None but Christ, Chapter 20
CHAP. XX. The eighth, ninth and tenth Sign of the ſaving knowledge of Chriſt.
Sign. 8 THe eighth ſign that we have attained to the ſaving knowledge of Chriſt, is univerſall obedience, when we make conſcience of all our wayes, and have reſpect to all Gods commandements; which conſiſteth in a ſetled reſolution and indeavour againſt all ſin, and a ſetled purpoſe and indeavour to pleaſe God in all things; Then I ſhall not bluſh (as it is in the originall,) or be aſhamed when I have reſpect to all thy commandements, Pſal. 119. 6. It was the commendation of Zachary and Elizabeth, They were juſt before God, walking in all the commandements of God without reproofe, Luke 1. 6. And this Paul makes a mark of a good conſcience to indeavour in all things to walk exactly, Heb. 13. 18. And it muſt needs be ſo; becauſe the whole law is written in our hearts, one precept as well as another, I will put my lawes into their minds, and write them in their hearts, Heb. 8. 10. that is, I will plant an habituall diſpoſition and inclination in their hearts, to a love and liking of them; by giving them a new heart and a new ſpirit. Ezek. 36. 26. and this inclination is to one precept as to another, and he that hath not a diſpoſition, liking, and indeavour to keep all, hath it not to keep any, Hence ſaith Iames, Iam. 2. 20. he that keeps the whole Law, and offends in one point, is guilty of all, (that is diſpoſitivè, though not formalitèr or actualitèr) he hath an inclination to break them all, though he doth not actually break them all, and his heart is not upright before God.
2. Becauſe there is the ſame reaſon why we ſhould make conſcience to abſtain from one ſin as from another, and to performe one duty as another; So ſaith the Apoſtle, For he that ſaid do not commit adultery, ſaid alſo do not kill, &c. Iam. 2. 1. Perhaps an upright man may fall into ſin, but yet he never fals from his reſolution; in my mind ſaith Paul, I ſerve the law of God, though in my fleſh the Law of ſin; for though there be an inclination & deſire to do the will of God, yet there is a contrary inclination of the old man againſt the will of God, the fleſh luſts againſt the ſpirit.
I grant likewiſe, a man out of Chriſt may have reſolutions againſt ſome ſins, (though alwayes for the evils that come from ſin, and not that are in ſinne, for the frnit, and not for the filth of ſin) but it is not univerſall, but he hath alwayes ſome reſervation'; God be mercifull to me in this, or that; ſome luſt he cheriſheth (and ſayes as Jacob ſaid of Benjamin, it ſhall not go) As Herod his Herodias, Jehu …eroboams calves, Judas, Demas, the young man, &c. their covetouſneſſe; But if a mans heart be in league but with one ſin, which his ſoule cleaveth to, hating to be reformed, he hath no part in Chriſt. Suppoſe a woman ſhould ſay to her husband, Sir I love you better then a hundred and a hundred men, onelyonly I love one man better then you; were ſhe not an Adultereſſe; one deadly wound may kill a man as well as a one thouſand, and one ſin lived in with love and delight, may damne a man as well as a thouſand.
Sign. 9 The ninth ſign whereby a man may know that Chriſt is ours, is ſelf-denyall, when a man gives up himſelf wholly to the rule and ſubjection of Chriſt, as his ſervant or vaſſall, to do what he will with him; if any will follow me, he muſt deny himſelfe, &c. aLuk. 9. 23.ſo 2 Cor. 10. 5. 6. The weapons of our warfare, are mighty through God, to caſt down ſtrong holds and high imaginations, and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Chriſt, as a ſervant gives up himſelfe to the will of his maſter, or wife to her husband; and the reaſon is, becauſe he receives Chriſt as a Lord and Saviour; Come to me ſaith our Lord Chriſt & I wil eaſe you, &c. but not except you take my yoke upon you. Ʋnto us a child is born, and the Government is upon his ſhoulders, bEſ. 9. 6.ſo as we are not exempted from ſubjection by Chriſt; Faith deſtroyes not obedience but ſanctifies us, and enables us to yield obedience; thus it was with Paul, Act. 9. Lord what wilt thou have me to do; as if he had ſaid I am willing to do any thing, be any thing, or ſuffer any thing thou wilt have me, I am wholly at thy diſpoſall; and with the Prodigall, receive me father, and make me not a ſon but a ſervant, yea a hired ſervant (As Abigail ſaid, let me be a ſervant to waſh the feet of the ſervants of my Lord) And with David, if he ſaith he hath no pleaſure in me, let him do with me as ſeems good in his eyes.c2 Sam. 15. 26.
And this diſcovers many, that thinke they have part in Chriſt, (that they knowEſ. 1. 2. Chriſt is theirs) are deceived, becauſe their faith works not obedience, but rebellion; they beleeve him, but will not take his yoke upon them; they ſay; To them a child is born, but they pluck the Governement from his ſhoulders; living in conſtant rebellion againſt God, and only according to the law of their own minds, that is, walking after the ſtubbornneſſe of their own hearts dDeut. 29. 19..
