best end by the best means. Now the best end which any creature can
pursue, is happiness in God. And the best end a fallen creature can
pursue is, the recovery of the favour and image of God. But the best,
indeed the only means under heaven given to man, whereby he may regain
the favour of God, which is better than life itself, or the image
of God, which is the true life of the soul, is the submitting to the
_righteousness which is of faith_, the believing in the only-begotten
Son of God.
III. 1. Whosoever therefore thou art who desirest to be forgiven
and reconciled to the favour of God; do not say in thy heart, “I must
_first do this_; I must _first_ conquer every sin; break off every
evil word and work, and do all good to all men: or, I must _first_ go
to church, receive the Lord’s supper, hear more sermons, and say more
prayers.” Alas, my brother, thou art clean gone out of the way, thou
art still _ignorant of the righteousness of God_, and art _seeking to
establish thy own righteousness_, as the ground of thy reconciliation.
Knowest thou not, that thou canst do nothing but sin, ’till thou art
reconciled to God? Wherefore then dost thou say, I _must do this_
and this _first_, and then I shall believe. Nay, but _first believe_.
Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, the propitiation for thy sins. Let
this good foundation _first_ be laid, and then thou shall do all things
well.
Neither say in thy heart, “I can’t be accepted yet, because I am not
_good enough_.” Who is _good enough_? Who ever was? To merit acceptance
at God’s hand’s? Was ever any child of _Adam good enough_ for this?
Or will any, till the consummation of all things? And as for thee,
thou art not good at all: there dwelleth in thee no good thing. And
thou never wilt be, till thou believe in Jesus. Rather thou wilt find
thyself worse and worse. But is there any need of being worse, in order
to be accepted? Art thou not _bad enough_ already? Indeed thou art, and
that God knoweth. And thou thyself canst not deny it. Then delay not.
All things are now ready. _Arise and wash away thy sins._ The fountain
is open. Now is the time, to wash thee white in the blood of the Lamb.
Now he shall _purge_ thee as with _hyssop, and_ thou _shalt be clean;
he_ shall _wash_ thee, and thou _shalt be whiter than snow_.
3. Do not say, “But I am not _contrite enough_: I am not _sensible
enough_ of my sins.” I know it. I would to God, thou wert more
_sensible_ of them, more _contrite_ a thousand fold than thou art. But
do not stay for this. It may be God will make thee so, not before thou
believest, but by believing. It may be, thou wilt not weep much, till
thou lovest much, because thou hast had much forgiven. In the mean time,
look unto Jesus. Behold how he loveth thee! What could he have done
more for thee which he hath not done?
“O Lamb of God, was ever pain,
Was ever love like thine!”
Look steddily upon him, till he looks on thee, and breaks thy hard
heart. Then shall thy _head_ ♦be _waters, and_ thy _eyes fountains of
tears_.
4. Nor yet do thou say, “I must _do_ something more, _before_ I come
to Christ.” I grant, supposing thy Lord should delay his coming, it
were meet and right to wait for his appearing, in doing, so far as
thou hast power, whatsoever he hath commanded thee. But there is no
necessity for making such a supposition. How knowest thou that he will
delay? Perhaps he will appear, as the day-spring from on high, before
the morning-light. O do not set him a time. Expect him every hour. Now,
he is nigh! Even at the door!
5. And to what end wouldst thou wait for _more sincerity, before_ thy
sins are blotted out? To make thee more worthy of the grace of God?
Alas, thou art still _establishing thy own righteousness_. He will have
mercy, not because thou art worthy of it, but because his compassions
fail not: not because thou art righteous; but because Jesus Christ hath
atoned for thy sins.
Again, if there be any thing good in _sincerity_, why dost thou expect
it, _before_ thou hast faith? Seeing faith itself is the only root of
whatever is really good and holy.
Above all, how long wilt thou forget, that whatsoever thou dost, or
whatsoever thou hast, before thy sins are forgiven thee, it avails
nothing with God, toward the procuring of thy forgiveness? Yea, and
that it must all be cast behind thy back, trampled under foot, made
no account of, or thou wilt never find favour in God’s sight: because
until then thou canst not ask it, as a mere sinner, guilty, lost,
undone, having nothing to plead, nothing to offer to God, but only the
merits of his well-beloved Son, _who loved_ thee, _and gave himself
for_ thee.
