Heart Humiliation, Sermon 16
SERMON XVI.
Iſai. 64. 6, 7.
—All our righteouſneſſes are as filthy raggs, and we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
NOt only are the direct breaches of the Command uncleanneſle, and men originally and actually unclean, but even our holy Actions, our commanded Duties: Take a mans civility, religion and all, his univerſal inherent Righteouſneſſe, all are filthy raggs: And here the Church confeſſeth nothing, but what God accuſeth her of, Iſai, 66. 3. and Chap. 1. Verſ. 11, 12, 13. &c. This people was much in Ceremonial and External Duties, and therefore they cryed, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, as if this would have outcryed all their other ſins: therefore were they proud, and lords in their ōwn eſtimation and innocent, Jer. 2. 31, 35. They thought the many good ſervices they did to God, might compenſe all their wrongs Mic. 6. 6, 7. They gave a price to Juſtice for their ſins, even a confeſlion of it by offering a Lamb, &c. and a purpoſe to amend. But lo, what ſenſe the Prophet hath of all this, Lord all our righteouſneſſe is filthy likewiſe; Albeit we have paid the Debt of ſins with Duties, yet now we ſee all theſe are ſins themſelves, and muſt have another ſacrifice, ſo that all matter of boaſting is now removed, and we are ſtript naked of all righteouſneſſe; We covered our filthineſſe before, with Duties, now both the one and the other is filthy. We would look upon two ſorts of righteouſneſſes, the natural mans and the converted mans, upon the ones Civility and fair Profeſſion, and upon the others real or true Grace in diſcharge of Duties, and we ſhall find good reaſon to conclude both the one and the other under filthineſſe, ſo that there is no ground of boaſting, no inherent righteouſneſſe can make us accepted before God.
Firſt then, whatever men can do from Natural Principles, all the flower and perfection of mens Actions, both civil and religious, is but abominable before God, as long as their perſons are unjuſtified. Every performance is defiled by the uncleanneſſe of the perſon. And therefore God heareth not ſinners, Joh. 8. That is unjuſtified ſinners, though they pray much, yet God heareth them not. And this is lively expreſſed by Hag. 2. 12, 13, 14. As the Prieſts Holy Garments and Fleſh could not make Bread or Pottage holy, but the unclean body could make theſe unclean; So this Nations and Peoples performances and Holy Duties, could not make them Holy, and their Perſons clean; But their unclean perſons and actions made all their performances unclean: The ſolemn meeting and ſacrifice, &c. could not make them accepted, but their unclean perſons, made their ſolemn meetings and religious Duties vile and abominable in Gods ſight: And thus to the unclean all things are unclean, even their mind and conſcience, Tit. 1. 15. The unbelieving man who is born unclean, and defiled with ſo much original corruption, and ſo many actual tranſgreſſions, defileth all things he toucheth; As a dead body, or a leprous garment under the Law, made all unclean it touched, and nothing could make it holy by touching of it. So all your Civility, all your Profeſſion will never contribute to the cleanſing of your Perſon; And your perſons ſhall defile all your moſt clean actions. God loveth not that ſtock of Adam, and all that groweth on it, muſt be hateful; He is only well pleaſed in Jeſus Chriſt, and with thoſe who are tranſplanted out of rotten Adam, into the true Vine Jeſus, it is ſuch fruit only that can be acceptable: Therefore until you be ſprinkled with clean water, and made clean according to the new Covenant way, you cannot pleaſe God. Believe this, your ſins and your duties are one, your Oaths and your Prayers are in the ſame account with God. What have you then to build upon, when all this is removed? You muſt once be ſtript naked of all coverings; and will not your nakedneſs then be great: The Phariſee went away unjuſtified, and the poor repenting ſinner juſtified. What was the reaſon? There are not many of you have ſuch a fair venture for Heaven as he had, ſo many Prayers, Faſtings, Alms, to ground your Hope on. Nay, but all this would never juſtify his perſon, becauſe once he was unclean, come of Adam, and had contracted more uncleanneſſe, and all that is like the leprous Garment defiling all that cometh near it; So that whatever hath any dependence on a ſon of Adam, muſt contract filthineſſe. Now I ask your Conſciences, have you ſo many ſpecious coverings to adorn your ſelf with? Is not your outſide ſpotted, and not ſo clean, as the young civil Man and the religious Phariſee? Certainly, no, and yet you have no other ground to plead the acceptation of your perſons upon, but only this, your Prayers and Tears, or ſome ſuch Duty performed by you. Well, all is uncleanneſſe, ſince your perſons were once unclean, no Sope nor Nitre can waſh it, no holy fleſh make it holy, no good wiſhes nor duties can make it acceptable. Did not this people think of their Duties as much as you do? And had more reaſon ſo to do; for our Congregations have not ſo much form of godlineſſe as they had, and yet God ſolemnly proteſteth to them, that all their works were defiled, even theſe which they took to waſh themſelves with, ſo your repentance and tears muſt be als filthy, as the …n you would waſh by it.