Perhaps they are content Chriſt ſhould rule them, ſo farre as he pleaſes them, and as his will likes them: but if it diſlikes them, Chriſt may deny himſelfe if he pleaſe, and ſtoop to their will, for they cannot, will not ſtoop to his; God be mercifull to them, in this their will they muſt have (though it croſſe Gods will) ſaying as the Jewes, we have no king but Caeſar; ſo none ſhall rule us, but our wils; let us break his bonds, Pſal. 2. 8. Thus did Pharaoh, who is the Lord (ſaith he,) that I ſhould obey his voice to let Iſrael go? I know not the Lord; neither will I let Iſrael go; and the Jewes who quarrelled that Jeremy ſpake falſely, and the Lord had not ſent him, Jer. 43. 2, 3. but when they were convinced of that, then they ſpake plainly. The word thou haſt ſpoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not do, eIer. 44. 16.and this not of weakneſſe, againſt the law of their minds; nor(f) Rom. 7. 23. ſuddain riſings, and paſſions, as in Jonah, Peter & David, that would number the people for which they meet oft with …ore afflictions to break their ſtomacks, but it is voluntary, allowed and cheriſhed rebellion.
Now let all ſuch thinke what they pleaſe of having part in Chriſt, and knowing Chriſt to be theirs, but God hath told us, he will never ſhew mercy to that man, though he bleſſe himſelfe he ſhall have peace, Deut. 29, 19. yea the Lord forbids ſuch ſo much as to take his name into their mouths that hate to be reform gPſal. 50.; And it is a carnall mind that is enmity againſt God, and is not ſubject to the law of God, nor indeed can (i) Luk. 19. 27.…e, hRom. 8. 7. 2. 2 Theſ. 1. 8yea Chriſt takes thoſe for his enemies that will not let him reign over them. To conclude, if Chriſt be no Lord, he will be no Saviour; for therefore he died, and roſe and revived, that he might be Lord both of quick and dead, Rom. 14. 9.
Sign. 10 The tenth ſigne of a man that knowes Chriſt ſavingly, is, when the utmoſt end of all his actions is ſupernaturall, even to yield obedience unto God commanding them, and the advancing of his glory, (as a faithfull ſervant aimes at his maſters profit) when whatſoever he does, it is to the glory of God; when he lives not to himſelfe, but to him that died for him and roſe again; when he is more grieved at Gods diſhonour then his own, and is content to be abaſed that God may be glorified; for now the will is elevated above nature to look at a higher principle then it ſelfe, even the glory of God. Thus did Ioſeph, it is not in me ſaith he, but God ſhall give Pharaoh an anſwer aGen. 41. 16.; ſo Daniel, there is a God in heaven that revealeth ſecrets; but as for me, this ſecret is not revealed to me, for any wiſedome that I have more then others, &c. bDan. 2. 28. 30.And the diſciples when they healed the lame man, told them, why look you ſo earneſtly upon us, as though by our own power and holineſſe we had made this man walk? the God of Abraham, &c. cAct. 3. 12.And laſtly to name no more, Saint Paul tels them, d1 Theſ. 2. 4. 6.we ſpeak not as pleaſing men, but God which tryeth our hearts, & v. 6. Nor of men ſought we glory, nor of you, nor yet of others. And hence it is that our Lord Chriſt makes it a mark of a righteous man, eIoh. 7. 18.he that ſeeketh the glory of him that ſent him, the ſame is true, and there is no unrighteouſneſſe in him. And this is made a mark of a veſſell of honour, by Paul. f2. Tim. 2. 20. Nihil agit ultrà ſphaeram activitatis ſuae.He is a veſſell ſanctified for his maſters uſe. And the reaſon is, becauſe nothing can move above its principle, the ſtream can riſe no higher then the fountain, nor can nature go beyond nature, as water cannot heat except fire be in it.
Caut. Not but that ſome riſings of ſelf, remaines in the beſt, as in David when he numbred the people, and the diſciples when they reaſoned which of them ſhould be greateſt: but they are lamented and repented off, and mourned under as their greateſt burthen, as did Hezekiah who humbled himſelfe, becauſe his heart was lifted up, 2 Chron. 32. 25.
Contrarily, a naturall man makes a god of himſelfe, hath no higher end in all his actions then himſelfe, his own eaſe, credit, happineſſe, &c. As God complaineth, Iſrael is an empty vine, yet he bringeth forth fruit to himſelfe, Hoſ. 10. 1. and our Lord Chriſt of the Phariſees, All their workes they do, is to be ſeen of men. (g) Matth. 23. 5.They may ſay of all their beſt actions though never ſo ſpecious, as Nebuchadnezzar ſaid of his Babel; is not this great Babel that I have built for the honour of my name? So all they do, is for the honour of their name; like windmils which go becauſe the wind blowes, or like marigolds that open becauſe the Sun ſhines upon them. Now theſe, their hearts are not upright in them, Hab. 2. …4. but like falſe ſervants that ſell their maſters wares well, but then purloyn and rob them of the gaines; He that ſpeaketh of himſelfe, ſeeketh his own glory, &c. John 7. 18. and ſuch cannot have part in Chriſt, John 5. 44. How can you beleeve that ſeek honour one of another? And it is a mark of thoſe that were counterfeit beleevers, they loved the praiſe of men more then the praiſe of God, Iohn 12. 43.