Heart Humiliation, Sermon 10
SERMON X.
Iſai. 1. 16.
Waſh ye, make you clean, put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes, ceaſe to do evil, &c.
IF we would have a ſum of pure and undefiled Religion, here it is ſet down in oppoſition to this people… ſhadow of Religion, that conſiſted in External Ordinances and Rites. We think that God ſhould be als well pleaſed with our ſervice as we our ſelves; therefore, we chooſe his commands, which our humour hath no particular antipathy againſt, and refuſe others. But the Lord will not be ſo ſerved; As he will not ſhare with the world and divide the Soul and ſervice of man with Creatures, ſo as M…mmon ſhould get part, and he his part. No, if we chooſe the one, we muſt refuſe the other, for ſo will he not ſuffer his Word and Commands to be divided; There muſt be ſome univerſality in reſpect of the Goſpel and the Law, and a conjunction of theſe two, or we cannot pleaſe him.
If Religion do not include the Goſpel, we are yet upon the old Covenant of Works, according to which, none can be juſtified; If it do not include the Law in the Hands of a Mediator, then we turn the Grace of god unto wantonneſs, If it ſhut out Jeſus Chriſt and have no uſe of him, how can either we or our performances ſtand or be accepted before his holy eyes. If it exclude the Law that Chriſt came to eſtabliſh, how can he be pleaſed with our religion: Both of theſe offer an indignity to the Son of God. The Sum then of Chriſtian Religion is Believing and Sanctification of the ſpirit unto obedience, that is the root and fountain; this is the fruit and ſtream: Juſtification of our perſons, and ſanctification of our lives and hearts. This is pure Religion and undefiled. And therefore Iſaiah ſayes, Waſh you, make you clean, Cleanſe in the only true fountain of Chriſts blood. It is not your purifications of the Law, your many waſhings with water, and hyſope, It is not the blood of buls and goats can purge your conſciences from dead works: they do but purify your fleſh, but cannot waſh your ſouls worſe defiled. This blood of J…ſus Chriſt is that clean water that he muſt ſprinkle on you; if you would be clean. If you take any other water, any other righteouſneſs but his, and waſh thy ſelf therewith, ſuppoſe it be ſnow water that waſheth cleaneſt, thy moſt exact converſation, yet he will plunge thee in the mire, till thy own cloaths abhore thee Job 9. 30, 31. Now when ye have waſhed your perſons, ye need not ſave to waſh your feet, (ſayes Chriſt) your dayly converſation, reform it in the vertue of that blood, for we are not called to uncleanneſs but unto holineſs. And therefore, Put away the evil of yoor doings, &c. God hath put away the guilt of your doings by Juſtification; now put ye away the evil of your doings by Sanctification, &c. And if ye would know what Sanctification is? Ceaſe to do evil; do not return to the old puddle to wallow in it. Ye that are cleanſed by this blood, O! think how unbeſeeming it is to you, to defile your ſelves again with theſe things ye are cleanſed from: But now, learn to do well: ye are given up to Chriſt, ye muſt be his Diſciples, and he will teach you: Learn of me (ſayes Chriſt) you need no other law almoſt but his example; he is a viſible and ſpeaking law, yet ſeek Judgement, As ye ought to look on my example; ſo eſpecially ponder that word and rule of practice and behaviour that I have left behind me and given out as the law-giver of the redeemed: have I redeemed you? And ſhould not I be the redeemmed and ranſomed ones King? Is there any ſociety in the world wants a law, order and government? neither muſt ye who are delivered from bondage, enfranchiſed, and made free indeed. Now ye ſhould of all men moſt live by a law. And when ye know that rule, then apply it to your ſeveral vocations and callings: let the Magiſtrat act according to it, and every man according to it: Religion conſiſts not in a general notion, but condeſcends to our particular practice, to reform it. You ſee then what we would