Heart Humiliation, Sermon 9
SERMON IX.
Iſai. 1. 11.
To what purpoſe is the multitude of your ſacrifices to me, ſaith the Lord? &c.
THis is the Word he calls them to hear, and a ſtrange Word. Iſaiah asks, what means your ſacrifices? God will not have them. I think the people would ſay in their own hearts, what means the Prophet? What would the Lord be at? Do we any thing but what he Commanded us? Is he angry at us for Obeying him? What means this Word? Is he not repealing the Statute and Ordinance he had made in Iſrael? If he had reproved us for breach of Commands, for Omiſſion and Neglect of Sacrifices, we would have taken with it; But what means this reproof for well doing? The Lord is a hard Maſter, if we neglect Sacrifices and offer up the worſt of the Flock, he is angry; If we have a care of them, and offer them punctually, and keep appoynted days preciſely, he is angry: what ſhall we do to pleaſe him? I think many of you are put to as great a Non-plus., when your prayers and repentance and faſting is quarreled: Do ye not ſay in your hearts, we know not what to do, Miniſters are angry at us if we pray not and ou… praying they cry out againſt; They command us to Repent and Faſt, and yet ſay, that God will abhore both theſe. This is a Myſtery, and we ſhall endeavour to unfold it to you from the World. It concerns us to know how God is pleaſed with our publick Services and Faſtings: For the moſt part of people have no more Religion. Ye all, I know, deſire to know what True Religion is: Conſult the Scriptures and ſearch them, for there ye ſhall find Eternal Life. We frame to our ſelf a wrong Patern and Coppy of it, and ſo we judge our ſelves wrong. Our narrow Spirits do not take in the Latitude of the Scriptures Religion, but taking in one part, it excludes another, and thinks God rigid if it be not taken of our hand ſo. But I pray conſider theſe three things, which ſeem to make up the good Old Way, the Religion of the Old and New Teſtament. Firſt, Religion takes in all the Commands, it is univerſal, hath reſpect to all the Commandments, Pſal. 119. 6. It carries the two Tables in both-hands, the firſt Table in the right hand, and the ſecond in the left. Theſe are ſo intirely conjoyned, that if ye receive not both, ye cannot receive any truely. Secondly, it takes in all the man, his Soul and Spirit als well as his Body: Nay, it principally includes that which is principal in the man, his Soul and Spirit, his Mind and Affections. If ye divide theſe, ye have not a man preſent but a body: And what fellowſhip can bodies have with him who in a Spirit: If ye divide theſe among themſelves, ye have not a Spirit indeed preſent; If the mind be not preſent, ſurely the heart cannot, but if the mind be, and the heart away, Religion is not Religion, but ſome empty Speculation; The mind cannot ſerve but by the heart: Where the heart is, there a man is reckoned to be. Thirdly, it takes in Jeſus Chriſt as all, and excludes altogether a mans ſelf. He worſhips God in the Spirit, but he rejoyces not in himſelf and in his ſpirit, but in Jeſus Chriſt, and hath no confidence in himſelf or the fleſh phil. 3. 3, 8. It includes the Soul and Spirit, and all the Commands, but it denyes them all, and embraces Jeſus Chriſt by Faith, as the only Object of glorying into, and truſting into. All a mans ſelf becomes droſs in this Conſideration. Now the firſt of theſe is drawn from the laſt, therefore it appears firſt; I ſay, an indeavour in walking in every thing Commanded, of conforming our way to the preſent rule and patern, is a ſtream flowing from the pure heart within: A mans Soul and Affections muſt once be purified, or it ſend out ſuch Streams in Converſation. And from whence doth that pure heart come? Is it the Fountain and Original? No certainly; The heart is deſperately wicked above all things, and how will it cleanſe it ſelf? But this purity proceeds from another Fountain, from Faith in Jeſus Chriſt: And it is this, that lies neareſt the uncreated Fountain Chriſt himſelf, it is the moſt immediat Conduit, the Mouth of the Fountain, or the Bucket to draw out of the deep Wells of Salvation: All theſe are conjoyned in this order, 1 Tim. 1. 