Secondly, the uncleanneſſe of mens practice maketh unclean performances, unclean hands make unclean prayers, Iſai. 1. 15. When men go on in ſin, and uſe their members as inſtruments of unrighteouſneſſe againſt God, and guiltineſſe is above their head unrepented of, and unpardoned, then whatever the members act for God in religious Duties, it muſt be alſo abominable, for will God take prayers from ſuch a mouth, tha… curſing cometh out of? Iſai. 3. 10, 11, 12 Shall ſweet water come out of one Fountain with bitter? Or can a Fig Tree bear both Thiſtles and Graps: Certainly, profane Converſation muſt make unclean profeſſion. And therefore your coming to the Church and Ordinances, your praying in your Families or ſuch like, muſt of neceſſity be defiled, ſince out of the ſame mouth cometh curſing, railing, lying filthy ſpeeches: Your tongues are ſo often imployed in Gods diſhonour, to blaſpheme his Name; to ſlander your Neighbours, to reproach the Saints, that all your prayers muſt be of the ſame ſtamp, and als bitter as the other ſtream of your actions: When you ſtretch forth your hands to make many prayers, to take the Bread and Wine, ſhall not God hide his Face from ſuch hands, as are unclean with many abominations, ſome murdering, ſome abuſing their Neighbours, ſome Sabbath-breaking, ſome filthineſſe, how oft have your hands and feet ſerved you to evil turns; And therefore your good turns will never come in remembrance. Nay, believe it, you cannot be heard of God while you cover any offence. And this I may ſay in general, even to the Saints; any known ſin given way to, and intertained without controlment, without wreſtling againſt it, hindereth the acceptation of your ſolemn approaches. If your heart regard iniquity, ſhall God hear? Pſ. 66. 18. No, believe it, the leaſt ſin that you may judge at firſt venial, and then give it toleration and indulgence, ſhall ſeparat between Gods Face and you: Your prayers are abomination, becauſe of ſuch an idol perked up in the heart beſide God, that getteth the Honour and Worſhip due to him, and God muſt anſwer you according to it, Ezek. 19. 1, 3, 4. God will not be enquired of ſuch as give allowance to ſin, Ezek. 14. 2, 3, 4. And on the other hand, no ſin how great and hainous ſoever can hinder Gods gracious acceptation, when Souls fly unto Jeſus and turn their back upon ſin, or giveth it no heart allowance: And to the multitude I ſay, all that you do or touch in a Duty muſt be defiled, becauſe your whole way is unclean, Hag. 2. 12, 13, 14. Think you to ſin all the week thorow, and worſhip God on the Sabbath, will you lie, ſwear, commit adultery, rail and curſe, and come and ſtand before me, ſaith the Lord? No certainly, you cannot be accepted; And will you hate reformation in your lives, and yet take his Covenant in your mouth, and call your ſelves by his Name, Chriſtians? And ſhall not God challenge you for that als much, as for your ſwearing, and curſing, and lying, &c. Indeed the Lord putteth all in one Roll, and you need not pleaſe your ſelves in ſuch things, Pſal. 50. 16. Jer. 7. 9, 10. For it is all one to you to go to Tavern to drink, and come to the Sermon, to blaſpheme Gods Name, and call on it, becauſe the profanity of the one defileth the other, and the holineſs of the other, cannot make you holy.