preſſe upon your Conſciences. It is true religion that we would have you perſwaded unto. All men have ſome kind of Religion, even Heathens who worſhip Idols; but the true religion reſpects the true and living God. Now what is it to worſhip the true and living God? what is the ſervice of him, that may be called Religion indeed? Should we be the preſcrivers of it? No certainly, he muſt carve ſolely in that or elſe it cannot pleaſe him. Therefore To the Law and to the Teſtemony: if ye ſpeak not according to this, and worſhip not according to this word of God, it is becauſe there is no light into you. Ye may have a religion before men pure and undefiled, but if it be not ſo before God and the father, I pray you to what purpoſe is it? I am ſure it is all loſt labour, nay it is labour with loſs, inſtead of gain. O that ye were perſwaded to look and ſearch the Scriptures: Think ye to have eternal life out of them? and think ye to have eternal life by them, who do not labour to know the way of it ſet down there? Every on of you have a different model of religion according to your fancies and breedings, according as your luſts will ſuffer you: The rule that the moſt part walk by is the courſe and example of the world. Is not this darkneſſe, and groſſe darkneſs? Others model their duties according to their ability, they will do all they can do with eaſe, and without troubling themſelves, and they think God may be well pleaſed with that. I pray you conſider and hear the word of the Lord, and Law of your God; hath he ſet down here the rule and perfect patern of true Religion, and will ye never ſo much own it, as to examine yours according to it? the ſcriptures are the touch-ſtone; If you would not have a counterfeit Religion deceiving you in the end when ye have truſted to it, I pray you try it by the word of God. Oh that this principle were once ſunk into your hearts, I may not walk at randome, if I pleaſe my ſelf, and ſatiſfy my own will, if that be not alſo Gods will, I ſhall have neither gain nor comfort of it, his will is manifeſted in his word, I will ſearch and find what God hath required of me, for if I be not certain of his will, I may be doing all my dayes, and ſweating out my life, and yet loſſe my pains and oyl. I ſay this word of the Lord that Iſaiah calls to the people to hear V. 10. will at length judge you. Your Religion will be tryed in the day of accompts according to it, not according to your rules and methods ye have preſcribed unto your ſelves. Now if ye in the mean time ſhall judge your ſelves according to another rule, and ab…olve your ſelves, and in the end God ſhall judge you according to this word and condemn you, were ye not fools in neglecting this word.
The whole will of God concerning your duty may be ſummed up in two; John hath one of them, 1 Jo. 3. 23. And this is his Commandment, that we ſhoud believe on the Name of his Son Jeſus Chriſt, and love one another, as he gave us Commandment. And Paul hath another to the Theſſalonians. 1 Theſ. 4. 3. This is the wiil of God, even your ſanctification. And theſe two make up this text, ſo that it units both Goſpel and Law. The Commandment of the Law comes forth, and it is found that we have broken, and are guilty, that we cannot anſwer for one of a thouſand; the Law entring makes ſin abound, our inability, yea impoſſibility of obedience is more diſcovered: well then, the Goſpel proclames the Lord Jeſus Chriſt for the Saviour of ſinners, and commands us under pain of damnation to believe in him, to caſt our ſouls on him, as one able to ſave, as one who hath obeyed the Law for us; ſo that this command of believing in Chriſt is anſwerable to all the breaches of the Law, and tends to make them up in Chriſt. When he proclaimed the Law on Mount Sinai with terrour, that which ye hear expreſt is not his firſt Comandment, which ye are in the firſt inſtance to obey, for all theſe we have broken; but it hath a Goſpel-command in its boſome, it leads to Jeſus Chriſt: and if ye could read the mind