6. * To conclude. Whosoever thou art, O man, who hast the sentence of
death in thyself, who feelest thyself a condemned sinner, and hast the
wrath of God abiding on thee: unto thee saith the Lord, Not, do this;
perfectly obey all my commands and live: but, _Believe in the Lord
Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. The word of faith is nigh unto
thee_; now, at this instant, in the present moment, and in thy present
state, sinner as thou art, just as thou art, believe the gospel: and
_I will be merciful unto |thy| unrighteousness and |thy| iniquities
will I remember no more_.
SERMON VII.
MARK i. 15.
_The Kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the
gospel._
THESE words naturally lead us to consider, first, The nature of true
religion, here termed by our Lord, _The kingdom of God_, which, saith
he, _is at hand_: and secondly, The way thereto, which he points out in
those words, _Repent ye, and believe the gospel_.
I. 1. We are, first, to consider, The nature of true religion, here
term’d by our Lord, _The kingdom of God_. The same expression the great
apostle uses in his epistle to the _Romans_, where he likewise explains
his Lord’s words, saying, _The kingdom of God is not meat and drink;
but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost_. Chap. xiv. 17.
2. _The kingdom of God_, or true religion, _is not meat and drink_.
It is well known, that not only the unconverted Jews, but great numbers
of those who had received the faith of Christ, were notwithstanding
_zealous of the law_, (_Acts_ xxi. 20.) even the ceremonial law of
_Moses_. Whatsoever therefore they found written therein, either
concerning meat and drink-offerings, or the distinction between clean
and unclean meats, they not only observed themselves, but vehemently
pressed the same, even on those _among the Gentiles_ (or Heathens) _who
were turned to God_. Yea, to such a degree, that some of them taught,
wheresoever they came among them, _Except ye be circumcised, and keep
the law_, (the whole ritual law) _ye cannot be saved_, Acts xv. 1, 24.
3. In opposition to these, the apostle declares, both here and in many
other places, that true religion does not consist in _meat_ and _drink_,
or in any ritual observances: nor indeed in any outward thing whatever,
in any thing exterior to the heart; the whole substance thereof lying
in _righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost_.
4. Not in any _outward thing_; such as _forms_ or _ceremonies_,
even of the most excellent kind. Supposing these to be ever so decent
and significant, ever so expressive of inward things: supposing them
ever so helpful, not only to the vulgar, whose thought reaches little
farther than their sight; but even to men of understanding, men of
stronger capacities, as doubtless they may sometimes be: yea, supposing
them, as in the case of the Jews, to be appointed by God himself;
yet even during the period of time wherein that appointment remains
in force, true religion does not principally consist therein; nay,
strictly speaking, not at all. How much more must this hold concerning
such rites and forms, as are only of human appointment? The religion
of Christ rises infinitely higher, and lies immensely deeper than
all these. These are good in their place; just so far as they are in
fact subservient to true religion. And it were superstition to object
against them, while they are applied only as occasional helps to human
weakness. But let no man carry them farther. Let no man dream, that
they have any intrinsick worth: or that religion cannot subsist without
them. This were to make them an abomination to the Lord.
5. The nature of religion is so far from consisting in these, in
_forms_ of worship, or _rites_ and _ceremonies_, that it does not
properly consist in any _outward actions_, of what kind soever. It is
true, a man cannot have any religion, who is guilty of vicious, immoral
actions; or who does to others, what he would not they should do to
him, if he were in the same circumstance. And it is also true, that he
can have no real religion, who _knows to do good, and doth it not_. Yet
may a man both abstain from outward evil, and do good, and still have
no religion. Yea, two persons may do the same outward work, suppose,
feeding the hungry, or cloathing the naked: and, mean time, one of
these may be truly religious, and the other have no religion at all:
for the one may act from the love of God, and the other from the love
of praise. So manifest it is; that altho’ true religion naturally leads
to every good word and work, yet the real nature thereof lies deeper
still, even in _the hidden man of the heart_.