Thirdly, the natural mans performances want the uprightneſs, reality and ſincerity that is required, it is but a painted Tomb, full of rottenneſs within, it is but a ſhadow without ſubſtance, for he wanteth the ſpiritual part of worſhip, which God careth for, who will be worſhiped in ſpirit and truth, Joh. 4. 23. Now what is it that the moſt part of you can ſpeak of, but an outſide of ſome few duties, ſoon numbered. You hear the preaching, and your hearts wander about your buſineſs: You hear, and are not ſo much affected, as you would be to hear ſome old ſtory, or fable told you: A ſtage play acted before this generation, would move them more then the Goſpel doth: So that Chriſt may take up this Lamentation; We have piped to you, and you have not dan…ed, lamented to you, and you have not mourned. You uſe to tell over ſome words in your prayers, and are not ſo ſerious in any approach to God, as in twenty other things of the world. Whatever you plead of your hearts rightneſs, and have recourſe to it, when your converſation cannot defend you, yet your hearts are the worſt of all, and have no uprightneſs towards God, for you know that what Duties you go about, it is not from an inward principle, but from Education or Cuſtome, or conſtraint. Are you upright, when you are forced for fear of cenſure to come here, or to pray at home? Is that ſincerity and ſpiritual worſhip? And for the more poliſhed and refined profeſſors, you have this moth in your performances, and this flea to make your Oyntment to ſtink, that you do much, to be ſeen of men, therefore what little fervour of ſpirit is in ſecret Duties; There you may meaſure your altitude and your life. And O how weariſome, how lifeleſs are ſecret approaches, you would not have many errands to God, if you thought no body looked upon you. And for ſpirituality, it is a Myſtery in all mens practice: Who directeth his Duty to Gods Glory? If you get ſome flaſh of liberty, you have your deſire; But who miſſeth Gods preſence in Duties, which a world will approve? Who go mourning as without the Sun, even when you have the Sunſhine of Ordinances and walketh in the light of them?
And fourthly, though your performances had uprightneſs of heart going alongs, and much affection in them, yet all are filthy, becauſe of want of Faith in Jeſus Chriſt. When you make your Duties a covering of your ſins, and think to ſatisfy Gods Juſtice for the reſt of your faults, by doing ſome point of your Duty, then it cannot chooſe but be polluted in his ſight. And this very thing was the cauſe of Gods rejecting the Jews righteouſneſs, even becauſe they did not look to the end of the Myſtery, Chriſt Jeſus: Did not pull by the vail of Ceremonies, to ſee the Immaculat Lamb of God ſlain for ſin. And therefore doth the Lord ſo quarrel with them, as if he had never commanded them to do ſuch things, Iſai. 1. 12, 13. Who hath required theſe things at your hands? bring no more vain oblations, all is Abomination. Even as God ſhould ſay to you, when you come to the Church; who required you to come? Who commanded you to come to hear the Preaching? What have you to do to pray? What warrand have you to communicat? All your Praying, Hearing, Communicating, is Abomination; who commanded you to do theſe things? Would you not think it a fooliſh Queſtion? You would ſoon anſwer, that God himſelf commanded you, and will he not let us do his bidding. Indeed this people, (no doubt) have ſaid ſo in their heart, and wondered what it meant. Nay, but here is the Myſtery, you go about theſe commanded Duties not in a commanded way, and ſo the Obedience is but Rebellion: You bring Offerings and Incenſe, and think that I am pacified when you bring Alms, you judge you have given me a recompenſe, wheras, all that is mine, and what pleaſure have I in theſe things? I never appointed you Sacrifices for this end, but to lead you in to the knowledge of my Son, which is to be ſlain in the fulneſs of time, and by one offering to perfect all. I commanded you to look on Jeſus Chriſt ſlain, in the ſlain Lamb, and ſo to expect Remiſſion and Salvation in him; But you never looked to more nor the Ceremony, and made that your Saviour and Mediator: And therefore it is all Abomination: When you ſlay a Lamb, and offer Incenſe, it is all one thing, as to cut off a Dogs neck, or kill a Man; So may the Lord ſay to this Generation, I command you to pray, to repent and mourn for ſin; to come and hear the Word, but withal you muſt deny all theſe, and count your ſelves unprofitable ſervants, you muſt ſingly caſt your Souls burthen on Chriſt Jeſus. But now, (ſaith the Lord) who commanded your repentance, for when you ſit down to pray, or come in publick to confeſſe ſin before the