5. The end of the Command is love. Ye know Love is ſaid elſewhere to be the fulfilling of the Law: And when we ſay Love, we mean all Duties to God and man, which Love ought immediately to principle. Now this Love proceeds from a pure Heart, cleanſed and ſanctified, which pure heart proceeds from Faith unfeigned. So then, we muſt go up in our ſearching from external obedience all alongs, till we arrive at the inward Fountain of Chriſt dwelling in us by Faith: And then have ye found true Religion indeed. Now ye may think poſſibly, we have uſed too much circumlocution; What is all this to the preſent purpoſe? Yes very much. Ye ſhall find the Lord rejecting this peoples publick Worſhip and ſolemn Ordinances, upon theſe three grounds, either they did not joyn with them the obſervation of weightier Commands, or they did not worſhip him in them with their Spirits, had not Souls preſent, or they knew not the end and uſe for which God had appoynted theſe Sacrifices and Ceremonies, they did not ſee to the end of all, which was Jeſus Chriſt.
Firſt then, I ſay, the people was much in ex…ernal Sacrifices and Ceremonies, Commanded of God, but they were ignorant of the end of …is Commands and of the uſe of them: Ye now in themſelves they had no goodneſs, but …nly in relation to ſuch an end as he pleaſed they …ould lead to: But they ſtayed upon the Ce…emony and ſhadow, and were not led to uſe it …s a means for ſuch an end; And ſo though …ey fancied that they obeyed, and pleaſed God, …et really they wholly perverted his meaning and intention in the Command: Therefore doth the Lord plead w…th them in this place for their Sacrificeing, as if it had been Murther. They uſed to object his Commands. What, ſayes the Lord, did I command theſe things? Who required them? Meaning eertainly, who required them for ſuch an end, to take away your ſin; who required them but as a ſhadow of the ſubſtance to come? Who required them but as ſignes of that Lamb and Sacrifice to be offered up in the fullneſſe of time? And for asmuch as ye paſſe over all theſe, and think to pleaſe me with the external Ceremony, was that ever my intent or meaning? Certainly ye have fancied a new Law of your own, I never gave ſuch a Law. Therefore it is ſaid, Pſal. 50. 13. God pleads juſt after this manner, Will I eat the fleſh of Bulls, or drink the blood of Goats? &c. And Micah 6. 7. Will the Lord be pleaſed with thouſands of rammes, or with ten thouſands of rivers of oyl? He who hath no pleaſure in ſinful men, what pleaſure can he have in beaſts? Therefore, it was to ſignify to them (who thought God would be pleaſed with them for their offering,) that he could not endure them, it was worſe to him to offer him ſuch a recompenſe, then if they had done none at all; H… is only well pleaſed in his well beloved Son And when they ſeparat a Lamb or a Bulloc… from the well b…loved, what was it to him mor… nor a dogs neck or ſwines fleſh? It was his Creature as theſe are, and no more, Iſai. 66. 3. No… that they looked never beyond the Ceremonies it is evident, becauſe they boaſted in them, the… uſed to find out theſe as a remedy of their ſins, and a mean to pacifie Gods Wrath, Micah 6. 6. Paul bears witneſſe of it, 2 Cor. 13. 