The Christian Completely Armed, Lecture 13
LECT. XIII. Jan. 2. 1649.
EXhortation, That all the people of God Ʋſe 2.would be careful to get and keep this Breaſt-plate. You can do nothing by way of reſiſtance againſt the Devil in the day of Temptation without this Breaſt-plate: therefore the Counſel is very neceſſary. In the carrying on of this exhortation, I ſhall (1.) lay down ſome other motives, (2.) Preſcribe you ſome helps. The motives are theſe.
Motive 1. The want of a righteous and hol… life will exceedingly open the mouthes of ungod…y men, to blaſpheme God and his wayes. This is the Apoſtles Argument, 2 Pet. 2. 12. 15. The honeſty of the lives of Gods people, will ſtop the mouthes of the wicked; but the diſhoneſty and blameableneſs of their Converſation, will be an occaſion to make them ſpeak evill, both of God, and of his Religion, unholy and unrighteous Actings will lay a ſtumbling-block in the way of many, upon which they may ſtumble into Hell. Now Chriſtians are forbidden to give any offence, either to Jew or Gentile, or to the Church of God, vid. 2 Pet. 2. 2. Many ſhall follow, &c. by reaſon of whom the way of truth ſhall be evill ſpoken of: when Chriſtians that have profeſſed and practiſed the truth, ſhall apoſtatize▪ men, that never cared for the truth, ſhall ſay, Behold the end of their contendings about truth! Davids ſin did much hurt in this reſpect, 2 Sam. 12. 14. This is that which God chargeth upon his people, Ezek. 36. 20.
Now a holy life removes this ſcandall.
2. Mot. The want of a righteous life will grieve the holy Spirit of God. This is the Apoſtles Argument, Eph. 4. 28. 29, 30. Let him that ſtole, ſteal no more, &c. The ſpirit of God cannot properly be grieved. God is foreign but when he carrieth himſelf as a man that is grieved, then the Scripture uſeth that expreſſion. I am broken with your whoriſh heart, ſaith God, which hath gone a whoring from me, Ezek. 6. 9. To grieve the ſpirit of a man, is a very ſinful thing, much more to grieve the ſpirit of a good man; but moſt of all, to grieve the ſpirit of God. God is your Father, God is your friend, God is your Husband, God is your Comforter, God is your Saviour: and will ye the ſatisfying of a luſt grieve his ſpirit.
Motive 3. Ʋnrighteouſneſs of life will render all your holy duties, abominations unto God. A dead fly cauſeth the precious oyntment of the Apothecary, to ſend forth a ſtinking ſavour, &c. Eccleſ. 10. 1. You may ſee what God ſaith to his people to this purpoſe, Iſa. 1. 11. &c. To what purpoſe, &c. God will frown upon your prayers, when you come to his Table, he will hide his face from you, when you come to hear his word, he will not be friendly to you, &c.
Motive 4. Righteouſneſs of life is a good way to gain others to the love of Religion. Its a very convincing thing to the Conſcience of a naturall man. It will ſpeak when words are forgotten; it will be remembred, when Sermons are out of minde. The primitive Chriſtians did much good upon the Heathen, by the holineſs of their lives. And for this cauſe it is, that believing wives are exhorted to holineſs of life, that their Husbands which did not obey the word, might be gained by their converſation. 2 Pet. 3. 1. 2. Your faith is profitable to yourſelves, your holineſs to other men.
Motive 5. All Chriſtians that believe are ſpirituall Prieſts unto God, and therefore they ſhould be holy. The high Prieſt was to wear a curious Breaſt-plate, vid. Exod. 28. 15. 16. &c. ver. 30. there muſt be in it the Ʋrim and the Thummim, Light and Perfection. If your lives be unholy, you are no fit Prieſts to God, you want your Breaſt-plate. Thus for Motives.
Now for Helpes and Directions take theſe.