Congregation, you think you are waſhen; When you have ſaid, you have ſinned, and if you come to the length of Tears and Sorrow, Oh then ſure you are pardoned, though in the mean time you have no thought of Jeſus Chriſt, and knoweth no uſe of him. Therefore, faith the Lord, who commanded you to do theſe things? You think you have ſatisfied for your ſin, when you pay a penalty, but who requireth this? I will reckon with you for theſe, als well as the ſins you pray and mourn for, becauſe you do not ſingly look to Chriſt Jeſus, Now, if he had never come to the world, your ground of confidence would not fail you; For you might have prayed als much, mourned and confeſſed, and promiſed amendment, and ſo you paſt by the Son of God, in whom only the Father is well pleaſed. Think then upon this, whatever you make your righteouſneſſe, there needeth no other thing to make it filthy, but to make it your righteouſneſſe: Your confidence in your good heart to God, prayer day and night, and ſuch like, is the moſt loathſome thing in Gods Eyes: Except you come to this, to count your prayers, as God doth, among your oaths, to count your ſolemn Duties, among profane ſcandalous Actions, as the Lord doeth, Iſai. 1. and 66. 3. Then certainly, you do adorn your ſelves with them, and cover your nakedneſſe of other faults, with ſuch leaves as Adam did, but you ſhall be more diſcovered; Your Garment is als filthy, as that it hideth, even becauſe you make that uſe of it to hide your ſin, and cover it.
Next, The Lords Children have no ground of boaſting either, from their own righteouſneſſe; The holieſt Saint on Earth muſt abhore himſelf in Duſt and Aſhes, and holy Iſaiab joyneth himſelf in with a p…ofane people: When he cometh to God to be juſtified, he cometh among the ungodly, he bringeth no righteouſneſſe with him, he cometh in among them that work not. Now you ſhall find good ground why it muſt be ſo. Firſt, There are ordinarly many blemiſhes in our holieſt Actions▪ ſpots on our cleaneſt Garment, often formality eateth up the life of Duties, and preſenteth a Body without a Soul in it: You ſit down to pray out of cuſtome, morning and evening: And if there were no more to prove it, this may ſuffice: When pray you but at ſuch times? You have an ordinar, and goeth no… by it, no advantage is taken of Providence, no nec…ſſity conſtraineth when occaſion offereth; and ſo it is like the worlds appointed houres. How great deadneſſe and indiſpoſition creepeth in, ſo that it is the ordinary complaint, yea, all prayers filled with it, ſcarcely any room for other petitions, becauſe of the want of frame for prayer it ſelf: The word is heard as a diſcourſe, and on whom hath it operation to ſtirr up Affections, either of joy or of trembling? Chriſtians, you come not to hear God ſpeak, and ſo you meet with empty Ordinances, God is not in them. How often do crooked and ſiniſter ends creep in, and byaſs the Spirit; Men ask to ſpend on their luſts, and to ſatisfy their own ambition; Some would have more Grace to be more Eminent; or to have a more pleaſant Life; And this is but the ſeeking to ſpend on your luſts. If Affection run in the Channel of a Duty, it is often muddy, and runneth thorow our Corruptions: Liberty in Duties is principled with carnal Affection and Self-love. Will not often the Wind of Applauſe in company, fill the ſails, and make your courſe ſwifter and freer, nor when you are alone. And often much love to a part…cular, maketh more in ſeeking it. And that which is a Moth to eat up and conſume all our Duties, is conceit and ſelf confidence in going about them, and attributing to our ſelf after them. It is but very rare, that any man both Acteth from Jeſus Chriſt as the principle, and alſo putteth over his work on Chriſt ſingly as the end. Alas too often do men draw out of Chriſts Fulneſſe and raiſe up their own glory upon it, and adorn themſelves with the ſpoyls of his honour; For we uſe to pray from a habit of it, and go to as men acquainted with it, and when we get any ſatisfaction to our own minds, O how doth the Soul return on it ſelf, and goeth not forward as it goeth; It is ſo well pleaſed with it ſelf, when it getteth liberty to approach, that it doth not put all over on Jeſus, and take ſhame to it ſelf. As long as there is a body of Death within, holineſſe cannot be pure and unmixed; Our Duties run thorow a dirty Channel, and cannot chooſe but contract filth; While ſin lodgeth under one roof ſo near Grace, Grace muſt be in its exerciſe marred, and therefore the holy Apoſtle muſt cry, Rom. 7. 19. The good that I would, I do not, but the evil which I would not, that I do. And Verſe 24. O wretched man that I am, who ſhall deliver me from the body of this death?
