A Little Cabinet, Section 16
Several ſtrong reaſons why the Saints ſhould walk holily, notwithſtanding the Covenant is free, and juſtification is free▪ and ſalvation it ſelf is of grace, not of works.
ALthough our qualifications doth not cauſe Gods love, yet we might queſtion whether God did love us, if we were not qualified.
Some men will be ready to ſay, if the Covenant of grace be thus every way free, in thoſe ſeveral particulars, and if we are ſo freely juſtified by grace without works, qualifications, and conditions on our part, we may live as we liſt, &c. To which give me leave to lay down the grounds and reaſons why all men ought to walk holily and humbly in this preſent world, and that for theſe ten ſtrong reaſons.
1. Becauſe the Lord hath commanded us in his word, to do juſtly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God, Mic. 6. 8.
2. Becauſe the Lord the Mighty God is glorified thereby, Mat. 5. 16. Let your light ſo ſhine before men, that they may ſee your good works, and glorifie your Father which is in heaven, 1 Pet. 2. 12. That they may by your good works, which they ſhall behold, glorifie God.
3. Although the Covenant of grace is free, and we are juſtified freely by grace, yet we are to walk holily and without blame, before him in love, Epheſ. 1. 4. John 15. 16. Becauſe it is the end of our election.
4. Becauſe it is the end of our Redemption, 1 Pet. 1. 18. Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as ſilver and gold, from your vain converſation, but with the precious blood of Chriſt, 2 Cor. 5. 15. He dyed for us, that they which live, ſhould not live unto themſelves, but unto him which died for them.
5. Becauſe it is the end of our Vocation, 1 Pet. 1. 15. But as he which hath called you is holy, ſo be you holy in all manner of converſation, 1 Theſ. 4. 7. God hath not called us unto uncleanneſs, but unto holineſs.
6. Becauſe it is the end of our Creation, Eph. 2. 10. Created in Chriſt Jeſus unto good works, which God hath before ordained, that we ſhould walk in them.
7. Becauſe if our converſation be not anſwerable to our profeſſion, we walk.
1. Unworthy of God, Col. 1. 10. and 1 Theſ. 2. 12.
2. Unworthy of the Goſpel, Phil. 1. 27.
3. Unworthy of our Vocation, Epheſ. 4. 1.
8. The Saints ſhould endeavour to out▪ſtrip in all good things, becauſe they be the ſalt of the earth, the light of the world, a City ſet upon an hill, that cannot be hid, Mat. 5. 13, 14.
9. Becauſe of the great diſhonour that we ſhall bring to God, if we do not walk holily: we cauſe his name to be blaſphemed, we crucifie Chriſt afreſh, and cauſe the way of truth to be evil ſpoken of, and grieve the Saints, and harden ſinners, &c.
10. Becauſe the end of our lives, and the diſſolution of the world is at hand. Seeing then that all theſe things ſhall be diſſolved, what manner of perſons ought we to be in all holy converſation and godlineſs: See 1 Pet. 4. 3. 2 Pet. 3. 11. I know no further reaſons, unleſs it be theſe that I ſhall but name, viz. Firſt, it is the way in which God hath appointed men to walk in, as in Epheſ. 2. 12. Secondly, that we may declare our ſelves to be the children of our heavenly Father, as in 1 Pet. 1. 14. and Mat. 5. 45. Thirdly, that we may be profitable to our brethren, Tit. 3. 8. compared with 1 Pet. 3. 1, 2. Fourthly, that we may adorn the Goſpel, and ſtop the mouths of wicked men who will condemn ſin in a profeſſour, although they will approve of it, and delight in it themſelves. Fifthly, becauſe God will give unto every man according to his works, Mat. 16. 27. Sixthly, a Chriſtian ſhould walk holily: that ſo he might give a check, convince and put to ſhame, and ſilence ungodly men, 1 Pet. 2. 15. For ſo is the will of God, that with well doing you may put to ſilence the ignorance of fooliſh men. I might, had I time, add ſome motives to theſe undeniable reaſons, to put thoſe that read theſe lines upon holy walkings; as, Firſt, he that doth order his converſation aright ſhall ſee the ſalvation of the Lord, Pſal. 50. 23. 2 Pet. 1. 11. For ſo an entrance ſhall be adminiſtred to you abundantly. Secondly, it will be a great incouragement to others to walk ſo too, 2 Cor. 8. 7. compared with verſe 3. Thirdly, it will be very profitable to thy ſelf, not only afterwards, but in the preſent tence, Pſal. 19. 11. And in the keeping of them there is great reward.