14. Moſes had a Vail of Ceremonies over his Face, and the Children of Iſrael could not ſtedfaſtly look to the end of that Myſtery Chriſt Jeſus, but their minds were blinded, and is ſo to this day in the reading of the Scriptures: And this Vail of hardneſs of heart ſhall be done away when Chriſt returnes them again. Now I ſay it is juſt ſo with us, there was never a people liker other, nor we are like the Jews: We have many external Ordinances, Preaching, Hearing, Baptiſm, Communion, Reading, Singing, Praying in publick, Extraordinary Solemnities of Faſting and Thankſgiving, Works of Diſcipline and Government, publick Reproof to ſinners, Confeſſions and Abſolutions. What would ye think if we ſhould change the terms of Sacrifices and new Moons, and ſpeak all this to you? To what purpoſe is the multitude of your Faſts and Feaſts, of your Preachings and Communions, of your Praying in ſecret, and in your Families, of Conference and Prayer with others, of running to and fro to hear Preaching, …o partake of the Lords Table? I am full of them, … delight not in them; When ye come here on …he Sabbath, who required at your hand to read my Courts? Come no more to hear the Word, run no more after Communions, ſeek …o more Baptiſm to your Children, call no …ore Solemn Aſſemblies, it is all iniquity. Oh …ay ye, that is a ſtrange Preaching indeed, muſt …e Pray no more? Hear no more? Sing no more? Did not God command theſe; Why do ye diſcharge them? We do not mean ſo, that theſe ſhould not be, but they ſhould be in another way: All theſe want the Soul and Life of them, which is Jeſus Chriſt in them. Do ye not think your ſelves religious, becauſe ye frequent theſe? The multitude of the people think that theſe pleaſe God and pacifie his Wrath: Ye have no other thing in your mind but theſe. If ye can attain any ſorrow or grief for ſin, or any tears to ſignify it, preſently you abſolve your ſelves for your repentance; The ſcandalous who appear in publick, thinks the paying of a penalty to the Judge, and bowing the knee before the Congregation, ſatisfies God. Ye miſs nothing when ye have theſe: I ſpeak to the profeſſors of Religion alſo, who pretend to more knowledge then others, when ye have gone about ſo many Duties, ye are well ſatisfied, if ye get liberty in them; If ye can ſatisfy your ſelf, ye doubt not of Gods ſatisfaction; And if ye do not ſatisfy your ſelves in your Duties, ye cannot believe his ſatisfaction; Ye get the Ordinance, and miſſes nothing. Now, I ſay, in all this ye do not reac… to the end of this Miniſtry Jeſ…s Chriſt, ye d… not ſtedfaſtly behold him, to empty your ſelve… in his boſom, to turn over all the unrighteouſneſs of your holy things upon him who bear… it; That which pleaſeth you, is not he in whom the Father is well pleaſed, but the meaſure o… your own Duty. O! the Eſtabliſhing of ou… own Righteouſneſs is the ruine of the Viſibl… Church: This is the grand Idol, and all Sacrifice to it. Know therefore, that the moſt part of your performances are abomination and iniquity, becauſe ye have ſo much confidence in them, and puts them not upon Chriſt as filthy raggs, or do not cover them with his Righteouſneſs, as well as your wickedneſs. I know ye will ſay, that ye are not ſatisfied with them, and that is ſtill the matter of your Exerciſe. Well, I affirm in the Lords Name from that ground, that ye have confidence in them, for if your diffidence and diſquietneſs ariſe from it, your confidence and peace muſt come from it alſo. Is there any almoſt that maintains Faith, except when their own conditions pleaſe them well; And that Faith I may call no Faith, at leaſt not pure and cleanly entire Faith. As for the multitude of you, you muſt know this, that God is not pleaſed with your prayers and faſting and hearing, &c. Becauſe ye have ſuch an eſteem of them, becauſe ye can ſettle your ſelves againſt all Threatnings, and never once remember of Jeſus Chriſt, or conſider the end of his coming into the world: Becauſe ye find no neceſſity of pardon for your prayers and righteouſneſs, but ſtretches the garment of theſe over the uncleanneſs of your practices; What delight hath the Lord in them, when they are put in his Sons place? Will he not be jealous that his Sons Glory be not given to another?