Secondly, Though there were not ſuch blemiſhes, and ſpots in the face of our righteouſneſſe, yet it is here in a ſtate of imperfection, and but in its minority, and ſo muſt be filthy in the Lords ſight. It was perfect Hol…neſſe according to the perfect Rule of Gods Law, that Adam was to be juſtified by, according to the Covenant of works, exact obedience, not one wanting, or elſe all that can be done, came ſhort of righteouſneſs: One breach bringeth the curſe on. All obedience (if there be a failing in a little) will not bring the bleſſing on; He that doth all, liveth; and he that doth not all, is curſed. And therefore Chriſtians, all you do cannot commend your perſons to God, for if he examine you by the rule of the Law, O how ſhor… will the holieſt come? Paul and Iſaiah dare not come in ſuch a reckoning: Neither is all obeyed, nor any in the meaſure and manner commande…. And therefore, you might cry down all your performances, when you could challenge them with no particular blot, with this, All is ſhort of the command, and infinitly ſhort. I have been aiming at holineſs ſo long, I have ſtretched out my ſtrength, and what have I attained? It may be, I have outſtriped equals, and there ſeemeth to be ſome diſtance between me and others; Nay, but the command is unſpeakably more before me, nor I am before others. I have reached but a ſpan of that boundleſs perfection of holineſs; It is but a grain weight of the eternal weight of grace, and I muſt forget it, and ſtand before God, as if I had Ioſt mind of duties, appear in his preſence, as if I had attained nothing; for the length that is before my hand, drowneth up all attainments.
Thirdly, Nay, but put the caſe man were perfect, yet ſhould he not know his ſoul, but deſpiſe his life; The Lord putteth no truſt in his ſervants, and his Angels he chargeth with folly, and the Heavens are not clean in his ſight, how then muſt man be abominable, that hath his foundation in the duſt, and drinketh in iniquity like water? How ſhould God magnifie him? or he be righteous that is born of a woman? Job 25. 4, 6. and 15. 14, 15. and 4. 18, 19. Job was a great length in the ſight of his own vileneſs, and Gods holineſs, when he ſaw this, Though I were perfect, yet I would not know it, but deſpiſe it, I would not anſwer him, though I were righteous, Chap. 9. 14, 15, 21. So unſpeakably pure and clean is his Holineſs, that all created holineſs hath a ſpot in it before his, and evaniſheth, as the Stars diſappear when the Sun riſeth, which ſeem ſomething in the darkneſs. The Angels holineſs, the Heavens glory, is nothing to him, before whom the Nations are as nothing, ſo that it is all the wonder of the world, that ever God ſtooped ſo far below himſelf, even to righteous Adam, as to make ſuch a Covenant with him, to account him righteous in obedience. What is man that thou ſhould magnifie him? When I look to the Heavens, and the Sun, the work of thine hands, Lord, what is man? What is innocent man in his integrity, that thou ſhould magnifie him, to give him a place to ſtand before thee, magnifie him to be a party-contracter with thy glorious Maj…ſty? Pſal. 8. 4, 5, 6. But now when this Covenant is broken, it is become impoſſible to a ſon of Adam, ever to ſtand before God in his perfection, for how ſhould man be righteous that is born of a woman? Job 14. 15. Since we once ſinned, how ſhould our righteouſneſs ever come in remembrance? Therefore hath God choſen another way to cover mans wickedneſs and righteouſneſs both, with his own righteouſneſs, his Sons Divine-humane righteouſneſs, which is ſo ſuited in his infinit wiſdom for us: It is a mans righteouſneſſe, that it may agree with men, and be a fit garment to cover them; It is Gods righteouſneſſe, that it may be beautiful in Gods eyes, for he ſeeth his own image in it. And it is not the cr…ated inherent righteouſneſſe of Saints glorified, that ſhall be their upper garment, that ſhall be their Heaven and glory-ſuit, (ſo to ſpeak,) they will not glory in this, but only in the Lambs righteouſneſſe for