A Complete Body of Divinity, Sermons · 147 (Question 39)
SERMON CXLVII.
QUESTION XXXIX.
WHAT is the Duty that GOD requires of Man?
ANSWER.
THE Duty that GOD requireth of Man, …edience to his ro…aled Will.
WE have taken a Summary Account of … the …ſt part of Man's Religion, as we …nt it in the Scriptures, v…z Faith, or … …s which he is to believe concerning … We are now to paſs over to the Second, … …ce or Obedience, the diſcovery where… …, in the Duty which God requires of … The Ground or reaſon of this Diſtri… hath been handled in the Explication … bird Queſtion; where we obſerved, … Scriptures are a compleat Rule of Faith … …ers. pointing us to God as the firſt … …nd laſt End of all things. And becauſe … Knowledge and Practice muſt go to… according to Joh. 13.17. It ye know …ings, happy are ye if ye do them. But …ſſary that we know God, in order to … ſerving of him hence Faith, by … we obtain that Knowledge, muſt be … order of Nature.
… Propoſition now under Conſideration, … a general Account given of Man's … which is further and more diſfinctly …ed in the Sequel. We may therefore …e only a general Account of it. Here … …wo Things are to be conſidered, viz.
1. … there is a Duty which all Men ſtand … in unto God.
2. That the Things re… in this Duty is Obedience to his revealed ….
I. THAT there is a Duty which all Men ſtand obliged in unto God. All Creatures both rational and irrational, are God's Property, and owe themſelves to him, being for his Glory. But they cannot properly be ſaid to be under a Duty. For Duty, in the appropriate Notion of it, is …n Obligation lying on the Creature in Equity, and by the force of a Precept, to the doing of a Thing; and this, none but a Reaſonable Creature is capable of. It is therefore called a Reaſonable Service, Rom. 12.1. Intimating that there is a ſtrong and manifold Reaſon requiring it of them, and hence that it is unreaſonable for them to deny it to him, and that they muſt uſe Reaſon in doing it. Here two Things may be confidered,
1. That Man owed a Duty of Service to God as firſt.
2. That he is not diſcharged from it ſince the Fall.
1. That Man owed a Duty of Service to God at firſt. This will be evident if we confider,
1. THAT God made all things for his … Glory. That all Beings beſides God, had their Being from him, and that they derive from him, not naturally, but voluntarily, hath been before demonſtrated: According to, Rev. 4.11. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power; for thou haſt … all things, and for thy pleaſure they are, and mere created. Now every wiſe and free Agent, propoſeth to himſelf, …n end of his actings. And as the Conſideration of the Holineſs of God aſſures us, that he can have no other laſt end, in his Works of Efficiency, than his own declarative Glory. Iſal. 42.8. I am the Lord, th… it my Name & any glory will I not give to another, neither my praiſe to graven images. So the Work of God aſſures us, that he had this deſign in all his Works. Prov. 16.4. The Lord hath made all things for himſelf: you even the …cked for the day of evil. And but … this, no ſecond Being had ever been called o… of the Abyſs of Nothing.
2. THAT all Creatures were made to glorify God, according to the Capacity they were end wed withal. That the Creatures are ranked in ſeveral Orders and Kinds of Bei…g, and theſe furniſhed with very d…fferent Capacities, is obvious to every o…e that hath any rational Conſideration of them. And herein God expreſſes his manifold Wiſdom, Pſal. 104.24. O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wiſdom haſt thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches. Now the Wiſdom of God in this variety appears, in his ſuiting them to the great End, in the way for which they were adapted in their Natures. We read, as of the whole frame of Creation, ſo of every Order of Being in it, that they were very good, Gen. 1. Now the Goodneſs of a Creature, is in its being uſeful to the end of its Being. For to make a thing for an end, to which it is incapable of ſerving, is folly and not wiſdom. So that by the capacity of the Creature, when it came out of God's Hand by Creation, we may diſcern, how God is to be glorified by it.