In the ſecond place, the Lord rejects their performances, becauſe there was nothing but a meer ſhadow of ſervice, and no worſhipping of God in the Spirit. Ye know what Chriſt ſaith; God is a Spirit, and he that worſhips him muſt do it in ſpirit and truth Jo. 4. 24. It is th… Heart and Soul that God delights into; M… ſon give me thy heart, for if thou give not hy heart, I care for nothing elſe: The heart i… the whole man; What a mans Affection is, that he is. Light is not ſo, it brings not th… man alongs with it: Chriſt Jeſus hath give… himſelf for us, and he requires that we offer ou… ſelves to him; If we offer a Body to frequen… his Houſe, our Feet to tread in his Courts, ou… Ears to hear his Word, what cares he for it, a… long as the Soul doth not offer it ſelf up in Prayer or Hearing. And this was the ſin of thi… people, Iſai. 29. 13. They draw near with th… lips, and their heart is far from the Lord. Now are not we their Children, and have ſucceeded to this. Is there any thing almoſt in our publick Services, but what is publick? Is ther… any thing but what is ſeen of men? Ye com… to hear, ye ſit and hear, and is there any more? The moſt part have their minds wandering, no thoughts preſent: for your thought… are removed about your Barns and Corns, o… ſome buſineſs in your head; And if any hav… their Thoughts preſent, yet where are Affections? Which are the Soul and Spirit of Religion, without which, it is no true fire but wild… fire, if it be not both burning and ſhinning Are ye ſerious in theſe Ordinances? Or rathe… are ye not more ſerious in any thing beſide: And now eſpecially when Gods Providenc… calls you to earneſt thoughts, when it crys to al… men to enter into conſideration of their ow… ways. I pray you, is there any Soul-affliction in your Faſts even for a day? Is there any real grief or token of it? Not a Faſt in Scripture without weeping; We have kept many, and have never advanced ſo far. Shall the Lord then be pacified? Will not his Soul abhore them? How ſhall they appeaſe him for your other provocations, when they are as Oyl to the Flame, to increaſe his Indignation? The moſt part of Chriſtians are guilty here: We come to the Ordinances, as it were to diſcharge a Cuſtome, and perform a Ceremony, that we may have it to ſay to our Conſcience, that it is done, and there is no more intent and purpoſe. We do not ſeek to have Soul communion with God: We come to Sermon to hear ſome new thing, or new truth, or new faſhion of it. To learn a Notional Experience of Caſes; But alas, this is not the great purpoſe and uſe of theſe things; It is to have ſome new ſenſe of theſe things we know: We know already, but we ſhould come to get the Truth m…re received in our Love, to ſerve God in our Spirits, and to return to him our ſelves in a Sacrifice acceptable. This is the greater half, if not the whole of Religion, Love to Jeſus Chriſt who loved us, and living to him, becauſe he died for us, and livihg to him, becauſe we love him. Now all our Ordinances and Duties, ſhould be Channels to cary our Love to him, and occaſions of venting our Affections.