evermore. Saint-holineſſe muſt have a covering above, for it cannot cover our nakedneſſe: And all the ſongs of them that follow the Lamb, make mention of his righteouſneſſe, even of his only. The Lamb is the light and Sun of the City, the Lamb is the Temple of it, in a word, he is all that is beautiful and glorious: Every Saint hath put on the Lord Jeſus, and is perfect thorow his comelineſſe: At leaſt, if the holineſſe of ſpirits of juſt men made perfect, be the glorious habit above; yet all the beauty and glory of it is from Chriſt Jeſus whoſe image it is, and the Spirit whoſe work it is. It ſhall be ſtill true, All our righteouſneſſe, as ours, is filthy, and all holineſſe, as it hath a relation to us, cannot pleaſe God, it muſt be ſpotted before his pure eyes, but only it is accepted and clean, as it is Chriſts and the Spirits, as it is his own garment put upon us, and his own comlineſſe making us perfect. It is not ſo much the inherent cleanneſs of the Saints robs that maketh them beautiful in his eyes, as this, That they are waſhed in the blood of the Lamb, Rev. 7. 14.
Now from all this we would ſpeak a word to two ſorts of you: There is one great point of Religion that is the principal and foundation of all other, even free Juſtification by Faith in Jeſus, without our own righteouſneſs. And the moſt part ſtumble here in the entry: It is the greateſt obſtruction of ſouls coming to Chriſt Jeſus, even the ignorant and blind conceit and fancy that almoſt every man hath of himſelf, and his own performances: The world will not make many believe the half of the evil of themſelves, that is ſpoken in the Word. If you have a general conviction of ſinfulneſſe and miſery, yet you think to help it. If you ſin, you uſe to make an amends, run to your prayers, and repentance, to give God a recompence, and ſatisfie your own Conſciences: Speak now, is not this the way you think to be ſaved? I ſhall do what I can, pray and mourn for ſin, and what I am not able to do, God muſt forgive, you will do all you are able, or can, and Gods mercy muſt come in to ſupply the want of your righteouſneſs; But this is to put a new piece of cloath in an old garment, to make the rent worſe: Many of you have no other ground of confidence in the world, nothing to anſwer the challenge of Conſcience, or ſatisfie Juſtice but this, I repent, I am ſorry, I mourn, I ſhall amend, I reſolve never to do the like again. Now then from this ground we would declare unto you in the Lords Name, you are yet unclean, both in perſons and actions unjuſtified, becauſe you have no other covering but your own duties and performances: And let theſe be examined, and weighed in the ballance of the Sanctuary, and they will be found light. All your righteouſneſſe (ſaith the Lord) is filthineſſe: You are unclean, you cannot deny, both by birth and education, you have often defiled your ſelves with ſins, you muſt confeſſe: Now I ask you, How will you cover that uncleanneſſe and nakedneſſe? How will you hide it from Gods eyes, and your own Conſcience? You know no way but this, I will pray, I will repent, and amend. So then you cover your ſelf with prayer, with ſorrow and tears, and a reſolution of amending, this then is all your covering and ornament, ſomething done by you; as many will make the wings of two good works ſtretch themſelves out ſo far, as to cover and hide a multitude of offences between them. Therefore I declare in the Lord Jeſus his Name unto you, whoſe Conſcience muſt go alongs in the acknowledgment and owning of your caſe, that you have covered your ſelves with your own righteouſneſſe, that you have taken as filthy rags to cover your nakedneſſe and ſin with, as your ſins are, and ſo, you have made an addition to your uncleanneſs, you are more unclean by your prayers and repentance then before: And ſo God is of more pure eyes, then to look graciouſly on ſuch as you are. You have gone about to eſtabliſh your own righteouſneſſe, and hath not known the righteouſneſſe of God, and ſo you have come ſhort of it; you are yet perſons in a ſtate of