Works, Sermon · Verse 2
Verſ. 35. But in every Nation, he that feareth him, and worketh righteouſneſſe, is accepted of him.
BY a fearer of God, and worker of righteouſneſſe, is ſignified an upright and truly religious man, in whom theſe two things muſt neceſſarily concut, as the cauſe and effect, the fountain and ſtream, the root and fruit of pure and undefiled religion: for under the fear of God are contained all the duties of the firſt Table concerning God, and his Worſhip; ſuch as are Knowledge, Love, Faith, Hope, and ſuch like; whence Salomon often calleth it, the beginning of wiſdome, that is, of true worſhip or piety.
And under working of righteouſneſſe, is comprehended the obſervation of the duties of the ſecond Table: whereby the former being moſt of them inward, are outwardly manifeſted and juſtified: ſo as under both is compriſed the whole duty of man, Eccleſ. 12.13. Fear God, and keep his Commandements, for this is the whole man: All thoſe ten words wherein the Lord hath included an admirable perfection of wiſdome and holineſs, are here contracted into two, 1 The fear of God. 2 The keeping of his Commandements: and therefore when the Holy Ghoſt in the Scriptures would grace this or that holy man with full commendation, as it were with his whole ſtile, be commonly joyneth theſe two together, unto which nothing more can bee added: Job was a juſt man, fearing God, and abſtaining from evil, Job 1.8. Zachary and Elizabeth were juſt before God, and walked in all the Ordinances of God without reproof, Luke 1.6.
Here two points are to be conſidered, 1 Who is a religious man; hee that feareth God, and worketh righteouſneſſe. 2 What is his priviledge; he is accepted of God.
Religion is a binder, and thence hath his name, for it both bindeth man unto God, as the former of the points will ſhew: as alſo God unto man, as the latter declareth. The former band knitting man unto God, is the fear of God, Fear of God.which is a peculiar gift of the Spirit of God, whereby the Regenerate fear God for himſelf, not ſo much that they bee not offended and puniſhed by him, as that they do not offend him. An excellent grace both in regard of the excellent Object, and of the excellent Uſe of it through the whole life.
1 The right object of our fear, is God himſelf, who is, 1 Omnipotent, of power to do whatſoever he wil, who is able to caſt body and ſoul into Hell, fear him, Matth. 10.28. 2 Omnipreſent, hee is all an eye, beholding our Thoughts, Words, and Deeds, of which hee is both a witneſs and a Judge, 3 Full of Majeſty, which even in a mortal Man ſtrikes us with reverence. 4 Full of Grace and Bounty, wee ſtand in need of his Favour and Bounty every Moment, who can turn us out of all at his pleaſure. In all which reſpects wee ought to make him our dread, Iſa. 8.13. But above all in that he hath been ſo good and gracious a Father unto us through his Chriſt, we ought to fear to offend him, and ſo turn his love into diſpleaſure againſt us.
II. Now the Vſe of this Grace is manifold. As, 1 To beat down pride and high-mindedneſs, againſt which it is a notable medicine, Rom. 11.20. Bee not high-minded, but fear, Prov. 3.7. Bee not wiſe in thine own eies, but fear God: this grace maketh a man come low before the Lord, as Jacob fearing Eſau. Gen. 33.3. Came and bowed ſeven times before him.
2 To cauſe a man to renounce, and reſtrain himſelf from ſin; and therefore the fear of God and departing from evil, are often joyned together. Joſeph could not commit the ſin with his Miſtreſſe, becauſe hee feared God: the Midwives feared God, and killed not the Hebrews Children: Nehem. 5.15. Nehemiah did not exact upon, and oppreſs the people, as the former Governours that were before him, becauſe hee feared God: and whereas the wicked mans ſervile fear keepeth him often from open ſins, but not from ſecret; from groſs ſins, but not from ſmaller; and this of Pain, not of Conſcience: this grace maketh a man hate Pride, Arrogancy, and every evill way, Prov. 8.1, 3. never ſo ſmall, and never ſo ſecret.