3. THAT Man was made capable of ſerving God Actively. There … two ways in which Creatures may be improved in the Service of God, viz Paſſively and Actively. In the former way God is glorified by all ſorts of Beings, in as much as they are Myrrours in which his glorious Perfections are diſplayed, and are uſed by him as Inſtruments in bringing to paſs, his Purpoſes in the World. Accordingly we read, Pſal. 19.1. The heavens Reclare the glory of God: and the firmament ſheweth his handy work. And Pſal. 148.8. In the latter reſpect, only rational Beings are fitted to …erve him. Actual Service done to God, is voluntary and upon Choice. Now Man was furniſhed for this in his Creation; partly in reſpect of the Nature which God gave him, viz. An Underſtanding and Will by which he was …ed to know and c…uſe this Service; and all the other Powers in him, ſubordinated to theſe, by which fie was fi…ted to purſue his deliberate Choice: Partly alſo by reaſon of the Image of God, which was concrea…ed on him, by which all his Fa…ulties and Powers were ſet right, being Sanctified to the Service of God. Eccl. 7.29.
4. THAT God required Duty of Man, under a Promiſe and Threarning. Of the former we are told, Rom. 10 5. For Aloſee deſcrib…th the righteouſneſs which is of the law, That the man which doeth them ſhall live by them. Of the latter, Gen. 2.17. But of the tree of the knowledge if good & evil, thou ſhalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eateſt thereof thou ſhalt ſurely die. Now theſe do evidently declare, that it was not a matter of indifferency whether Men ſerved God or no. For ſuch Sanctions carry in them, the ſtrongeſt Obligations that can be. Where Life or Death are the aſſured iſſues of the Man's Carriage, it declares that it is a matter of greateſt Conſequence.
5. THAT God had a Right & Auther… … Men, thus to oblige them. When therefore he hath ſo done, it muſt needs amount to a …. For what elſe conſtitutes a Duty, but … Command of a Superiour given to a Subject. And …f it be nothing but what is juſt in … and …rd to the Capacity of the Subject … whom it … laid: And ſuch is this. … Right is founded in his Abſolute Supre…. All ſ…cond Beings are his own, they have … Being from him, and are upheld by him … owe themſelves inti…ely to him. All … Powers are on this account to be at his D… …ction, and accordingly employed for … Pſal. 100. begin.
2. THAT be is not diſcharged from D… God ſince the Fall. As to Man's parti… Obligation to the Law of Government g… a… firſt, that will be confidered afterw… But that he ſtill ſtands in Duty boa… ſerve God is here to be obſerved; and … enough to evidence it, becauſe he is not … charged from it, notwithſtanding the A… fy. The truth of this Aſſertion will ſtand, againſt all Cavils; becauſe either the Fall i… muſt give him this Diſcharge, or the …ew Covenant muſt do it; but neither of theſe ſo do.
1. THE Fall itſelf hath not diſcharged hi… hath indeed deprived him of the Power … ſt…i… him naked of the Image of God … which he was enabled to it. Fallen M… with ut ſtrength, Rom. 5.6. That is a T… c…cerning every natural Man, Joſh. 24. … He hath contracted the Image of Sin, whi… hath filled him with Averſation from, a… … mity againſt the Law of God, Rom. 8.7. … the natural T…e, and moral Obligation … ty do ſtill abide upon him for all this … doth not ceaſe to be a Creature, and ſo … himſelf to the Glory of his Creator, … he ceaſe to be a reaſonable Creature, … to owe to God a reaſonable Service. His … i…ſelt doth not diſoblige him, that cannot … either God's Right, or his Duty to ce… … therefore abides ſtill under the … which holds him under a Sentence of … Not can his impotency do it, ſince … created with full Furniture for it, and … loſt it by his own Default. And th… … ſhould loſe his Authority, becauſe M… caſt off his Ability, is without Reaſon.