6. I say, of _the heart_. For neither does religion consist in
_orthodoxy_ or _right opinions_; which altho’ they are not properly
outward things, are not in the heart, but the understanding. A man
may be orthodox in every point; he may not only espouse right opinions,
but zealously defend them against all opposers: he may think justly
concerning the incarnation of our Lord, concerning the ever blessed
Trinity, and every other doctrine, contained in the oracles of God:
He may assent to all the three creeds: that called the apostles’, the
_Nicene_, and the _Athanasian_: and yet ’tis possible, he may have no
religion at all, no more than a _Jew_, _Turk_, or _Pagan_. He may be
almost as orthodox as――――the devil; (tho’ indeed, not altogether. For
every man errs in something; whereas we can’t well conceive him to hold
any erroneous opinion) and may all the while be as great a stranger as
he, to the religion of the heart.
7. This alone is religion, truly so call’d: this alone is in the sight
of God of great price. The apostle sums it all up in three particulars,
_righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost_. And first,
_righteousness_. We cannot be at a loss concerning this, if we remember
the words of our Lord describing the two grand branches thereof, on
which _hang all the law and the prophets. Thou shalt love the Lord thy
God with all thy heart, and with all thy mind, and with all thy soul,
and with all thy strength.[22] This is the first and great commandment_,
the first and great branch of Christian righteousness. Thou shalt
delight thyself in the Lord thy God; thou shalt seek and find all
happiness in him. He shall be _thy shield, and thy exceeding great
reward_, in time and in eternity. All thy bones shall say, _Whom have
I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside
thee!_ Thou shalt hear, and fulfil his word who saith, _My son, give me
thy heart_. And having given him thy heart, thy inmost soul, to reign
there without a rival, thou mayest well cry out, in the fulness of thy
heart, _I will love thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my strong
rock and my defence: my Saviour, my God, and my might, in whom I will
trust; my buckler, the horn also of my salvation, and my refuge._
8. And the second commandment is like unto this; the second great
branch of Christian righteousness is closely and inseparably connected
therewith, even _Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Thou shalt
love_――Thou shalt embrace with the most tender good-will, the most
earnest and cordial affection, the most inflamed desires of preventing
or removing all evil, and of procuring for him every possible good.
_Thy neighbour_――that is, not only thy friend, thy kinsman, or thy
acquaintance; not only the virtuous, the friendly, him that loves thee,
that prevents or returns thy kindness; but every child of man, every
human creature, every soul which God hath made: not excepting him whom
thou never hast seen in the flesh, whom thou knowest not either by face
or name: not excepting him whom thou knowest to be evil and unthankful,
him that still despightfully uses and persecutes thee. Him thou shalt
_love as thyself_; with the same invariable thirst after his happiness
in every kind: the same unwearied care to skreen him from whatever
might grieve or hurt either his soul or body.
9. Now is not this love _the fulfilling of the law_? The sum of
all Christian righteousness? Of all inward righteousness; for it
necessarily implies _bowels of mercies, humbleness of mind_ (seeing
_love is not puffed up_) _gentleness, meekness, long-suffering_, (for
love _is not provoked_ but _believeth, hopeth, endureth all things_)
and of all outward righteousness; for _love worketh no evil to his
neighbour_, either by word or deed. It cannot willingly either hurt or
grieve any one. And it is zealous of good works. Every lover of mankind,
as he hath opportunity, _doth good unto all men_; being (_without
partiality and without hypocrisy_) _full of mercy and good fruits_.
10. But true religion, or a heart right toward God and man, implies
happiness as well as holiness. For it is not only _righteousness_, but
also _peace and joy in the Holy Ghost_. What peace? _The peace of God_,
which God only can give and the world cannot take away: the peace which
_passeth all understanding_, all (barely) rational conception; being
a supernatural sensation, a divine taste of _the powers of the world
to come_: such as the natural man knoweth not, how wise soever in the
things of this world: nor indeed can he know it, in his present state,
_because it is spiritually discerned_. It is a peace that banishes
all doubt, all painful uncertainty; the Spirit of God _bearing witness
with the spirit_ of a Christian, that he is _a child of God_. And it
banishes fear, all such fear as hath torment; the fear of the wrath of
God, the fear of hell, the fear of the devil, and in particular, the
fear of death: he that hath the peace of God, _desiring_ (if it were
the will of God) _to depart and to be with Christ_.