1. Study well the righteouſneſs, purity and holineſs of the Nature of God. The Holineſs of God is the Originall of all holineſs. It is both the Motive and the Example of all holineſs in the Creature: when the Prophet Iſay contemplates the holineſs of God, he cries out of his own unholineſs, Eſay 6. 3. 5. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of Hoasts, woe is me, for I am undone, becauſe I am a man of unclean lips. He that is much employed in the contemplation of the purity of God, will not take any contentment in his own impurity. The holineſs of God in Scripture is propounded for this very purpoſe, that by looking upon it, the Sons of men may ſtir up their mindes to purſue holineſs, 2 Pet. 1. 15. 16. As he who hath called you is holy, ſo be ye holy in all manner of converſation, becauſe it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy. It is ignorance of God, or forgetfulneſs, which is the cauſe of the love of unholineſs. When the ſoul comes once in good earneſt, to conſider the purity of God, his own impurity will be his ſorrow and burden. Theſe thoughts will let the ſoul ſee, that its impoſſible for him to have any Communion with ſuch a God, to whom he is ſo unlike. Similitude is the ground of Communion, as diſſimilitude is of diſunion and ſeparation. This is that which the Apoſtle layes as one foundation of comfortable communion with God, James 4. 8. Draw nigh to God, &c. cleanſe your hands ye ſinners, purifie your hearts, ye double minded. Righteouſneſs and unrighteouſneſs can have no fellowſhip, light and darkneſs can have no Communion, the Temple of God and Idolls cannot agree together, 2 Cor. 6. 14. 16.
(2.) Study the Holineſs and purity of the humane nature of Jeſus Chriſt your head. He had this Breaſt-plate continually upon him, Iſay 59. 17. He put on righteouſneſs, as a Breaſt-plate, and an Helmet of ſalvation upon his head: and all his Souldiers muſt be accoutred as their Generall is. He lived 33. years in the world, and all that time never ſtept once aſide, out of the way of righteouſneſs. He did no ſin, neither was there any guile found in his mouth. He is called in regard of his humane nature▪ foreign that holy thing, Luke 1. 35. This conſideration would mightily enflame a Chriſtian to the love and practice of holineſs; for he would thus argue with himſelf. Is it meet, that ſo corrupt a member ſhould have ſo holy a head? Is it meet, ſo holy a Maſter ſhould have ſo unholy Diſciples? There are two principall ends of the Incarnation of Jeſus Chriſt, One is, that he might in our nature make ſatisfaction for our guilt. The other is, that he might fulfill all righteouſneſs for us, and that there might be in our nature a perfect pattern of holineſs for our Imitation, 1 Pet. 2. 21. leaving us an example, &c. And no man can expect any benefit by Chriſts ſatisfaction, who doth not endeavour the Imitation of his example: thou haſt no hopes of being healed with his ſtripes, if thou be not willing to be guided by his example, verſ. 21. 23, 24. Upon this ground it is evident, that the ſtudying of his holineſs, will be of ſingular uſe to make us holy. Its the Apoſtles direction, 1 John 3. 3.
(3.) Look back often to the righteouſneſs of the ſtate of innocency. Mankind was created at the firſt in Adam, after the Image of God, in holineſs and righteouſneſs: he had both the girdle of truth upon his loyns, and the Breaſt-plate of Righteouſneſs upon his breaſt: there was no impurity within, there was no irregularity outwardly, till he had ſinned. Serious meditations of this, will have ſome influence upon the ſoul, to help forward the practice of holineſs. There is a naturall deſire in all men, in whom there is any nobleneſs of ſpirit, to regain and recover the honours preferments and Revenues, which have of ancient time been inſtated upon their Families. The very reading of ſome ancient Records, which ſhew that ſuch Dignities have been conferred upon their predeceſſors, doth put an edge upon their ſpirits, to endeavour that they and their poſterity may be reinveſted with the ſame dignities. When the ſecond Temples foundation was laid after the return of the people from captivity its ſaid, that many of the Prieſts and Levites, and chief of the Fathers, who were ancient men, that had ſeen the firſt Temple, wept with a loud voice, Ezra 3. 12. The latter houſe was more glorious then the firſt, in this reſpect, becauſe Jeſus Chriſt ſhould come to his Temple, and fill it with his glory, he of whom the Temple was a Type. But in regard of outward magnificency, the former Temple did far excel this, and therefore the old men wept, when they ſaw this begun, to think how far ſhort it cam of the other, I would apply it to our purpoſe thus. If a Chriſtian would but view the firſt Temple, & behold often the glorious holineſs of man in Paradice, he would not be able to look upon the preſent miſcarriages of his life without weeping. It would make him uſe all endeavour to bring up both his inward and outward man to ſome good proportion, (at leaſt as much as is poſſible) to that Standard of originall righteouſneſs, which is quite loſt by the Fall. And for this purpoſe, it is, that God hath left ſome rudera abiding ſtill in man, that by viewing the firſt building, he may be provoked to endeavour the repair of it. The Apoſtle makes this as a help to direct the Epheſians to exact holineſs of life, Eph. 4. 22. 23, 24. Put on the new man, which after God is created in righteouſneſs and true holineſs.