3 To deſtroy falſe and fleſhly fears which foil every good duty, and lay open to many ſins and judgements: Quod ſupra homines eſt time, & homines te non terrebunt. Auguſt.it is a property of a wicked man to fear where no fear is; and not fearing God hee feareth every thing but God; the face of man, the arm of man, the Tongue of man, whence many a man dare ſcarce profeſs Religion, or if they do, dare ſhew no power of it for fear of reproach and nick-names; and ſo come to bee ranked in the formoſt band of thoſe which march to Hell, called the fearful, Rev. 21.8. and that which they fear ſhall come upon them, Prov. 10.24. even diſgrace of God, of Men, and Angels. Jeroboam feared leſt the people ſhould return to their own Maſter, if they ſhould perſiſt in the true Worſhip of the true God; and ſo for the eſtabliſhing of his Poſterity, hee eſtabliſhed Idolatry; but in the very next generation his whole race was extinct:
The Jews were afraid leſt the Romans ſhould come and take their nation; and therefore Chriſt muſt dye: but the Romans not long after came with a powder, and took their Nation, and ſo diſ-peopled and diſperſed them, as they could never bee gathered into a nation till this day. Pilatus multis diveratus Calamitatibus ſibi-ipſi manum intulit. Euſe. lib. 2. cap. 7. Entrop. lib. 7. hiſt. eccl. c. 7.Pilate feared not God but Caeſar; but hee was not long after caſt out of Caeſars favour, and ſlew himſelf. Now this grace of God fenceth a man from ſuch fleſhly fears which draw on ſuch fearful falls and miſchiefs: and preſerveth him, that neither hope of promotion, nor gain, nor eaſe, nor favour of man, who is but a worm, ſhall make him forget the Lord that ſpread the Heavens: this fear, which is Loves keeper, holdeth the heart in the Love of God himſelf, of his Worſhip, of his Word, of his Children, and whatſoever carrieth his Image; all which without it either lye, or quickly grow as refuſe wares out of requeſt.
4 To drive away ſecurity, awake ſloathfulneſs, provoke to watchfulneſs, ſtir up to prayer, keep in a fitneſs to profit by the word, to tremble at it when God threatneth; to rejoice in the promiſes, as thoſe to whom they belong: to help us to better our ſelves by our afflictions, as the ſpeech of the converted Theef to his fellow implieth, that if hee had had the fear of God, he would, being in the ſame condemnation, have otherwiſe carried himſelf towards Chriſt than hee did. And in a word, to fence the heart, which is as the market-place of a City, againſt temptation, in which ſpecial uſe it is called a Wellspring of life to eſcape the ſnares of death.
By all this that hath been ſpoken, every man that would ſeem religious, ought to labour above all things for this worthy Grace, which God ſpecially beſtoweth upon his Children, with whom hee maketh his new Covenant, Jerem. 32. I will put my fear in their hearts never to depart from mee, ſaith the Lord. Which hath all promiſes belonging unto it, for a mans Self, for his Children, for this life preſent, for a better, for ſupplies of every good, for with-holding and removing of every evil: ſo as whoſoever feareth the Lord, wanteth not a good and rich treaſury, ſuch as all the Indian Mines cannot afford; yea, ſuch as both poſſeſſeth himſelf, and entaileth unto his poſterity, the rich bleſſing of the Almighty. Bleſſed (ſaith the Pſalm) is the man that feareth the Lord, Pſal: 128.2, 3. himſelf ſhall bee mighty on earth, his Children ſhall bee bleſſed after him, his Wife ſhall bee as a fruitful Vine: Riches and Treaſure ſhall bee in his houſe, Pſalm 112.3. hee ſhall want nothing that is good; and let his troubles bee never ſo great, the Lord will deliver him out of them all. Here is a Jewel worth hiding and laying up in the ſafeſt cloſet of the ſoul, even in the midſt of the heart, for there God layeth it, and calleth for the Heart to make room for it: Deut. 5.29. Oh that there were ſuch an heart in them to fear mee. Iſa. 8.13. Sanctify the Lord in your hearts, and let him be your dread.
Another bond whereby man is knit unto God, is the working of righteouſneſſe, an immediate fruit of the fear of God. Where muſt bee conſidered, 1 What this righteouſneſs is, and then 2 What is the working of it. For the former, To work righteouſneſſe what it is.This righteouſneſs is a grace of God, whereby the beleever is inclined unto honeſt actions according to the preſcript of Gods Law. When I ſay a grace of God, I underſtand that righteouſneſs whereof a man in the ſtate of grace is by grace made partaker; and exclude all that Original Righteouſneſs which was ſet in the nature of man by his Creation, whereby hee was wholly conformable to the Image and Righteouſneſs of God: further, ſaying, that the beleever is hereby inclined to honeſt actions, three things are implyed.