of God in it, ye would reſolve all theſe commands which condemn you and curſe you, into one command of believing in the Son, that ye may be ſaved from that condemnation: And if ye obey this command, which is his laſt command, and moſt perremptory, then are the breaches of all the reſt made up, the intent of all the reſt is fulfilled, though not in your obedience, yet in Chriſts, which is better then ours. Believing in Chriſt preſents God with a perfect righteouſneſs, with an obedience even to the death of the Croſs. When a ſinner hears the holy and ſpiritual ſenſe of the Law, and ſees it in the light of Gods holineſs, O how vile muſt he appear to himſelf, and how muſt he abhor himſelf? What original pollution, what actual pollution, what a fountain within, what uncleanneſs in ſtreams without will diſcover it ſelf? Now when the moſt part of men get any ſight of this, preſently they fall a waſhing and cleanſing themſelves, or hiding their filthineſs. And what water take they? Their own tears or ſorrows, their own reſolutions, their own reformations. But alas, we are ſtill more plunged in our own filthineſs, that is ſtill marked before him, becauſe all that is als foul as that we would have waſhen away. What garment do men take to hide themſelves ordinarily? Is it not their own righteouſneſs? Is it not a ſhirt of ſome duty that is ſpread over tranſgreſſions? Do not men think their ſins hid, if they can mourn and pray for a time? Their conſciences are eaſed by reflection upon this. But alas, thine iniquity is ſtill marked; Shall filthineſs hide filthineſs? Thy righteouſneſs is as a vile garment, as a menſtruous cloth, Iſa. 64. 6. as well as thine unrighteouſneſs, how then ſhall it cover thy nakedneſs? Seing it is ſo then, what is the Lords mind concerning our cleanſing: ſeing ſtretched out hands, and many prayers will not do it, what ſhall I do? The Lord hath ſhewed thee what thou ſhalt do, and that is, that thou do nothing in relation to that end, that thou ſhouldſt undertake to waſh away the leaſt ſpot by all thy repentance; yet muſt thou waſh and make clean, and the water is brought new unto you, even the blood of Jeſus Chriſt that cleanſeth from all ſin: waſh in this blood, and ye ſhall be clean. And what is it to waſh in this blood? It is to believe in Chriſt Jeſus, to lay hold on the all-ſufficient vertue of it, to truſt our ſouls to it, as a ſufficient ranſome for all our ſins; to ſpread the covering of Chriſt his righteouſneſs over all our righteouſneſes and unrighteouſneſs, as having both alike need to be hid from his holy eys. Jeſus Chriſt came by water and by blood. 1 Jo. 5. 6. by water to Sanctifie, and by blood to Juſtifie; by the power and cleanſing vertue of the Holy Ghoſt to take away ſin in the beeing of it, and by the vertue of his blood to take away ſin in the guilt and condemnation of it.
Now I conceive he preſſes a twofold exerciſe upon them in this waſhing, and both have relation to the blood of Jeſus Chriſt, to wit, repentance and faith. If they be not all one, yet they are in this point inſeparably conjoyned. Repentance waters and ſaps the roots of believing, which otherwiſe would dry up. Therefore in ſtead of outward forms and ceremonies of Religion, he preſſeth them to inward ſorrow and contrition of heart for ſin, that they might preſent an acceptable ſacrifice to God, a contrite heart. This is more pleaſing then many ſpecious duties of men without, Pſal. 50. 