Thirdly, the Lord rejected this peoples ſervices, becauſe they were exact and punctual in them, and neglected other parts of his Commandments; And this is clearly expreſſed here. I will not hear your prayers, though there be many of them: Why? Your hands are full of blood. Ye come to worſhip me, and pray to me; and yet there are many Abominations in your Converſation, which you continue in, and do not challenge in your ſelves. Ye have unclean hands, and ſhall your prayer be accepted, which ſhould come up with pure Hands? They took his Covenant in their mouth, and offered many Sacrifices, but what have ye to do with theſe things (ſayeth the Lord) ſince ye hate to be reformed, ſince ye hate perſonal Reformation of your Lives, and in your Families? what have ye to do to profeſs to be my people, Pſal. 50, 19, 17? The Lord requires an univerſality, if ye would prove ſincerity: If ye have reſpect to any of his Commands, as his Commands, then will ye reſpect all. If ye be partial, and chooſe one Duty that is eaſy and refuſe another harder; ye will come to the Church and hear, but ye will not pray at home; Ye will faſt in publck, but not in private: Then (ſayes the Lord) ye do not at all obey me, but your own humour; ye do not at all faſt unto me, but unto your ſelves; As much as your intereſt lyes in a Duty, ſo much are ye carried to it: And I take this to be the reaſon, why many are ſo Eager in purſuing publick Ordinances, following Communions, and Conferences with Gods people, ready to Pray in publick rather then alone: If ye would follow them into their ſecret Chamber, how much indifferency is there? how great infrequency, how little fervency? VVell (ſayes the Lord) did ye pray to me when ye prayed among others? No, ye prayed either to your ſelves, or the company, or both. Did ye ſeek me in a Communion? No, (ſayeth the Lord) ye ſought not me, but your ſelves: If ye ſought me indeed with others, ye would be als earneſt if not more, to ſeek me alone, Zech. 7. 6. And again, the Lord eſpecially requires the weightier matters of the Law to be conſidered; As it was among the Jews, their Ceremonies were commanded, and ſo good, but they were not ſo much good in themſelves, as becauſe they were means appointed for another end and uſe. But the Moral Law was binding in it ſelf, and good in it ſelf, without relation to another thing. And therefore Chriſt lays this heavy Charge to the Phariſees; Ye tithe mint and aniſe, Mat. 23. 23. Woe unto you, for ye neglect the weightier matters of the Law, Judgement, Mercy and Faith, theſe ye ought to have done, and not left the other undone. Are there not many who would think it a great fault, to ſtay away from the Church on the Sabbath or Week day, and yet will not ſtick to ſwear, to drink often; VVoe unto you, for ye ſtrain at a gnat and ſwallow a camel. Therefore are the Prophets full of theſe Expoſtulations: The people ſeemed to make Conſcience of Ceremonies and External Ordinances, but they did not order their Converſation aright; They did not execute Judgment and relieve the oppreſſed, did not walk ſoberly, did not mortify ſinful luſts, &c. Alas, we deceive our ſelves with the noiſe of a Covenant, and a Cauſe of God, we cry it up, as an Antidot againſt all evils, uſe it as a charm, even as the Jews did their Temple; and in the mean time, we do not care how we walk before God, or with our Neighbours: Well, (thus ſaith the Lord) Truſt ye not in lying words, Jer. 7. 4, 5, 6. If drunkenneſs reign among you, if filthineſs, ſwearing, oppreſſion, cruelty reign among you, your Covenant is but a ly, all your profeſſions are but lying words, and ſhall never keep you in your Inheritances and Dwellings. The Lord tells you what he requires of you, Is it not to do juſtly, and walk humbly with God? Mic. 6. 7. This is that which the grace of God teaches, To deny ungodlineſs and worldly luſts, and to live ſoberly, righteouſly and godly towards your God, your neighbour and your ſelf, Tit. 2. 11, 12. And this he prefers to your publick Ordinances, your Faſting, Covenanting, Preaching and ſuch like. Is not this to know me (ſaith the Lord) Jer. 22. 15. 16. You think you know God, when you can diſcourſe well of Religion, and intertain conferences of practical Caſes; You think it is knowledge to underſtand Preachings and Scripture. But thus ſaith the Lord, To do juſtly to all men, to walk humbly towards God, to walk ſoberly in your ſelves, is more real knowledge of God, then all the Volumes of Doctors contain, or the heads of Profeſſors. Is this knowledge of God, to have a long flowriſhing diſcourſe, containing much Religion in it? Alas no; to do juſtly, to oppreſs none, to pray more in ſecret, to walk humbly and ſoberly, this is to know the Lord; practice is real knowledge indeed, it argues, that what a man knows, he receives in love, that the Truth hath a deep impreſſion on the heart, that the Light ſhines into the heart, to inflame it. What is knowledge before God? As much as principles Affection and Action, as much as hath Influence on your Converſations: If you do not, and love not what you know, is that to know the Lord? Shall not your knowledge be a Teſtimony againſt your practice, and no more?