England Faithfully Watched, Lecture 51
COLOSSIANS 1.21. In wicked works, &c.
ACtion is the maturitie of conception; the creature in externall motion to ſome end; one ſpinning out his bowels into a curious engine, to live upon and delight in. Action is in ſome creatures, purely naturall, and then inſtinct, a noble vertue in nature unexpreſſible, guides: workes from hence are ſome very uſefull, others very hurtfull to us, yet none properly called wicked, becauſe all the proper acts of ſuch creatures, in their kinde. Action is in other creatures called morall; the ſtaine of this action wee are to ſtand upon, (to wit) what it is that ſpeakes the actions of a man wicked.
Morall action is as fine linnen, 'twill quickly take ſtaine from many things. Action may be called wicked, from the actor of it; that which may be righteous to one, may be ſinfull and wicked to another. 'Twas a wicked thing for Ʋzza to touch the Arke, not materially, but efficiently, becauſe he did it. Fire burnes downe all ſometimes, and a man knows not whence it ſprings. Unqualified men will be medling with divine things, and thinke this is their ſanctitie, and 'tis their killing iniquitie. We beget in our own likeneſſe as Adam did: what the man is, that is his worke. To the uncleane, all things are uncleane, their hearing, reading, praying, wicked works. Actions name perſons, and perſons name actions. What haſt [thou] to doe to take my name in thy mouth? [your] ſolemne meetings are an abomination.
Action may be called wicked, from the matter of it; the breath of the man may poyſon the meſſe, or the ingredients which he puts into it. And if yee offer the blind for ſacrifice, is it not evill? and if yee offer the lame, and the ſicke, is it not evill? A good man may doe a wicked act: the lampe gone out, zeale for God fallen, and the man takes up a dead dog, and offers it to God, he brings a dead ſtinking carkaſſe, and ſets it cloſe under Gods noſtrills: what abominable wickedneſſe is that! Iſaac muſt have that which his ſoul loved, what paine ſoever be uſed to get it. Every diſh would not downe with the Patriarch: ſo every diſh is not ſavoury meate to God, he muſt have veniſon, how hard ſoever we hunt for it. What action is unfavoury, is wicked. Perſons want ſalt ſometimes. If that have loſt its ſavour, caſt it to the dunghill, this is ſpoken of perſons: ſo actions want ſalt ſometimes. If actions have loſt their ſavour, caſt them to the dunghill, ſaith the Lord, as abominable things. Weakneſſe or wantonneſſe of palate is not with God, but perfection of will: What he commands for offering, is our obedience to bring; to bring leſſe is wicked, to bring more is wicked; to adde or detract is wicked action, according to the matter; To have Altars at Dan and Bethel, when that at Jeruſalem was enough, to ſet up poſts, to helpe beare up Gods poſt, and make his houſe of more roomes, and more rafters then he has made it, is wicked action.
Action may be called wicked, from the forme of it; 'tis not enough that there be good metall, but there muſt be a good mould, to make a good bell. Chriſtian action is a piece full of art, it muſt be ſo caſt, as to carry the image and face of Chriſt in it, or elſe 'tis wicked. God lookes for his image in our perſons, and in our actions, or elſe he diſclaimes both as wicked. There is the matter of dutie, and the circumſtance, and both under expreſſe command. You ſhall doe this, and you ſhall doe it thus: pray and pray fervently; give and give liberally; rule and rule diligently; in the obſervation of theſe circumſtances, conſiſts the formalitie of action, in theſe ſmall lines lies the feature of Chriſt, the forme of his countenance; hit theſe and you hit the white: theſe obſerved, and a Chriſtian brings forth a childe like God, ſuch a one as will own God, and God it any where. Hypocriſie draws out her ſelfe, not Chriſt in action, when matter is allowed of, but manner of divine action muſt depend upon the humour of the man. A humerous Chriſtian allowes ſuch and ſuch diſhes at Wiſdomes table, but he will ſower or ſweeten them himſelfe, and eate what he will, and when he will; a line of his own will muſt be read and obſerved in every buſineſſe, or elſe he is no body: this is wicked action. Life is the ſum of action, this muſt be hid quite in the life of Chriſt, or elſe the life is wicked. [Not I] but Chriſt lives in me. If I act ſo that any thing of ſelfe lives in the action (i) that a mans own will orders the will of God in any thing, though but in the leaſt circumſtance, 'tis wicked action: Formalitie in action, ſpeakes the exactneſſe of it to rule.