11. With this peace of God, wherever it is fix’d in the soul, there
is also _joy in the Holy Ghost_: joy wrought in the heart by the Holy
Ghost, by the ever blessed Spirit of God. He it is that worketh in
us that calm, humble rejoicing in God, through Christ Jesus, _by whom
we have now received the atonement_, καταλλαγὴν, the reconciliation
with God; and that enables us boldly to confirm the truth of the royal
Psalmist’s declaration, _Blessed is the man_ (or rather _happy_) _whose
unrighteousness is forgiven, and whose sin is covered_. He it is that
inspires the Christian soul, with that even, solid joy, which arises
from the testimony of the Spirit, that he is a child of God; and that
gives him to _rejoice with joy unspeakable, in hope of the glory of
God_: Hope, both of the glorious image of God, which is in part and
shall be fully _revealed in him_; and of that crown of glory, which
fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for him.
12. This holiness and happiness joined in one, are sometimes stiled
in the inspired writings, _the kingdom of God_, (as by our Lord in
the text) and sometimes, _the kingdom of heaven_. It is termed _the
kingdom of God_, because it is the immediate fruit of God’s reigning
in the soul. So soon as ever he takes unto himself his mighty power,
and sets up his throne in our hearts, they are instantly filled with
this _righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost_. It is called
_the kingdom of heaven_, because it is (in a degree) heaven opened in
the soul. For whosoever they are that experience this, they can aver,
before angels and men,
“Everlasting life is won:
Glory is on earth begun:”
According to the constant tenor of scripture, which every where bears
record, _God hath given unto us eternal life, and this life is in his
Son. He that hath the Son_ (reigning in his heart) _hath life_, (even
life everlasting) _1 John_ v. 11, 12. _For this is life eternal, to
know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou has sent_,
John xvii. 3. And they to whom this is given, may confidently address
God, tho’ they were in the midst of a fiery furnace,
“Thee――Lord, safe shielded by thy pow’r,
Thee, Son of God, _Jehovah_, we adore;
In form of man descending to appear:
To thee be ceaseless hallelujah’s given.
Praise, as in heaven thy throne, we offer here;
For where thy presence is display’d, is heaven.”
13. And this _kingdom of God_ or of heaven _is at hand_. As these
words were originally spoken, they implied, that _the time_ was then
_fulfilled_, God being _made manifest in the flesh_, when he would
set-up his kingdom among men, and reign in the hearts of his people.
And is not the time now fulfilled? For _lo_! saith he, _I am with you
always_, you who preach remission of sins in my name, _even unto the
end of the world_. (Matt. xxviii. 20.) Wheresoever therefore the gospel
of Christ is preached, this his _kingdom is nigh at hand_. It is not
far from every one of you. Ye may this hour enter thereinto, if so be
ye hearken to his voice, _repent ye, and believe the gospel_.
II. 1. This is the way. Walk ye in it. And first, repent, that is,
know yourselves. This is the first repentance, previous to faith; even
conviction, or self-knowledge. Awake then thou that sleepest. Know
thyself to be a sinner, and what manner of sinner thou art. Know that
corruption of thy inmost nature, whereby thou art very far gone from
original righteousness, whereby _the flesh lusteth_ always _contrary
to the spirit_, through that _carnal mind which is enmity against
God_, which _is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be_.