1 That this righteouſneſſe is not that imputed righteouſneſſe of Chriſt, which is a moſt exact conformity of the humane nature of Chriſt with all his actions and ſufferings, performed of him in our ſtead, with the whole Law of God; whereby wee are wholly covered as with a Garment in the ſight of God: but rather a fruit of that, namely, that infuſed and inherent righteouſneſs wrought in the heart of every beleever, by the finger of the Spirit, whereby the Image of God is daily renewed and repaired in him, and ſo himſelf inclined to works of righteouſneſs, to which hee is now Created, Eph. 4.24.
2 That the ſubject of this righteouſneſs is the Beleever; for all the works of unbeleevers (whoſe mind and conſcience are defiled, Tit. 1.15.) inward or outward, cannot be other than ſin and unrighteouſneſs.
3 That the next efficient cauſe of it is lively faith, being the inſtrument of the Holy Ghoſt, by which hee begetteth this righteouſneſs, whereſoever it is: now Faith produceth this righteouſneſs in us, not as it is a… excellent gift of God, nor as an excellent quality in us; but onelyonly as it is a… …and or inſtrument apprehending and laying hold upon Chriſt, who juſtifying us by his own righteouſneſs imputed, and by his Spirit regenerating and ſanctifying our natures, is the very proper cauſe of this infuſed and inherent righteouſneſs.
The laſt words in the deſcription [according to the preſcript of Gods Law) ſhew, that then a work is righteous, Juſte agere eſt agere ex praeſcripto juris.when it is framed according to the right rule of the Law of God, it being the only perfect rule of all righteouſneſs: Mens Laws are rules alſo, but imperfect, and no further, yet ſo far bind as they are agreeable unto Gods.
II. The ſecond point is the working of righteouſneſs: wherein, 1 The Order. 2 The Manner.
The Order is in the words, firſt, To fear God, and then to work righteouſneſſe: all the duties of love muſt bee founded in Faith, and in the fear of God; for whatſoever is not of Faith is ſin: and the fear of God is the very ſeed and life of all true obedience; which the wiſe man implyeth, when hee calleth it the head and beginning of wiſdome, Prov. 1.7. that look as all ſenſe floweth from the head; ſo all heavenly ſenſe and motion from the fear of the Lord. Which ſheweth, that many men begin at the wrong end in the matter of their obedience: ſome think they do. God high ſervice, if they come to Church, ſay ſome prayers, hear a Sermon: things not to bee diſ-allowed: but know not how far they are from pleaſing God herein, becauſe they bring not hearts renewed with Faith and Repentance, nor ſouls poſſeſſed with Hope, Love, and the true knowledge of God; without which, the Lord accounteth their ſacrifices but maimed, and profeſſeth his hatred againſt them: others place all their Holineſs and Obedience in the works and duties of the ſecond Table: If they bee liberal to the poor, juſt in their dealing, ſober and civil in their converſation, though they live in groſs ignorance of God and his Word, utterly careleſs of the waies and worſhip of God, yet conceive themſelves in as good caſe as any other man; which is all one as to account that man a living man who hath no head, the fear of God being to true religion, even as the head to the body of a man: beſides that they thruſt the ſecond Table into the place of the firſt, inverting the order of God; yea, they pull and break aſunder the two Tables, which the Lord hath ſo neerly conjoyned.
Now for the right manner of working righteouſneſs, it appeareth in theſe rules.
1 It ſetteth all the rule before it, and endeavoureth in all, if it were poſſible, The right manner of working righteouſneſs in four things.to fulfil all righteouſneſs: for ſeeing all the Commandements of God are Truth and Righteouſneſs, they are all without exception to bee obſerved. And this, although it bee neceſſarily implied in the Text; yet is it elſe-where expreſſed, Deut. 5.29. Oh that there were in them ſuch an heart as to fear mee, and keep all my Commandements.