7 &c. But when I preſs upon you repentance, do not conceive that we would have it preparatory to faith, that ye ſhould ſit down and mourn for your ſins for a time, till your hearts be ſo far humbled, and then ye might come as prepared and fitted to Jeſus Chriſt. This is the miſtake of many Chriſtians, which keeps them from ſolid ſettling. We find it ordinary, ſouls making ſcruples and objections againſt coming to Jeſus Chriſt becauſe of want of ſuch preparations, of meaſures of humiliation and contrition, which they preſcribe to themſelves, or do behold in others: and ſo they ſit down and apply themſelves to ſuch a work, applyes their conſciences to the Law and curſe; and they find in ſtead of ſoftning, hardneſs, in ſtead of contrition of ſpirit, more dulneſs and ſecurity; At leaſt they cannot get ſatisfaction to themſelves in that they ſeek, and thus they hang their head over their impenitent hearts, and lament not ſo much that repentance is not, as that they cannot find it in themſelves. Alas there are many diſeaſes in this one malady. If it were imbowelled unto you, ye would not believe that ſuch a way were ſo contradictory to the Goſpel: For firſt, ye who are ſo, have this principle in your hearts which is the foundation of it. I cannot come to Chriſt ſo unclean, I muſt be a little waſhen, ere I come, the moſt groſs uncleanneſs and hardneſs of my heart muſt be taken away, and ſo I ſhall be accepted: Alas, what derogation is this to the bleſſed Saviour? What abſurdity is it, I am too unclean to come to the fountain, I muſt be a little purged before I come to this fountain that cleanſeth from all Sin. I pray you, why was the fountain opened, was it not for ſin and uncleanneſs▪ And this thou ſayes by interpretation, If I were ſo and ſo humbled, then I might come and be worthy to come; when the want of ſuch a meaſure debars thee as unworthy, Doth not the having of it in thy eſtimation make the worthy? And ſo ye come with a preſent in your hand to Jeſus Chriſt, with a price and reward to him who gives freely. Again thou denyeſt Chriſt to be the only fountain of all Grace, and ſo it is moſt diſhonourable to him. If thou would have repentance before thou come to him, where ſhall thou have it? will thou find it in thy heart, which is deſperatly wicked? will thou ſeek it of God and not ſeek it in the Mediator Jeſus Chriſt? God out of a Mediator will not hear thee. In a word there is both extream ſin, and extream folly in this way: great ſin becauſe it contradicts the tenure of the Goſpel, it diſhonours the Lord Jeſus, the exalted Prince, as if he were not the fountain of all grace, it is contrary both to the freedom of his grace, and to the fulneſs of it alſo. it is great folly, for thou leaves the living fountain, and goes ſeeking water in a wilderneſs; thou leaves the Garden, where all herbs grow, and wanders abroad to the wild Mountains; And becauſe thou canſt not find what thou ſeeks, thou ſits down and weeps beſide it. Repentance is in Chriſt, and no repentance ſo pleaſing to God as the mournings and relentings of a pardoned ſinner: but thou ſeeks it far from him, yea, refuſeth him for want of that which thou may have by chooſing him. Therefore we declare this unto you, that whatever ye be, whatever ye want, if ye think ye ſtand in need of Jeſus Chriſt, embrace him: If ye be exceeding vile in your own eyes, and cannot get repentance as ye would, to cleanſe your ſelves, here is the fountain opened, and ready to waſh into. Yet this we muſt tell you, that no ſinner can believe but he that repents, not becauſe repentance is required as a preparation to give a man a warrand and right to believe; I know no ground of faith but our neceſſity, and the Lords promiſe and command unto us, but becauſe no ſoul can truly flie in to Jeſus Chriſt to eſcape ſins guilt, but he that deſites to be delivered from ſin it ſelf: And therefore the moſt part of you fancy a faith which you have not, becauſe there is no poſſibility that men will come out of themſelves, till they be preſſed out by diſcovered ſin and miſery within: your woulds and wiſhes after Chriſt and ſalvation, that many of you have, are not the real exerciſes of your ſouls flying unto him for ſalvation. If ye did indeed turn in to Jeſus Chriſt, your hearts would turn the back upon ſin, and theſe ſins ye ſeek remiſſion of. Now all the defire that many men have of Chriſt, is this, I would fain have his ſalvation, if I might keep my Sin: I would gladly be delivered from the guilt of ſin, if he would let me keep ſtill the ſin. But will Chriſt make any ſuch bargain?