(4.) Meditate on the righteouſneſs of that place, whither you deſire to be tranſlated after this life. Heaven hath nothing in it but holineſs and glory: its called in Scripture, an Inheritance undefiled, 1 Pet. 1. 4. and the Holy Ghoſt tells us, there ſhall in no wiſe enter into it, any thing that defileth, neither whatſoever worketh abomination, Rev. 21. 27. The unrighteous ſhall never inherit the Kingdom of God, 1 Cor. 6. 9. The cleanneſs and beautifulneſſe of a room is a great perſwaſion to men to cleanſe their feet, that they may be fit to enter into it. Heaven is a clean place, the ſtreets of that City are pure gold, as it were tranſparent glaſſe, Rev. 21. 21. A ſpotted life is not fit for an unſpotted Heaven. Follow peace with all men, and holineſs, without which no man ſhall ſee the Lord, Heb. 12. 14. It is not the happineſs of the Servants of God to be at peace with all men in this world; they do follow it, but they cannot overtake it; but holy they muſt be, elſe they ſhall have no part in the Kingdom of holineſs. When a man intends to plant himſelf into forraign parts, he is very careful to be as well acquainted as may be, both with the Language and cuſtoms of that Countrey. Every Chriſtian deſires to be tranſplanted into Heaven, a place of holineſs, and therefore ſhould be careful to be fitted before-hand, for that holy place. A heavenly converſation is fit for one, who intends to be an Inhabitant in Heaven, Tit. 2. 12. 13.
(5.) Conſider the righteouſneſs of your Chriſtian profeſſion. Your profeſſion is a profeſſion of holineſs, and its fit the practice ſhould be anſwerable to the Profeſſion. A Chriſtian calling, is an high Calling, Kings, Prieſts, &c. Phil. 3. 14. and it is alſo an holy Calling, Chriſtians are called to be Saints. God, ſaith the Apoſtle, hath ſaved us, and called us with an holy Calling, 2 Tim. 1. 9. And if a Chriſtian would but well remember, either the highneſs or holineſs of his Calling, he would not walk ſo diſorderly, as ſometimes he doth. Mens Callings are very forcible to take them off from employments that are unſuitable, and to put them upon ſuch as are agreeable to their Callings. A Merchant will not rake in Dunghills, it is work unfit for his Calling. Kings will not buy and ſell, and trade; it is not ſuitable to their Calling. It is not for Kings, oh Lemuel, it is not for Kings to drink wine, nor for Princes, ſtrong drink. Prov. 31. 4. It is not for any perſon to be given to drink, &c. but of all men, its moſt unfit for Kings to do it. Their imployment is of a higher nature, then the employment of ordinary men. When Nehemiah was tempted to have fled from his work, into the Temple for ſafety, the conſideration of his profeſſion kept him from yielding. Should ſuch a man as I flee? Neh. 6. 11. I who came hither to ſtand out againſt oppoſition, I who have had ſuch experience of divine preſervation, I that have profeſſed ſo much confidence in God, &c. If ſuch Meditations were fixed upon a Chriſtians heart, he would never willingly give way to any unrighteous practice.