Of ſanctification, or a holy converſation according to a Goſpel Rule.
But in all our actions and holy walkings, let us be ſure we have an eye upon theſe three things, viz.
1. We muſt act from a right ground or principle.
2. We muſt act by a right rule, by precept rather then from example.
3. We muſt be ſure we have right ends: low baſe ends ſpoil the higheſt undertakings.
1. We muſt act from a right ground or principle: there be three principles from which men do act: two of them are too low and beneath a true Chriſtian to act from, viz
1. A natural principle, from which the Phyloſophers and heathens did many commendable things.
2. Many men act from a legal principle, as the Papiſts, Quaker, and Arminian; theſe do many things that are commanded, but not as it is commanded, and ſo with God not accepted.
3. There is a ſpiritual, or ſupernatural principle, from which Chriſtians do or ſhould act: now the right ground or principle, from which all holy and righteous actions ſhould flow, is either from
1. A pure heart.
2. A good conſcience.
3. Faith unfeigned.
1. A pure heart, not abſolutely and compleatly purified from all ſin, but comparative, and reſpectively purified by the blood of Chriſt, by way of juſtification, Pſal. 51. 7. Purified by the blood of Chriſt; his gracious habits as principles purity, being infuſed by way of ſanctification, 1 Cor. 6. 11. Purified by faith, Act. 15. 9.
2. A good conſcience, I mean not naturally good: ſo every mans conſcience is in a ſenſe good: but ſpiritually and ſupernaturally good, being purged by Chriſts blood from dead works, to ſerve the living God, Heb. 9. 14. And when we find conſcience to give a comfortable teſtimony of the hearts ſimplicity, and godly ſincerety in what it doth.
3. Faith unfeigned that is without hypocriſie, according to that, 1 Tim. 1. 5. Now the end of the Commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conſcience, and of faith unfeigned: now faith is then unfeigned, when it hath the true nature of faith in it, viz.
1. Aſſenting to the truth revealed, 1 John 5. 10, 11. and applying this truth aſſented to, John 1. 11, 12. Gal. 2. 20.
2. When it doth produce the effects of a living faith, which is good works, Jam. 2. 20, 26. Now examine whether thou haſt ſuch a pure heart, ſuch a good conſcience, ſuch a faith unfeigned, from whence all thy righteous actions do ſpring, (otherwiſe) thee and I may be ſaid with Amaziah, 2 Chron. 25. 7, 8, 9. He did that which was right in the ſight of the Lord, but not with a perfect heart: And ſo much to the firſt of theſe, the principle from which we ſhould act.
2. We muſt act by a right rule. Some make their own wils their rule, others make the example of men their rule, others make the light within their rule, but we are to make the word of God our rule, and ſo to go forth by the footſteps of the flock, Cant. 1. 8.
And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be upon them, Galat. 6. 16. And again the Apoſtles tell us, from Chriſt, whoſe mouth they are, we ought ſo to walk as we have them for an example.
And he that walks or ſpeaks not according to this rule, it is becauſe he hath no light in him, Iſa. 8. 20.
This was Noahs rule, Hebr. 11. 7. and Abrahams rule, Heb. 11. 8, 17. and Davids, Pſal. 40. 8. and Pauls, Rom. 7. 22.
The Lord doth not bid us make the light within the rule, but he hath placed a light within us, to ſee the rule without us, which will appear, if we a little conſider, that there is a threefold illumination.
1. General and natural, which is a natural light, or a light of reaſon; and with this light, the eternal word, the Son of God hath enlightned every man that cometh into the world, Joh. 1. 9.
2. There is a ſpecial and ſupernatural light which is planted in the ſouls of thoſe whom he hath before time elected, and in time called. See Col. 3. 19. and have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge, after the Image of him that created him.
3. There is a kind of a middle illumination between theſe two, more then meerly natural, but leſs then truly ſupernatural, which is the common gift of the ſpirit, even to hypocrites: Judas was thus enlightned, and thoſe hypocrites we read of in Mat. 7. 22, 23. and Simon Magus, Acts 8. 13. and by means of this light they may attain to theſe five things, and yet periſh at laſt.
1. They may attain to a great meaſure of literal knowledge of Chriſt, of the truth, and of the way of righteouſneſs, as doth clearly appear by theſe Scriptures, Heb. 10. 26. If we ſin wilfully, after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more ſacrifice for ſin. See Heb. 6. 4.