I… this blood only waſh from ſin, oh, how many ly in their ſins, and wallow in their filthineſs. There is a generation clean in their own eyes, and yet are not waſhed from their filthineſs. Prov. 30. 12. Oh that ye believed this: If ye be not now waſhed, eternity ſhall find you unclean; And woe to the Soul that enters eternity with all the pollution of its ſins: Can ſuch a ſoul enter into the high and Holy place, the clean City? No certainly, it muſt be without among the Dogs and Swine, it muſt be kept in darkneſs for ever. It is then of great importance that ye be waſhen from your filthineſs. Now I ask you. Is it ſo or not? are ye made clean and waſhen from the guilt of your ſins? every one of your almoſt will ſay ſo, and think ſo, and yet ſayes the Scripture, There is a generation pure in their own eyes, and yet are not waſhed. Is there a generation ſuch? Is there any ſuch? Oh then, think its poſſible you may be miſtaken in the opinion of your own cleanneſs: do any conceive themſelves pardoned, and yet are not ſo, think it is poſſible you may have deceived your ſelves, eſpccially ſince ye have never examined it: but are there ſo many ſo, a whole generation, the moſt part of m…n, then as you love your ſouls, try; for it is certain that moſt part of you muſt be deceived. Is there a generation in the viſible Church not waſhen, and yet every one thinks himſelf clean, then certainly the moſt part are in a great deluſion, will ye then once examine whether or not ye be deluded with them. It ſhall be your peace to know it, while it may be amended. But how comes it to paſs that ſo many hearing of the Goſpel, and lying near this fountain, are not cleanſed? I think ccrtainly, becauſe they will not have a through cleanſing, they get none at all: All men would love Chriſts blood well to pardon ſin, but who will accept of the water to ſanctifie them from ſin, but Chriſt came with both. Shall this Blood be ſpent upon numbers of you who have no reſpect to it; but would ſtill wallow in your filthineſs? Would ye have God pardoning theſe ſins, ye never throughly reſolve to quite? But how is it that ſo many men are clean in their own eyes, and yet not waſhed? I think indeed, the reaſon of it is, they make a kind of waſhing, which they apprehend ſufficient, and yet knows not the true Fountain. We find men taking much Sope and Nitre, when convinced of ſin, or charged with it, and thereupon, ſoon abſolving themſelves. If ye ask their grounds, they will tell you, they …epent and are ſorry for it, they purpoſe to make a mends, and they think amendment a goo… compenſation for the paſt wrong; They wil… it may be, vow to drink no more for a year afte… they have been drunk; They will confeſs thei… ſin in publick, and all this they do without having any thought of Jeſus Chriſt, or the end o… his coming, and can abſolve themſelves fro… ſuch grounds, though in the mean time, Chriſ… come not ſo much as in their mind. And therefore, are they not really waſhed; All thy righteouſneſs is unclean before God, and thy repentances defile thee, and yet becauſe of ſome ſuc… Duties thou deceiveſt thy ſelf, and art clean i… thine own eyes: Theſe have ſome beauty in th… eyes, and thou puts them between thy filthineſ… and thy eye, and ſo conceives that thou a… clean. I think a reaſon alſo why many me… are clean in their own eyes, and conceive tha… God hath pardoned their ſin, is becauſe they have forgotten it; It is not recent in their memory, and makes no preſent wound in their Conſcience. And therefore, they apprehend God ſuch as themſelves, they think he hath forgotten it alſo. But Oh! how terrible ſhall it be, when God brings to remembrance, and ſets our ſins in order before us: Ye think God cares not for your ſins, that he forgives them becauſe he is ſilent at them, Pſal. 50. 21. But the Lord ſhall one day ſet them before thee, and thou ſhalt know they were ſtill marked befor… him.
Ye who have waſhen in this Blood, ye may rejoyce▪ for it ſhall make you clean every whit. Your iniquities that ſo defiled you, ſhall not be found. O! the precious vertue of that Blood that can purge away a ſouls ſpots: All the Art of Men and Angels could not reach this. This Redemption and Cleanſing was precious, and would have ceaſed for ever. But this Blood is the Ranſome, this Blood cleanſeth, and ſo perfectly, that it ſhall not appear, not only to mens eyes, but alſo Gods peircing Eye. Sinners quite your own righteouſneſs, why defile ye your ſelves more? When your eyes are opened, ye will find it ſo, here is waſhing, apply your ſelves to this Fountain; And if ye do indeed ſo, if ye expect cleanſing from Jeſus Chriſt, I pray you return not to the puddle. Ye are not waſhen from ſin, to ſin more, and defile your ſelf more: If ye think ye have liberty to do ſo, ye have no part in this Blood.