(6.) Conſider much of the righteouſneſs and holineſs of that word of God, which is given for the rule of your walking. Every word of God is pure. The Law of God is a holy and righteous Law, the Goſpel is a Goſpel of holineſs; and its fit that ſuch as have choſen this Rule, ſhould be holy in all manner of Converſation. The Apoſtle gives this, both as a Motive and Direction to holy walking, Phil. 1. 27. Let your Converſation be as becommeth the Goſpel, Phil. 1. 27. And Tit. 2. 11, 12. The grace of God that bringeth ſalvation, hath appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodlineſs and worldly luſts, we ſhould live ſoberly, righteouſly, and godly in this preſent world. He that hath the Goſpel before his eyes, will put away ſin from his eyes. I thought on thy precepts, and turned my feet to thy Commandments, ſaith David, Pſal. 119. 59. he that forgets Gods Teſtimonies, will ſoon be drawn aſide from the way of obedience; but he that carefully remembers theſe, will walk holily. David gives this as the reaſon, why the godly man doth not walk in the way of the ungodly, nor ſtand in the way of ſinners, nor ſit in the ſeat of ſcorners, becauſe his delight is in the word of God, and therein he meditates day and night, Pſal. 1. 2, 3. 2 Cor. 8. 18.
(7) Study carefully the great and many priviledges which are inſtated upon you, in, and by the Covenant of Grace. The end of all the Dignities confer'd by God upon men, is, in reſpect of them, that they ſhould walk in newneſs of life. Election is for this end, Eph. 1. 4. God hath choſen men in Chriſt before the foundation of the world, (not becauſe they were holy, but) that they ſhould be holy, and without blame before him in love. The end of Redemption is holineſs of life, Luk. 1. 75. Chriſt came as much to redeem the people from iniquity, as from hell, Tit. 2. 14. The end of Adoption is, that we ſhould be harmleſs and blameleſs the Sons of God without rebuke, that we ſhould live as Gods children, and walk as Children of the Light. The end of our Juſtification is Sanctification of Life: many leud and ignorant Chriſtians argue from priviledges to lazineſs: they continue in ſinne, becauſe grace abounds. But the Scripture argues from great priviledges to purity of life: vid. Rom. 12. 1. I beſeech you therefore Brethren, &c. The particular mercy he had ſpoken to, is the great mercy of a ſinners juſtification by faith. Of this he had been diſputing in the former Chapter. In the 12. Chapter he comes to make the main Uſe of it, which is an Exhortation to Holineſs. And from the ſame Doctrine, Epheſ. 4. 1. he draws the very ſame inference; I therefore the priſoner of the Lord beſeech you, &c. The end of all the Promiſes, is holineſs of life, 2 Cor. 7. 1. Having therefore theſe Promiſes, &c. The Apoſtle Peter, from many other rare priviledges, drawes the ſame concluſion, 1 Pet. 2. 9, 10, 11, 12. Diſhoneſty of Converſation, doth not onelyonly convince a Chriſtian of unthankfulneſs for his priviledges, but it is a ſhame to his priviledges.