2. They may by means of this knowledge, attain to great degrees of reformation in their life and waies, 2 Pet. 2. 20. For if after they have eſcaped the pollution of the world, through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jeſus Chriſt, they are again intangled therein and overcome, the latter end with them is worſe then the beginning, for they were only outwardly reformed in the ſight of men, but not inwardly renewed in the ſight of God. Sin may be chained up and reſtrained, yet not caſt out and mortified.
3. They may go ſo far as to taſte of the heavenly gift, Heb. 6. 4. Note, here the Holy Ghoſt doth not ſay of them as of true Saints, they have eaten or drunken, but only taſted, that is, they have had ſome kind of Reliſh or ſmall ſenſe, by a temporary Faith, of the excellencies of Chriſt.
4. They may be ſaid by the improvement of this light, to be partakers of the Holy Ghoſt, Heb. 6. 4. that is, they are made partakers of the common gifts of the Holy Ghoſt, as common illumination, hyſtorical faith, and faith of Miracles. See Mat. 7. 22, 23. compared with Act. 8. 13.
5. They may in a ſenſe be ſaid to have taſted the good word of God, Heb. 6. 5. for theſe men hearing the Goſpel powerfully preached, and the matchleſs love of God in Chriſt to ſinners diſplayed, the worth and excellency of Jeſus Chriſt and his benefits unfolded, they come to be ſometimes moved, pleaſed, and for preſent affected with ſome pangs and moods of joy. Herod heard John-Baptiſt gladly, Mar. 6. 20. Mat. 13. 20. compared with Ezek 33. 31, 32. but all this is but an imperfect taſte, and ſo they do nothing from right principles, neither by a right rule.
3. As we ought to act from a right principle, by a right rule, ſo in the laſt place to a right end; low baſe ends ſpoyl the higheſt undertakings: now he that doth a good action to a good end, doth mind theſe two things in his action.
1. He doth it to the glory of God, according to that Command of God, 1 Cor. 10. 31. and Mat. 5. 16.
2. He doth it for his own and others good, Rom. 2. 7. Mat. 5. 16. Now bring theſe things home, and lay them upon your hearts: make a curious, narrow, impartial, diligent ſearch, and ſee whether thou doſt act from ſuch a principle, by ſuch a rule, to ſuch an end.
If not, thou doſt the thing that is commanded, but not as it is commanded; thou doſt with Amaziah, 2 Chron. 25. 7, 8, 9. That which is right in the ſight of the Lord, but not with a perfect heart, or elſe thou doſt a good action to an ill end, as in Phil. 1. 16.
And yet ſay to others and think in thy ſelf that thou haſt done well, as Jehu to Jonadab the ſon of Racab. Hence it appears that the ſtrength and confidence of a deluded man or woman may be ſo great, that it may ſeem unto himſelf an unreaſonable thing once to queſtion whether his heart be right, or the action good, even in thoſe actions wherein he came ſhort both of the matter, ground, form, and end.
Queſt. Cannot a natural man do an action that is good?
Anſw. A man by nature may do an action that is good for the ſubſtance thereof, as appears, Dan. 4. 27. But he cannot do that which is truly and ſpiritually good, Mat. 7. 18. A corru…t tree cannot bring forth good fruit, Jer. 13. 23. Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the Leopard his ſpots; then may ye do good, that are accuſtomed to do evil. See alſo Rom. 3. 10. Prov. 15. 8. and 21. 27.
Queſt. Why cannot he do that which is ſpiritually good?
1. Becauſe his perſon is not accepted, Gen. 4. 4. compared with 1 Pet. 2. 5.
2. Becauſe his perſon is not ſanctified, ſo the actions he doth proceed not from a good root, viz. Faith and the ſpirit of ſanctification, 1 Tim. 1. 5. Jam. 4. 3.
3. Becauſe he doth it not to a good end, 1 Cor. 10. 31. Col. 3. 17. Phil▪ 1. 16.
Object. You have been ſpeaking to us of the principal from which, the rule by which, and the end to which we ſhould act, and of our remiſsneſs and defection herein, but pray if you can, tell us by what power we ſhall do all theſe things. I find my ſelf altogether unable to do theſe things; and I read in Scripture, that the way of man is not in himſelf: it is not in man to direct his ſteps, Jer. 10. 23. And Paul tels us from the Lord, that we are not ſufficient as of our ſelves, to think ſo much as one good thought, and that it is God that worketh in us both to will and to do.
Anſw. Strength to perform any duty, to exerciſe any grace, to ſubdue any luſts, to reſiſt any temptation, to bear any affliction, &c. Is derived only from Chriſt, (viz.)