2. NOR doth the new Covenant take … Obligation, but reinforce it. What … tion is made in the ſtare of the Duty in … they that are under the New Covenant … obliged by it, belongs to an after Con… But that Man is no, by it freed fr…d … to God, is certain. And indeed the Obligation Itſelf is founded in Nature, and … fore cannot ceaſe ſo long as the natural … der of Beings abides. God muſt ceaſe … Man's Creator and Governour, or … ceaſe to be a Creature and a Subject, … he can be enfranchiſed from owing … God. Nay, the new Covenant doth … new force to the Engagement, in as … … b…ings in an additional Right th… God hath to the Service of Man, which is found… in theat Redemption which is wrought out by Jeſus Chriſt, and applied to us by his Holy Spirit. For we are told, for what end he …cemed us, Ti…. 2.14. That he might redce… us from all iniquity, and purify unto himſelf a …culi…r people, …ealous of good works. And accordingly, the Apoſtle uſeth it as the moſt for…le Argument to engage us to Duty, 1 Cor. …. 19, 20. What know ye not that your body is … …emple of the holy Ghoſt which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? … ye are bought with a price: therefore glo…y God in your body, and in your ſpiris, which … God's.
2. THAT the Thing required in the Duty, is …ce to his revealed Will. We have here …y full and comprehenſive Deſcription of …'s Duty; in which there are two things … …e obſerved,
1. The Subjest-Matter of Duty; … the revealed W…ll of God.
2. The proper …re of Duty; or that wherein it is to be …formed by us, viz.
Obedience to that Will …his. A few words to each.
1. THE Subject-Matter of Duty, is God's re…ed Will. So is Duty deſcribed, 1 Pe…. 4.2. Th… …e ſhould no …nger live the r…ſt of his time … the fleſh, to the luſ…s of men, but to the will of …. And this is that which ſets the Bounds is our Duty. Whatſoever God wills us to … is our Duty, and nothing elſe but what alſo wills; and the ſupream …eaſon why it … Duty, is becauſe he wills it. Deu…. 12. … What thing ſoever I command you, obſerve … it: thou ſhal… not add thereto, nor diminiſh … it. The Will of God in Scripture Lan…, cometh under a double Couſideration, ſometimes for his Will willing, ſometimes for … Will willed. In the former ſenſe it is nothing but God himſelf, as he is apprehended by … after the manner of our analogous Con…rien, having ſuch a moral Faculty, as is … repreſented by a Will in rational and …l Agents. In the latter reſpect it is aſ…ed to him metonymically, as an Act or … …owing from his eſſential Will; and ſo we are here to underſtand it. And to this Will of God Divines do uſually apply the W…inction of ſecret and revealed; which …action is manifeſtly grounded on the Wood of God. The latter of which is that …e…eon Man's Duty depends, according to … 29.29. The ſecret things belong unto the … God; but thoſe things which are re…, belong unto us, and to our children for …, that we may do all the words of this law. … if this did conſtitute two diverſe Wills … God, much leſs oppoſite, one to another. … are told, Job. 23.13. But he is in one … and who can turn him; and what his ſoul …b, even that he doth. But this Will of … thus diverſely repreſented to our Con…ion according to his different Manner of diſpenſing it in his Works. His ſecret Will, … overlaſting Counſel within himſelf, …ing all Things that come to paſs in Time; and is therefore called ſecret, becauſe none was of Counſel with him, nor can dive into his Purpoſes any further than he is pleaſed to make them known. Of which ſee; Iſa. 40.13, 14. Who hath directed the ſpirit of …he Lord, or being his counſel…er hath taught him? With whom tock he counſel, and who indructed him, and tought him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and ſhewed to him the way of underſtanding? His revealed Will is nothing elſe, but the diſcovery which …e makes to the Creature of his own Purpoſes, ſo far a… it hath pleaſed him. And this alſo comes under a double Conſideration, viz. either it is the Manifeſtation which he makes of the Things which he