood, or drawers of water, among the door-keepers of thy houſe; and where, where I may be ſerviceable and uſe…ul…; I p…t myſelf wholly into thy, hands; Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt, put me to doing, put me to ſuffering, let me be imployed for thee, or laid aſide for thee, exalted for thee, or trodden under foot for thee; let me be full, let me be empty, let me have all things, let me have nothing, I freely and heartily reſign all to thy diſpleaſnre and diſpoſal.
This now is your cloſing with Chriſt, as your King and Sovereign Lord; and in this is included, your renouncing the Devil and his works the fleſh and its luſts, together with your conſenting to all the Laws and Ordinances of Chriſt; and his Providential Government.
Beloved, ſuch a cloſe with Chriſt, as you have been here exhorted to, is that wherin the Eſſence of Chriſtianity lies; when you have choſen the incorruptible crown, that is, whan you have choſ…n God to be your portion and happineſſe: when you have adventured and laid up your whole intereſt, and all your hopes with Chriſt, caſting your ſelves wholly upon the merit of his Righteouſneſſe, when you have underſtandingly and heartily reſign'd and given up your …vsus to him, reſolving for ever to be at his command, and at his diſpoſal: when you are Chriſtians indeed, and never till then. Chriſt will be the Saviour of none but of his ſervants: He is the Author of Eternal Salvation to thoſe that obey him, Heb. 5. Chriſt will have no Servant but by conſent, His people are a willing people, Pſal. 1…0. And Chriſt will accept of no conſent but in full, to all that he requires, he will be all in all, or he will be nothing.