enmity, God is your Judge, you are rebels: It concerns you much to heed this well, to judge of your own actions and perſons as God judgeth of them, for if God ſhall judge one way, and you judge another way, you may be far miſtaken in the end. If you have ſo good an opinion of your ſelves and your duties, that you can plead intereſt in God for them, and abſolve your ſelves from ſuch grounds: And if God have not the ſame judgement, but rather think as evil of your prayers, as of your curſing, and abhor the thing that ſatisfieth you, will it not be dreadful in the end? For his judgement ſhall ſtand, and you will ſuccumb in judgement, ſince you croſſed Gods mind. Therefore we would have you ſolidly drink in this principle of Religion, That man is ſo unclean, and God ſo abhorreth him, that whatever he doth, or can do, it cannot make him righteous, that no good action can make him acceptable, and take away the uncleanneſs of the evil actions; and that any ſinful action taketh away all the cleanneſs of the good actions. Once believe this, If I ſhould ſweat out my life in ſerving God, and never riſe off my knees, If I ſhould give my body to the fire for the truth, If I ſhould melt away in tears for ſin, all this is but filthy raggs, and I can never be accepted of God for all that, but the matter of my condemnation groweth: If I juſtifie my ſelf, my own mouth proves me perverſe: God needeth no more but my good deeds to condemn me for, in all juſtice: And therefore it is a thing impoſſible, I will never put forth a hand, or open a mouth upon that account any more. I will ſerve God, becauſe it is my duty, but life I will not expect by my ſervice, when I have done all, it is wholly mercy that I am accepted; my good works ſhall never come in remembrance, I reſolve to be found, not having my own righteouſneſſe, I will appear among the ungodly ſinners, as one that hath no righteouſneſſe, that I may be juſtified only by faith in Jeſus Chriſt. I ſay, drink in this truth, and let it ſettle in your hearts, and then we would hear numbers cry, O what ſhall I do to be ſaved?
Now as for you who have fled unto Chriſts righteouſneſſe only, & have caſt away your own as dung and droſs, as filthy raggs, as you have done right in the point of Juſtification, judge ſo likewiſe after it. We would exhort you to judge ſo of your beſt actions that are the fruits of the Spirit, judge ſo of them as you have a hand in them.
All our righteouſneſs: Mark, Iſaiah a holy Prophet joyneth himſelf in with the multitude. And the truth is, the more holineſs the more humility and ſelf-abaſing; for what is holineſs, I pray you, but ſelf-denial, the abaſing of the creature, and exalting of Chriſt Jeſus. This is the Croſs that the Saints muſt all bear, Deny your ſelf, and follow me. Grace doth not ſwell men above others, it is gifts, ſuch as Knowledge that puffeth up; Charity or Love puffeth not up. Men are naturally high-minded, for pride was the firſt ſin of Adam, and grace cometh to level men, to make the high mountains valleys for Chriſts Chariot; It maketh men ſtoop low to enter the door of the Kingdome. Therefore if you have attained any meaſure beyond others, if you would prove it real grace and holineſſe, do not exalt your ſelves above others, be not high minded, come down and ſit among the ungodly, among the unclean, and let not grace given diminiſh the low eſtimation of your ſelf in your ſelf: There is a growing that is but a fancy, and mens conceit, when men grow above Ordinances, above other Chriſtians, and can ſee none or few Chriſtians but themſelves, ſuch a growth is not real, its but fancy, its but ſwelling and wind, and muſt be pricked to let it out. A holy Prophet came in among an unclean people, he did not ſay, Stand by, I am bolier then thou. Such a man as can find no Chriſtian about him, even though to the judgement of all others, they ſeek God more then he, ſuch a man hath not real ſolid grace, his holineſs is profane holineſs, and proud holineſs; for true holineſs is humble holineſs, and in honour pr…ferreth others.