1. Conſider that either he hath already enabled thee to do the thing commanded, for he hath given a talent, or talents, 1 Cor. 12. 8, 9, 10. Rom. 12. 6. compared with Mat. 25. from ver. 15. to 28.
2. Conſider that many times the Lord conveyes a power together with the command, to enable thee to do the thing commanded. So when he bid Lazarus to come forth, he conveys a power together with the command, and he came forth; ſo again in Luk. 5. 24. he commanded the man that was ſick of the palſie, to take up his bed and walk, and conveys a power together with the command, whereby ver. 25. he did immediately ariſe, took up his bed, went to his houſe, and glorified God: ſo again in Ezek. 2. 1, 2. And he ſaid unto me, Son of man ſtand upon thy feet, and I will ſpeak unto thee, and the Spirit entred into me when he ſpake, and ſet me upon my feet, and I heard him that ſpake unto me, &c.
3. When the Command lyeth before thee, if thou findeſt no power in thy ſelf already given to thee, neither any power conveyed to thee together with the Command, then bring the precept to the promiſe, and ſearch what there is in the promiſe, anſwering to that which the precept requires, and ſo to ſue out by prayer the bleſſing of the promiſe, that we may be enabled to do the duty of the precept.
Precept, it is mans duty to believe, Mark. 1. 15.
Promiſe, the Covenant holds forth believing as a free gift, Epheſ. 2. 8.
Prayer ſues it out, Lord help my unbelief.
Precept. It is mans duty, to waſh and be clean, Iſa. 1. 16.
Promiſe. It is Gods promiſe to ſanctifie and cleanſe us, Ezek. 36. 25.
Prayer. It is the buſineſs of prayer to ſue out this promiſe; waſh me and I ſhall be clean, Pſa. 51. 7.
It is mans duty to repent, and turn to God, Act. 17. 30.
The promiſe holds forth repentance as the gift of God, Act. 5. 31, 2 Tim. 2. 25.
Prayer ſues it out, turn thou me, and I ſhall be turned, Jer. 31. 18.
It is required of man as a duty to make him a new heart, Ezek. 18. 31.
It is Gods promiſe to give a new heart, Ezek. 36. 26.
Prayer riſeth up ſutable to the promiſe: Pſal. 51. 10: Create in me a clean heart O God, and renew a right ſpirit within me.
It is mans duty to love God, Mat. 22. 37.
Promiſe, It is Gods Covenant to circumciſe the heart to love him, Deut. 30. 6.
Prayer works out in the ſtrength thereof, that God would direct the heart to love him, 2 Theſ. 3. 5.
It is mans duty to fear God, Deut. 10. 12.
It is Gods promiſe to put his fear into our hearts, Jer. 32. 40.
Prayer ſeeks for it, Pſal. 86 11. Ʋnite my heart to fear thy name.
It is mans duty to draw neer to God, Jam. 4. 8.
It is Chriſts promiſe to draw men unto him: John 12. 32.
Prayer falls in ſutable hereunto, Can. 1. 4. draw me, we will run after thee.
It is mans duty to walk in Gods Statutes, Pſal. 119. 4.
It is Gods promiſe to enable him ſo to do, Ezek. 36. 27.
Prayer works up accordingly, Pſal. 119. 5. O that my waies were directed to keep thy Statutes.
It is mans duty to be ſtrong in the Lord, Epheſ. 6. 10.
It is Gods promiſe to make him ſtrong, Pſa. 29. 11.
Prayer fetcheth ſtrength from him, Pſal. 86. 16. Give thy ſtrength to thy ſervant.
It is mans duty not to depart from God, Heb. 3. 12.
It is Gods promiſe to his people, that they ſhall not depart from him, Jer. 32. 40.
Prayer anſwers hereto. O let me not wander from thy commandments, Pſal. 119. 10.
I might inſtance in all, or almoſt every thing required of us, that there is a promiſe left us, and to many precepts there is two or three promiſes; the one to enable us the other to reward us, and all to encourage us to do our duty.
Behold all ye whoſe faces are Sion-ward, here is a new and living way paved with promiſes. A way of ſtrength to the upright, wherein they may walk from ſtrength to ſtrength, till they appear before God in Sion. Let no diſcouraging thoughts concerning the difficulty of the work which is ſet before you poſſeſs your hearts, ſo as to hinder your application to it, and cheerfull progreſs in it. A yoak we are commanded to take upon us, but ſuch as is made moſt eaſie to bear, becauſe, that God which layeth it upon us, hath promiſed to ſtrengthen, ſupply and ſupport us; he who is righteous in commanding, is gracious in promiſing: let us be ſtrong in believing, and fervent in praying, and our work will be our meat, our duty our delight, and God will let us ſee that he hath either the Caſtle of providence, or the Ark of a promiſe, or the al-ſufficiency of his own grace, for a retirement of his people in the greateſt ſtorms and tempeſts.