himſelf from Eternity purpoſed to do, which is done either by his Word, or by his Works. By his Word, and ſo it comprehends all thoſe Predictions, which he hath given of future Things, which he did extraordinarily diſcover to his Prophers, and hath recorded in the Scriptures, many whereof have ſince been accompliſhed, and the reſt ſhall certainly be ſo in their proper Seaſon. By his Works, and ſo whatſoever comes to paſs in the Providence of God, is … infallible Revelation of what God before the Foundation of the World, intended ſhould …e, Law. 3.37. Acts 4.28. O… elſe thoſe Diſcoveries which he hath made to Man, of the Things which he requires of him to do; by which Diſcovery he makes it his Duty to do them: according to Mic. 6, …. He hath ſhew… thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do juſtly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? This alſo belongs to, or flows from his Eternal Purpoſe; for though he did not Purpoſe that all Men ſhould actually do theſe Things; for then they ſhould have ſo done eventually; for the Counſel of the Lord ſhall ſtand; yet he purpoſed that is ſhould he Man's Duty to do them, and he therefore violates his Obligation, if he neglect ſo to do. And this is that which Divines call his preceptive Will, becauſe he hath revealed it in the way of a Law or Command; as will afterwards …e conſidered. This then is that Will of God, that preſcribes unto Man the matter of his Duty, and lays a powerful Obligation on him to comply with it. And this will be evident if we conſider theſe things.
1. THAT God hath a ſupream Authority over the rational Creature, to commond it as he ſees meet. To diſpure this, is to make it a Queſtion whether God be God, or the reaſonable Creature be a Creature; for ſo long as that Relation between God and him abides, the reaſon of God's Authority and his Subjection continueth. He that made the Creature for his Glory, may diſpoſe of it as he ſees beſt, for that End; and therefore, where he hath put moral Powers into any ſecond Beings, he hath a right to regulate them according to his own Wiſdom. And if he command, it is with Anthority.
2. HENCE his ſo commanding, lays the Creature under D…ty. If there were no Command, there would be no Duty, and if there be, it both conſtitutes Duty, and carries the Reaſon of it. God's Holineſs and Juſtice are ſufficient to aſſure us, that he will Command no unjuſt or impure Actions, but it is in his abſolute Juriſdiction over us, which forbids us to diſpute, and e…g…geth us readily to comply with all that he requires of us. How often therefore do we find him affixing of that Seal to his Precepts. I am the Lord? Tho' he could have given other Reaſons, yet he will have us to underſtand, that if he ſay it, there is no liberty for us to demur about it.
3. THAT Nothing elſe but God's Precept, can be the Rational Creatures Duty. Nothing elſe can bind our Conſciences. Mat. 4.10. Thou ſhalt worſhip the Lord …y God, and him only ſhalt … ſerve. True, there is a Duty that we …w… to Men, and that according to the ra…k and ſtation that God hath ſet them and us in. But the reaſon why we owe it to them, is becauſe it is God's revealed Will that we ſhould pay ſuch a deference to them. Nor can we lawfully ſubmit our Conſciences to them, any further than God hath told us his Will about it. Hence that, Eph. 6.1 Children obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Act. 4.19. And the reaſon is, in the relation he bears to us. Iſa…. 33.22. For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king, he will ſave us.
4. IT is neceſſary that Man know his Duty, in order to his doing of it. It is a reaſonable Service, and therefore is not done by inſtinct, but on free choice; which cannot …e, but according as he hath acquaintance with it. Ignorance muſt needs impede Duty, and make the Man either to ſit ſtill, or to do amiſ. Hence this is not the leaſt part of the miſery of Sinners, Rom. …. 17. And the way of peace they have not known. This made David ſo often to pray for teaching. Pſal. 119.33, &c.