(8.) Meditate much on the unrighteouſneſs of your former converſation, when ye knew not God. It is the mind of God, that Chriſtians, after their effectual converſion, ſhould remember their unregenerate condition, Epheſ. 2. 11, 12. There are many good uſes which a Chriſtian may make of ſuch meditations; it makes him thankful, &c. Amongſt others, this is one, it will be a good help to promote his holy walking, after Converſion. Such meditations will bring to his mind. (1.) The filthineſs of ſinne, which will ſet his heart againſt it. And (2.) they will let him ſee how much time he waſted in ſinne, which will be a great help to make him more careful, for the future, over his wayes. This is laid down in many places of Scripture, as a help to holy walking: vid, 1 Pet. 4. 3. the Apoſtle, in the ſecond verſe, exhorts them to ceaſe from ſinne; and his Argument is, becauſe that was their practice in the days of their vanity, when they walked after the courſe of the world. And we have the ſame Argument, 1 Pet. 1. 14. Not faſhioning your ſelves according to the former luſts in your ignorance. This is one Reaſon why ſuch as have been moſt notoriouſly wicked before Converſion, are ſometimes more then ordinarily holy after Converſion: When ſinne hath abounded before Regeneration, Grace hath much more abounded in them after Converſion. Mary Magdalen, one of the moſt noted ſinners of her age, (our Saviour caſt 7 Devils out of her;) and, after her Calling, one of the moſt exact Chriſtians of her time. You read very much of her forwardneſs, and zeal, and holineſs; ſhe is uſually put in the firſt place, whereas ſhe is ſpoken of: vid. Matth. 27. 55, 56. Matth. 28. 1. In the end of the Sabbath came Mary Magdalen, &c. Joh. 20. 18. Mary Magdalen came and told the Diſciples, &c. One ground of this, is, becauſe they reflect upon their former Converſation; and, becauſe they find that exceeding vile, therefore they are ſo very careful now to walk with all exactneſs: As thoſe that have been moſt prodigal, when they are reclaimed, are ordinarily very frugal, &c.
(9) Meditate on the many engagements which lie upon you for holy walking. You all lie under Sacramental Bonds: when you were baptized, then you entred into an Engagement & Oath of Allegeance, that you would give up your ſelves in obedience unto God. The Apoſtle, upon this ground, argues with the Romanes, Rom. 6. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Baptiſm is a holy Bond, which though it be but once entred into, yet the obligation of it remains for ever upon the ſoul. And what that obligation is, you have, Mat. 28. 19, 20. Teuching you to obſerve all things whatſoever I have commanded. This Baptiſmal Vow, you have renewed at the Lords Table many a time, on your ſick beds, or in the day of other troubles: Looking often upon theſe, will be very helpful. The thoughtfull remembrance of Engagements, were very vſefull to David for this purpoſe; I have ſworn it, and I will perform it, to keep thy righteous judgments, Pſal. 119. 106. violating of holy Vows, & breaking of religious Covenants, though the matter of them be but civil, is a ſinne of a high nature, Ezek. 17. per totum, eſpecially, ver. 18, 19, 20, 21. So Ezek. 34. 17, 18, 19.
(10) Get much of the holy reverential fear of God into your ſpirits. Fearing of God, and eſchewing of ſinne, are frequently joyned together in Scripture: ſo are fearing of God, and keeping of his Commandements, Job 1. 1. Eccleſ. 12. 13. The Apoſtle makes the want of Gods fear to be the in-let of all unrighteouſneſs, and diſſolute practices, Rom. 3. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18. And the Apoſtle makes this fear of God to be the means of purifying the life, 2 Cor. 7. 1. If the heart grow Fearleſs, the life will grow Profane, Prov. 28. 14.
(11) Study, and think well upon the Doctrine of Death, and of Judgment. Look upon Death as neer at hand, let the ſound of the Paſſing-Bell, and the ſight of the Grave be continually in your Senſes, and let the ſound of the laſt trumpet be in your ears: Awake ye dead, and come to judgment: Forgetfulneſs of Death and Judgment, is the cauſe of ſo much licentiouſneſs; and the remembrance of theſe, are of great force to keep the life holy: ſee 2 Pet. 3. 3, 4. and ver. 10, 11. Seeing all theſe things muſt be diſſolved, &c.
(12) Conſider the unlovelineſs of unholy practices in other men. Behold the Drunkard in his vomit, and the Adulterer in his uncleanneſs, &c. This will work in your Soules, hatred againſt ſin, and zeal for the contrary vertues.
(13) Look very narrowly to the heart, the inward man. It's impoſſible to preſerve Holineſs of life, if Corruptions be not dayly purged out of the heart. Let the blood of Jeſus be ſprinkled upon the heart every day: purge the Conſcience, and then the Converſation will be kept clean alſo: Out of the abundance of the heart, &c. Matth. 15. 18.