Paul and Silas ſaid to the Jaylor, Act. 16. 30, 31. Believe on the Lord Jeſus Chriſt and thou ſhalt be ſaved. Now might not the Jaylor have replyed as many do now in our daies, and ſay, I can as well make a world, work miracles, overturn mountains, as believe by mine own power; therefore Paul and Silas, why bid ye me believe?
To this I anſwer, though it be true, that every commard of God is alike difficult to fleſh and blood, that a man can indeed as well make a world, as make a prayer aright, a man may as well ſubdue an army of men, as ſubdue one luſt, did not the Lord convey a power into the ſoul, together with the command, viz. If God command a man to believe, and gives him power to believe, the work will ſoon be done, Ezek. 36. The Lord commands to make a new heart: now a man is no more able to make a new heart, then to make a new world: therefore as we ſaid before, he promiſeth in the ſame place to give a new heart: and in another place it is ſaid, mortifie your luſts: now this a man cannot do of himſelf: but the ſame God that commands us to kill our luſts, will kill them for us, Micah 7. 18, 19. He will ſubdue our iniquities, and thou wilt caſt all their ſins into the depth of the Sea. Again, God commands us to repen…, but we are no more able to repent, or to ſhed one tear for ſin then a rock is to give out water, or we are no more able to repent, then to turn the ſtream, or to make a ſlint fleſh, till the Lord give us a repenting heart: he hath promiſed to give repentance to his people. So that the commands in Scripture, doth not ſhew what the creature can do, but what he ſhould do, yet not by our own natural power, but by his aſſiſting grace to enable us to do, what of our ſelves we cannot do, therefore we ſhould pray with Saint Auguſtine, Lord give what thou commandeſt, and then command what thou pleaſeſt.
To draw towards a concluſion to this point, let me acquaint the Reader of what I have obſerved amongſt all ſorts of men with whom I have more or leſs converſed, viz. Firſt the Papiſt, both in their writings and diſcourſes, cry up and preſs all people to be doing good works. The Arminian his coſen Jerman, pleads for the ſame, and that almoſt, if not altogether, from the ſame principle, to the ſame end: the new upſtart Quakers, fals in and cloſeth with theſe old errors, preſſing people to do the thing that is commanded, but not as it is commanded; ſo many of our brethren of the Presbyterian party being in and under a ſpirit of bondage themſelves, preach the Law before the Goſpel, and put their hearers to act for life, but not from life. So alſo our brethren of the Independant party, and thoſe of the Baptiſt party, many of them to my own knowledge do more mind the things they do for God in way of obedience to his commands, then they do the principle from which, the rule by which, and the end to which they do it; and when they have done it, even theſe alſo are apt to lay too great a ſtreſs upon it. So then the Papiſt, freewiller, Quaker, Presbyterian, Independant, Baptiſt, all theſe preach, teach and cry out to all their hearers for a holy converſation; nay to come a little nearer home, the word of God cals upon us for it, our own conſciences call for it, and check us for our remiſsneſs therein; nay the Chriſtians with whom we converſe expect it from us, what remains then but that we be found in the practices of it, but let us beware we reſt not upon it, for as we are not to conclude our juſtification from any effects of ſanctification, ſo we are not to conclude that apprehenſion of juſtification to be from God, which takes us off the means, waies and rules of ſanctification: the Ranters error ſprings up in them for want of this diſtinction.
In a word, to ſay no more; duty is the matter of promiſe, as well as Gods mercy, as doth moſt clearly appear by theſe Scriptures, 1 Cor. 2. 12. Epheſ. 2. 8. Phil. 1. 29. Acts 5. 31. Joh. 8. 32. And our holy converſation is not the cauſe of our ſalvation, but the effect; neither do I hold that there is any free will in man, neither do I believe that any man hath, or ever ſince the fall, had any will or power of himſelf without God to do any thing that is good, for in him, as the Scripture ſaith, we live, move, and have our being; ſo that in, through, and by God and Chriſt we may do all things, for he is a Sun, and a ſhield, and will give grace and glory, and no good thing will he withhold from them that wait on him, Pſal. 84. 11.
Yet God hath given all men enough, to leave them without excuſe; what man is there that knoweth not, that if he make uſe of all the opportunities, will, power and underſtanding that God hath given him, but he may avoid more evil, and do more good then he hath done, or doth now do?