There is a great fault among thoſe who have fled to Chriſts righteouſneſs in Juſtification, that they uſe to come full from duties, as a ſtomach from a honey comb. Oft times we make our liberty and acceſs to God, the ground of our acceptation, and according to the ebbings and flowings of our inherent righteouſneſs, ſo doth the faith and confidence of Juſtification ebb and flow. Chriſtians, this ought not to be. In ſo doing, you make your own righteouſneſs your righteouſneſs before God: for when the unſatisfaction in the point of duty, maketh you queſtion your intereſt ſo often, is not the ſatisfaction of your minds in duties, made the ground of your pleading intereſt. Give you liberty and acceſs, you can believe any thing, remove it, and you can believe nothing. Certainly this is a ſandy foundation, you ought to build nothing on performances, you ſhould be as vile in your own eyes, and think your nakedneſs as open, when you come neareſt God, when you have moſt livelineſs, as when he hideth his face & duty withereth; will filthy raggs be your ornament? No Chriſtians, be more acquaint with the unſpotted righteouſneſs of the Immaculat Lamb of God, and find as great neceſſity of covering your cleaneſt duties with it, as your fouleſt faults, and thus ſhall you be kept ſtill humble and vile in your own eyes, and have continual imployment for Chriſt Jeſus: your beſt eſtate ſhould not puff you up, and your worſt eſtate ſhould not caſt you down. Therefore be much in the ſearch of the filthineſs of your holy actions; This were a ſpiritual ſtudy, a noble diſcovery to unbowel your duties, to divide them, and give unto God what is Gods, and take unto your ſelves what is your own: The diſcovery of filthineſs in them, needeth not hinder his praiſe; And the diſcovery of grace in them, needeth not marr your ſham…. God hath moſt glory when we have moſt ſhame, theſe two grow in juſt proportion, ſo much is taken from God, as is given to the creature.
Thirdly, we would alſo preſs you from this ground to long much to be clothed upon with immortality, to put off the filthy raggs of time, and earth-righteouſneſs, and to be clothed upon with the white robs of the righteouſneſs of the Saints. As you would dwell near the fountain here, and be ſtill waſhing your garments, and offering all your ſacrifices in him who ſanctifieth all, ſo would you pant and thirſt for this ſpotleſs garme…t of glory: Glory is nothing but perfect holineſs, holineſs waſhen and made clean in the Lambs blood: your rags are for the priſon and for ſo journing: when you come to your fathers houſe, your raiment ſhall be changed. Therefore Chriſtians, every one of you aſpire higher, ſit not down in attainments, forget what is behind, and preſſe forward: let perfect holineſſe be in your eye and purpoſe, ſit not behind it: All our time-duties have much filthineſſe; long for the pure ſtream that waters the City above: Grace is not in its native place, it is corrupted and mixed here: Heaven is the own Element of it, and there is grace without mixture. Undervalue all your performances, till you be above, where that which is in part, ſhall be done away, where no unclean thing entereth.
Fourthly, This likewiſe holdeth out to you a continual neceſſity of waſhing. You muſt take up houſe beſide the fountain opened in the houſe of David; and never look on any piece of inherent righteouſneſſe, but ſee a neceſſity of dipping it in the Lambs blood. And therefore ſhould you pray alwayes in Chriſts Name, that the prayer which of it ſelf, would be caſt as dung on our face, may have a ſweet favour from hi… Cover your holineſſe with Chriſts righteouſne… and make mention of it only.