Finally, Action is called wicked from the end of it: the glory of Chriſt is the end of action, what miſſeth this ſcope is wicked. You may extract oyle from any thing, but what gives it naturally is called an Olive tree. You may force ſpeech upon a bird, but what intends ſuch an act, that creature which intends a word, and purpoſeth ſuch a ſignification to others, is a man. So ſupreame power can force any creature in the world, to doe ſuch and ſuch ſervice to him, but that which doth propoſe and intend ſuch ſervice to the Lord God, and to and for his glory onelyonly, that is called Chriſtian action. Some run as a byaſſed bowle, with an accidentall inclination to good: put ſome ponderous thing into one ſide of a bowle, as Lead, or the like, and 'twill incline it in running, to the right hand or to the left, but it hath this inclination meerly accidentall; take out the weight in the ſide, 'twill not doe ſo, but run round as it is: ſo put ſilver enough in the pockets of ſome perſons, fill the hole in the ſide of the bowle, and the man will worke hard and run which way you will have him; this man ſeekes not you but yours, not the glory of Chriſt, but his belly; he aimes at himſelfe, therefore ſhoots naught, 'tis wicked action. Intention in action, is with more or leſſe ſtrength; where 'tis with much ſtrength, what is aimed at, though it be never ſo wicked, is made complacentiall to the ſoule, which makes wicked action notoriouſly wicked. Scope is univerſally naught, where hypocriſie is thick and deep. They doe all things to be ſeene of men, this is action abominably wicked. Aime is the firſt thing ſtirring, though the laſt thing accompliſhed. Action is at the very root rotten and wicked, when intention is awry, therefore is this action called wicked with emphaſis, violation of Gods will, and loving of it. The Lord loveth the righteous, but the wicked and him that loveth violence, his ſoule he hateth, Pſal. 11.5. He is ſet a degree beyond a wicked man, (i.) beyond ordinary wicked men. The wicked [and him that loveth violence]; that loveth violence (i) that doth aime at it, and make it his ſcope, as his life and pleaſure; this is ſo wicked, that it goes to the ſoule of God, becauſe 'tis complacentiall ſin.
Ʋſe. Motion is a tickle thing, your life is rapt up in it. You ſhould not worke at randome; with your owne hands you my cut your throats; by your works you ſhall be judged or juſtified; if they be judged wicked, ſo ſhall you, and be made to eate the fruit of your wayes for ever. Man is a rude creature; 'tis too ſtrict to worke by rule, any thing done is enough. Yea 'tis enough, well enough, to be called wicked enough, to judge you. Careleſneſſe is a graduall thing, man begins to be remiſſe a little about his worke, and then a little more, at laſt by divine judgement upon the ſoule, the man throwes off all care and conſcience, how he doth his dutie to God or man. Am I my brothers keeper? This ſpake he who a little before ſaid as much in action to God himſelf, by a carnall offering to him. Conſider ſeriouſly at what pitch and poſture of remiſneſſe in divine action you are, if you doe ill tremblingly, ſtop there, acknowledge that power within, that jogges you to look better to your way: if the feare of God be quite gone, that you doe wickedly freely, merrily, thinke of that of Solomon, that God will bring every worke into judgement. Wicked workes have a double judgement, a judgement here and hereafter. All motion to well being is ſucceſleſſe, much gotten comes to nothing, becauſe heaped together by wicked workes; Name withers, ſtate, yea, ſtrength withers; judged without, and judged within; Conſcience lights a fire with ſome wicked worke or other, and no worke ſo good can be wrought as to quench it. They ſhall feele a paine in their bellies, ſaith the text, Job 20.20. What you worke outward, God makes to worke inward in the guts, to torture there, and make roaring. You that make nothing to ſpeake wickedly, and doe wickedly, God makes as light to doe juſtly. You are undone ſinners, if God ingrave but one wicked worke upon your conſcience, this will ever be before you, and then a devill will ever be behind you, and between theſe two you will erect a gibbet, and hang your ſelves, if the Lord be not gracious, and what a fatall wicked worke will this be!
Some heare ſuch things as theſe, and then goe merrily to mending their workes in all poſt haſte, and never thinke of their hearts nor Chriſt. The hand goes after the heart: doe yee look without? look within too, if ever you meane to mend things. In ſin was I borne, ſaith David, when he looked upon that bloudy wickedneſſe againſt Ʋriah. Alas for me! I brought a wicked ſoule with me into the world, this hath brought forth this horrid and bloudy act into the world. My miſery lies deeper then every one is aware. I ſhall ſhed bloud againe and againe, I ſhall make Ʋriahs bloud touch the bloud of many other men, if the Lord be not mercifull to my wicked ſoule. Doth thy hand worke naught? uſe it to ſmite thine heart, that's the firſt ſtep to get it to move well. O if Chriſt were in my heart, I ſhould worke admirable well. I can doe all things through Chriſt, yea and I can doe all well. There needs many things in the ſoule, to make action holy: exact knowledge, exact faith, &c. and Chriſt is all theſe. In the darke men worke naughtily: a blind ſoule cannot act well. Action muſt be ſquared by truth, but ignorant perſons know not the rule. Chriſt is light, he is ſo in the darkeſt ſoule; as a pearle he ſparkles and gliſters in a dungeon, in what ever breaſt, in what ever darke cell you put him. Scales fell from Pauls eyes, but 'twas Chriſt in him that did it, and he knew Chriſt preſently, and to doing good workes he would goe preſently. Lord, what wilt thou have me to doe? He underſtood much in a little while, his Maſter, his ſervice, and wanted nothing but divine miſſion, as before he had diabolicall. Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? A man is made very knowing with one Tutor.