2 A ſecond thing required is diligence, which muſt needs attend fear. How diligent a vertue fear is, appeareth in Jacob, who being to meet his Brother whom hee feared, could not ſleep all night: and in Abraham, who having a moſt difficult Commandement, to ſlay his Son, yet roſe early, and went three daies journey, without reaſoning the matter. But what moved him hereto? ſurely the Lord himſelf ſheweth the true cauſe, Gen. 22.12. Now I know that thou feareſt God, ſeeing thou haſt not spared thine only Son.
3 Delight in the works of righteouſneſs, which alſo attendeth the fear of the Lord, Pſal. 112.1. Bleſſed is the man that feareth the Lord, hee delighteth greatly in his Commandements, both to think of them, to ſpeak of them, and to do them. Whereas the worldlings heart, ſpeech, and affection, is taken up with his Gain, Commodity, Rents, and income. For as the fear of God it ſelf is not a ſervile and ſlaviſh fear for puniſhment; no more is that obedience which proceedeth from it forced or wrung out: but as it is ſuch a fear as delighteth greatly in Gods Commandements; ſo the obedience is ſuch as is offered from a willing people, like a free-will offering, which they muſt only offer whoſe heart encourageth them, and whoſe ſpirit maketh them willing.
4 Continuance in working: for this is another property of the true fear of God, that it reſpecteth not only all the Commandements, but always, Deut. 5.19. and ſeeing Gods fear is to keep the heart continually, and that man is bleſſed that feareth always, Prov. 23.17. this inſeparable fruit of it, working of righteouſneſſe, Prov. 28.24. muſt never wither or fail in the godly, who are exhorted to paſſe the whole time of their dwelling here in fear, 1 Pet. 1.17. to walk with God as Henoch did; and to have their converſation in Heaven, Philip. 3.20. that is, their whole practice and courſe, and not a part of it only.
Motives to the practiſe of righteouſneſs.Hence therefore is afforded another ground of exhortation, namely, that howſoever this is not ſuch a righteouſneſs as wherein we can ſtand before Gods Judgement Seat, not being every way anſwerable to the Laws perfection; yet we want not good reaſon to take up the practice of it in the manner preſcribed: Seeing,
1 It is commanded by God, Pſal. 4.6. Offer to God the ſacrifice of righteouſneſſe. 2 It pleaſeth him, and makes us alſo pleaſing unto him: for the former, Pſal. 11.7. The righteous Lord loveth righteouſneſs: the latter, is the latter words of the verſe in hand. 3 It maketh us like him, 1 Joh. 3.7. Little children, he that doth righteouſneſs is righteous as he is righteous. 4 It is a mark of our regeneration, and a fruit of faith, eaſier diſcerned than it ſelf, 1 Joh. 3.10. In this are the children of God known, and the children of the Devil; He that doth not righteouſneſſe is not of God. 5 Much bleſſing is upon the head of the righteous (ſaith Salomon.)
The bleſſing of God comes down upon him, and deſcends to his poſterity, God hath bleſſed him, and he ſhall be bleſſed in his perſon, in his eſtate, in his name, in his goods, in this life, and in the life to come. The bleſſing of men alſo comes upon him, the loyns of the poor bleſſe him; the Church of God bleſſeth him; yea, turn him what way hee will, the bleſſing of goodneſſe meeteth him every way: God giveth him according to the work of his hands often even here in this life; and if that ſhould fail, hee being marked for a member of the Church Militant, he ſhall be in due time removed into the holy mountain of Heaven; where he ſhall dwell who worketh righteouſneſſe, Pſal. 15.2. Thus much of the deſcription of a religious perſon: now of his priviledge.
Secondly, the priviledge of a religious man is, that a beleever of any Nation under Heaven, of any calling, ſex, or condition of life, is accepted of God. Where it may be asked,
Whether God, whoſe grace is moſt free, be bound by any thing which any man can doe, to accept of him?
I anſwer, a man is to be conſidered two ways. 1 As in the ſtate of his corrupt nature before his calling and converſion: and thus he hath nothing worthy love, and nothing which provoketh not further hatred: here are no works which are not wicked and ſtained, ſuch a filthy puddle cannot ſend out one drop of ſweet water; How the perſon and work of a beleever can be accepted of God.not any cleane thing can be brought out of ſuch filthineſſe; all this while can be no acceptance of the perſon, or of the work; no ſight of any preſent object in ſuch a party, nor any fore-ſight of any future faith or work whereby the Lord can be moved to accept him: for then the freedome of his grace ſhould be hindered.