5. A Man …ay ſu…l the ſecret Will of God, end ſin therein, and he may deſign otherwiſe, and ye… pleaſe God. That then cannot be the rule of our Duty. It is certain, that wicked Men, when they perpetrate the moſt notorious Abominations, do therein accompliſh the ſecret Will of God, who purpoſed, by his active Permiſſion, to let them fall into ſuch Enormities; but that no way takes from the ſinfulneſs of it. Hence we have that Obſervation on the Crucifixion of Chriſt, Act. 2.23. Him being delivered by the determinate counſel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have cruci…ed & ſlain. And holy Men ſometimes, in purſuance of the Command, engage in that, which it ia God's ſecret Will ſhall never be, and yet they do their Duty. As when we pray for our Enemies, or for Sick Perſons, when God intends to diſpoſe of them otherwiſe, yet we do our Duty. And when David purpoſed to build a Houſe for God, which God intended that …e ſhould not, yet we read, 2 Chron. 6.8, 9. But the Lord ſaid to David my father, For… much as it was in thine …eart to build a Houſe for my name, thou … well that it was in thine …eart: Notwithſtanding, thou ſhal… not build the …ouſe, but th…y ſ… which ſhall come …orth of thy …oins, he ſhall b… the houſe for my name.
6. NOR could Man have known to put diſ… rence between Sin and Duty, if God …ad no… revealed it. It is true, there was an impreſion of the Rule on Man's Conſcience at the firſt, which we call the Light of Nature, and there are remarkable rel…cks of it on the hearts of fallen Men; according to Rom. 2.14. B… yet, it was God that left theſe impreſſions … Mens minds, and ſo revealed his Will i… th… For we do not here conſider Revelation, as it is oppoſed to the ordinary way of knowled… as it is ſometimes conſidered, but as it is … tradiſlinguiſhed to God's ſecret Will, in wh… way ſoever he is pleaſed to make it kn…
2. THE proper Nature of Duty: or th… wherein it is to be performed by us, viz … dience to this Will of his. This is that which we owe to God, and therefore in he …ight diſcharge of it, we are truly ſaid to do … Duty. Here then we may take an Account of the Nature of Obedience in General. And it may be thus deſcribed: Obedience to God, is the conforming of our Wills and Actions to … Command, from the reſpect that we bear to God commanding. From which Deſcription … may obſerve theſe things,
1. THE Rule of this Obedience, is the Command. All that truly obey God, have a reſpect to that as their Directory, both to the extent and limitation of their Duty, Pſal. … 6. Then ſhall I not be aſhamed, when … how … pect unto all thy commandments. And therefore we are limited hither, Iſal. 8.20. To the … and to the teſtimony: if they ſpeak no… accou… to this word, it is becauſe there is no light i… then. If there were no Rule, it would follow, th… there could be neither Obedience nor Diſ… dience; for theſe muſt be meaſured by ſo… Rule, which can be no other than the Command.
2. THE Subject of it is twofold.
(1.) PRIMARILY the Will; and that … is in a Cauſe by Counſel, and ſo ſuppoſeth the Underſtanding; for without the Exerciſe of that, we cannot as we ought, will the g… Will of God. And indeed, all true Obedience is rooted in the Heart, which …ly, points to the Will in Man, which is in him the ſupream Faculty, and unleſs that be devoted to the Service of God, all elſe that … doth, though it carry never ſo fai… a ſhew with it, cannot be properly called Obedience. Hence thoſe complaints, Pſal. 78.37. For th… …eart was not right with him, neither were they ſtedfaſt in bis Convenant. Iſa. 29.13. Wherefore the Lord ſaid, Foreſ much as this … draw near me with their mouth, and with … lips do honour me, but have removed their …d far from me, and their fear towards we, … taughr by the precept of men.
(2.) THE Actions as they flow from, and … commanded by the Will. Obedience is called … doing of God's Will; and we know that the Command enjoyns things to be done, and a…ided, which muſt terminate in the Actions; and all ſorts of Actions are comprized under …, which are ſummrily reduced to Thoughts, Word, and Deeds; all of which come under the very regulation of the Command; as the Word of God abundantly teſtifieth.