Affection tends to make good action; If I do this, and that, and have not love. Love alone doth not well; If the blinde lead the blind, &c. Here is a great deal of love, but both fall into the ditch, and drown both it and themſelves. Light and love together do well; Chriſt is both, he is a light of life in the ſoul where he is. Coldneſſe is the property of a ſtone, there is no ſoul in this body, a ſtone ſtirs not, unleſſe it be downward. Folly talks to the grief of the wiſe; I do not love ſudden pangs: ſome will do great matters preſently, and what noble works they will perform, when in the company of ſome, a little warmer then themſelves, and no ſooner theſe more lively ſpirits departed from them, but they return to their proper temper, as cold as ſtones, and doing nothing but deſcending downward to their place; theſe mens ears were warmed, and not their hearts. The heart fired with love to Chriſt, 'twill give name, ſtate, every drop of blood to Chriſt, and theſe are noble works indeed. Noble actions are of ſeverall ſorts, that's the nobleſt that offers up all to Chriſt, that forſakes all to follow him, father, mother, husband, wife, ſelf; love doth this, ſhe offers nothing but whole burnt-offerings, holocauſts.
Finally, faith alſo bears its proper part, to make a good work. 'Tis the higheſt art in the world to do a good work; a man muſt pray with the mouth of Chriſt, and then 'tis a good prayer; a man muſt give with the hand of Chriſt, and then 'tis good almes: a man muſt do all that Chriſt ſayes, but then muſt lean only upon what Chriſt is, to make a good action. A man muſt do all, and then undo all, to make it throughly good, (i.) deny all, and account all my actions nothing, my ſelf nothing, and make Chriſt as fully and purely all to reſt on, as if I had never ſo much as thought one good thought, in all my life. A man not himſelf, is but a bad Artificer, but a Chriſtian, when not himſelf, (i.) when out of himſelf, is a brave Artiſt; then a Chriſtian works bravely, nobly, heavenly indeed, when quite off himſelf, and wholly in the boſome and armes of Chriſt, in all he doth. There go many things to make up this or that ſecular thing good, but one to make a Divine good, to wit Chriſt; there is none good but one, and there is none that properly does good but one, to wit, Chriſt. There is as few good Artiſts for the practick part of Chriſtianity, as of any calling; many actions go through our hands only and never through the hands of Chriſt, and theſe are all loſt as wicked works. All that goes out of our hands, muſt be put by faith into the hands of Chriſt, then 'tis maturated, and ſhall meet us as ſo many royall Diadems, to adorn us for ever.
You ſee now the way to work well, thus work, and your work will be work and wages; 'Tis a very ſweet life, to do all in Chriſt. Things are very lively and contentfull in their own element: Set a Lark to flie in the open aire, 'tis his element, 'tis his heaven, he will flie upward, upward, which is very hard work, and yet he will do this, and ſing too. The breaſt of Chriſt is the proper element of a Chriſtian, and when here, a man works nimbly, he works and ſings too, goes upward towards that place above, which is very hard work, and yet ſings as he goes, becauſe he has ſuch ſilver wings from Chriſt. If ye abide in me, ſaith Chriſt, ye will do bravely, you will bring forth good works, as a Garden, as a Vine doth fruits, ſmilingly. Let's work as Chriſt did, and we ſhall finde our work as he did; 'twas meat and drink to him to do his Fathers will; his works were all works wrought in God, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks. Let a Chriſtian ſet himſelf in Chriſt, when he goes about any action, and he ſhall finde his work will be very ſweet, work and wages, his meat and drink. No motion ſo free and delightfull as Chriſtian motion; where 'tis purely Chriſtian. We ſet upon work out of Chriſt, and then the Chariot wheels move heavily, and we look ſadly, and are tired preſently, Chriſts ſayings are ſo hard to be done; by this a ſtumbling block is caſt before men of the world, the works and wayes of God evill ſpoken of. To work divine works, is the joyfulleſt, the ſweeteſt life in the world, if a man take the advantage of his work, that is, Chriſt with him in every thing; a Chriſtian and Chriſt will do any thing with eaſe, remove mountains, ſins, harder to be removed then mountains, and ſtand and ſmile to behold the plagues of death: O death, I will be thy plagues; to be the plagues of the king of plagues, is brave action indeed. A man might ſpeak more conſolatory from this point. Every workman in Chriſts Vineyard, hath a peny here, and Chriſts peny is more then any ones pound, but I cannot ſtand to ſum up this now.