2 As he is converted, and now reconciled unto God, called by the Word, regenerated by the Spirit, and having his heart purified by faith. Now the Lord looking upon him, ſees him not as he was before, all naked, and lying in his bloud and filthineſs; but beholding him in the face of his Chriſt, hee eſpieth his own image upon him, yea and his own workmanſhip upon him; and thus cometh the perſon to be firſt accepted. And then in the ſecond place, the work of ſuch a perſon cannot but be alſo pleaſing unto God, not for any worthineſs or perfection in it ſelf (for even the beſt work of the beſt man from imperfect faith, and imperfect knowledge, is ſo farre from meriting, as that it needeth pardon) but, 1 Becauſe it cometh from an accepted perſon: 2 Is a fruit of faith: 3 A teſtimony of obedience unto Gods Commandement: 4 The imperfection and ſtain of it is covered and wiped away with Chriſts moſt abſolute obedience. And thus both the perſon, fearing God, and his working of righteouſneſſe, is accepted of God.
Vſe 1. To comfort the godly poor, Comfort the godly in that God is the God of the …bject.who find but ſtrange entertainment in the world where they are ſtrangers; who hence learn, That as the world loveth her own, ſo God loveth and accepteth his own, in what Country, or condition ſoever they be: the which comfort if they had not to ſuſtain their hearts withall, they could not but think themſelves the moſt miſerable of all men: ſo many ſins they ſee which God may ſee in them, ſo many temptations with which they are daily toyled, ſo many diſcouragements without them to caſt them down, or back at the leaſt: againſt all which, this one conſideration ſhall bee able to bear them up, that the eyes of the Lord are upon them that fear him: and by theſe eyes he ſeeth their wants, to ſupply them; their injuries, to releeve them; their ſorrows, to mitigate them; their hearts, to approve them; and their works to accept them.
2 Thoſe that fear God, muſt alſo be accepted, and reſpected of us, We muſt accept them that fear God, becauſe God himſelf doth.as they be of God: and it cannot be that thoſe who love God, ſhould not love his Image in his children: Davids delight was wholly in the Saints, and ſuch as excelled in vertue, Pſal. 16.3. ſo muſt wee frame our judgement and practice, to the Saints of God before us, who have made but ſmall account of great men, if wicked, and preferred very mean ones, fearing God, before them. Thus that worthy Prophet Eliſha, who contemned not the poor Shunamite fearing God, told wicked Jehoram King of Iſrael, that if he had not regarded the preſence of good Jehoſaphat, he would not ſo much as have looked toward him, or ſeen him, 2 King. 3.14. Nay, even the Lord himſelf hath gone before us herein for example, who for the moſt part reſpecteth poor and mean ones to call them to partake of his grace, paſſ…g by the great, noble, and every way more likely of reſpect, if we ſhould judge according to the outward appearance: David, the leaſt of his brethren, was choſen King: Gideon, the leaſt in all his fathers houſe, Judg. 3.15. appointed by God the deliverer of his people: and indeed the meaneſt Chriſtian, being deſcended of the bloud of Chriſt, and ſo nobly born, deſerveth moſt reſpective entertainment in the beſt roome of our hearts.
3 This doctrine teacheth all ſorts of men, to turn their courſe from ſuch earneſt ſeeking after honours, profits, preferments, and ſuch things, which make men accepted amongſt men, and as eagerly to purſue the things which would bring them to be accepted of God; ſuch as are faith, fear of God, love of righteouſneſſe, good conſcience, and the like: which things bring not only into favour with God, but often get the approbation of men, at leaſt ſo farre as God ſeeth good for his children, Rom. 14.17, 18. The kingdome of God is not meat and drink, that is, hath not ſuch need of ſuch indifferent things as theſe are, but righteouſneſſe, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghoſt; thoſe are the eſſential things to be reſpected of all ſuch as are the ſubjects of that Kingdome of grace. And to urge the godly hereunto, mark the Apoſtles reaſon in the next verſe; for whoſoever in theſe things ſerveth Chriſt, is ACCEPTABLE unto God, and approved of men: ſuch a mans ways pleaſe the Lord, and then he maketh his enemies become his friends.