3. THE ſpecial Nature of it is a Conformity of theſe to the Command. When we lay this …le before us, and meaſure all that we do by it, and take care, that we neither come … of it, nor tranſgreſs it. Thus is Obedience deſcribed, Deut. 5.22. Ye ſhall obſerve … …o therefore as the Lord your God hath com…ded you: you ſhall not tarn aſide to the right … to the left. Which Conformity reſpects the Heart as well as the Actions, and therefore comprizeth in it all the Requiſites … re…der our Actions anſwerable to the Rule. And that reacheth, not only to the matter of … Duty, but to the manner, and principle, … …nd; to all of which God hath Regard, … …kons of what we do, accordingly.
4. THE Riſe or Root of it is, a ſincere Reſp… that we have to God commanding. It is an …tial property of true Obedience, that it be done to God. Hence that, Zech. 7.5. In which reſpect, theſe three things are comp…zed.
(1.) AN unreſtrained Acknowledgement of his …nity. Obedience ſuppoſeth a ſtate of Subjection, to a Superiour, to whom it is pay…, and that cannot be done cordially with… in Apprehenſion of the Right he hath to command us, elſe we ſhall never acknowledge … Duty to obey him. The Church is there… …ought in, aſcribing thoſe Titles to him, which include this Right, Iſa, 33.22. For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our law giver, the Lord is our king, he will ſave us. And this muſt be unreſtrained, there muſt be no limits ſet by us to this Authority, but it muſt be … to him in all things. Dent. 6.2.
(2.) AN entire Approbation of the Command, in every Article of it, becauſe it is his. Our O…ce cannot be voluntary, unleſs we approve of the Precept; for it we diſlike it, we … reluct againſt it; and it muſt be …, all the Commands, one as well as another, muſt have this Eſteem from us. … Paul confeſſeth, Rom. 7.12. Wherefore the …aw is b…ly, and the commandment holy, …d juſt, and good. And the Pſalmiſt, Pſal. 119.128. Therefore I eſteem all thy precepts c…ncerning all things to be right; and hate every falſe way. Pſal. 19.9. And this muſt be, becauſe they are his. There is a moral Equity appears in many of them, which we are to acknowledge. But if we ſee no more, yet this ſhould ſet us down, that he is wiſe, holy, &c.
(3.) AN abſolute unchangeable Choice of it, from the Cordial Love that we bear to him. All Obedience is called Love in the Word of God. And the reaſon for it is, becauſe we can no further ſincerely ſerve God, than we perform our Duty from this Principle. Chriſt puts theſe together, Joh. 14.15, If ye love me, keep my commandments. And this Love ſlows from the election of the Will; becauſe we love God, we love his Law, and herein we prove it, in that we have without any reſerve, choſen it, as it is the declared Will of that God, whom we have choſen to be our God. So he, Pſal. 119.30. I have choſen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me. And ver. 172. And this choiſe brings us under the ſtrong…ſt bonds to Obedience, ver. 106. I have ſworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous precepts.
USE. LET the Conſideration of theſe Things put us all upon it, to be much in ſeeking Acquaintance with the revealed Will of God. There is a Duty lying upon us all; we owe Obedience to God on more Scores than one; we cannot live and pleaſe him without it: The neglect of it will expoſe us to his Wrath, which will be our Miſery. He hath revealed this Will of his to us in his Word, and gives us the Advantage to inform ourſelves in it. If we neglect this, it is a ſign that we have no Will or Deſire to obey him. And if we live in Ignorance of it, we cannot conform to it. We are naturally Strangers to his Will by Sin. and cannot know what is our preſent Duty and Happineſs, unleſs he make it known to us and in us. Let us then read, hear, pray, meditate, and wait on him for his Grace to help us, that we may ſeek to know, that we may do his Will; and ſo ſhall we be bleſſed in our Deed.
[JULY 30. 1700.]