Know that thou art corrupted in every power, in every faculty of thy
soul; that thou art totally corrupted in every one of these, all the
foundations being out of course. The eyes of thine understanding are
darkned, so that they cannot discern God or the things of God. The
clouds of ignorance and error rest upon thee, and cover thee with the
shadow of death. Thou knowest nothing yet, as thou oughtest to know,
neither God, nor the world, nor thyself. Thy will is no longer the will
of God, but is utterly perverse and distorted, averse from all good,
from all which God loves, and prone to all evil, to every abomination
which God hateth. Thy affections are alienated from God, and scattered
abroad over all the earth. All thy passions, both thy desires and
aversions, thy joys and sorrows, thy hopes and fears, are out of frame,
are either undue in their degree, or placed on undue objects. So that
there is no soundness in thy soul; but _from the crown of the head to
the sole of the foot_ (to use the strong expression of the prophet)
there are only _wounds and bruises and putrifying sores_.
2. Such is the inbred corruption of thy heart, of thy very inmost
nature. And what manner of branches canst thou expect to grow, from
such an evil root? Hence springs unbelief, ever departing from the
living God: Saying, “Who is the Lord that I should serve him? Tush!
Thou, God, carest not for it.” Hence independence, affecting to be like
the Most High; hence pride in all its forms, teaching thee to say, “I
am rich, and increased in goods, and have need of nothing.” From this
evil fountain flow forth the bitter streams of vanity, thirst of praise;
ambition, covetousness; the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and
the pride of life. From this arise anger, hatred, malice, revenge, envy,
jealousy, evil-surmisings: from this all the foolish and hurtful lusts,
that now _pierce thee through with many sorrows_, and if not timely
prevented, will at length _drown thy soul in everlasting perdition_.
3. And what fruits can grow on such branches as these? Only such as are
bitter and evil continually. Of pride cometh contention, vain boasting,
seeking and receiving praise of men, and so robbing God of that glory
which he cannot give unto another. Of the lust of the flesh come
gluttony or drunkenness, luxury or sensuality: fornication, uncleanness,
variously defiling that body, which was designed for a temple of the
Holy Ghost: of unbelief, every evil word and work. But the time would
fail, shouldst thou reckon up all; all the idle words thou hast spoken,
provoking the Most High, grieving the Holy One of _Israel_: all the
evil works thou hast done, either wholly evil in themselves, or at
least, not done to the glory of God. For thy actual sins are more than
thou art able to express, more than the hairs of thy head. Who can
number the sands of the sea, or the drops of rain, or thy iniquities?
4. And knowest thou not, that _the wages of sin is death_? Death not
only temporal, but eternal. _The soul that sinneth it shall die_: for
the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. It shall die the second death.
This is the sentence, to _be punished_ with never-ending death, _with
everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the
glory of his power_. Knowest thou not that every sinner, ἔνοχος ἐστι
τῆ γεέννῃ τοῦ πυρός; not properly _is in danger of hell-fire_, that
expression is far too weak: but rather, _is under the sentence of
hell-fire_, doom’d already, just dragging to execution. Thou art guilty
of everlasting death. It is the just reward of thy inward and outward
wickedness. It is just, that the sentence should now take place. Dost
thou see, dost thou feel this? Art thou throughly convinced, that thou
deservest God’s wrath and everlasting damnation? Would God do thee no
wrong, if he now commanded the earth to open and swallow thee up? If
thou wert now to go down quick into the pit, into the fire that never
shall be quenched? If God hath given thee truly to repent, thou hast a
deep sense that these things are so; and that it is of his mere mercy
thou art not consumed, swept away from the face of the earth.
5. And what wilt thou do to appease the wrath of God, to atone for all
thy sins, and to escape the punishment thou hast so justly deserved?
Alas, thou canst do nothing: nothing that will in any wise make amends
to God, for one evil work, or word, or thought. If thou couldst now do
all things well, if from this very hour, till thy soul should return
to God, thou couldst perform perfect uninterrupted obedience, even this
would not atone for what is past. The not increasing thy debt would not
discharge it. It would still remain as great as ever. Yea, the present
and future obedience of all the men upon earth, and all the angels in
heaven, would never make satisfaction to the justice of God for one
single sin. How vain then was the thought, of atoning for thy own sins
by any thing thou couldst do? It costeth far more to redeem one soul,
than all mankind is able to pay. So that were there no other help for
a guilty sinner, without doubt he must have perished everlastingly.
6. But suppose perfect obedience for the time to come, could atone for
the sins that are past, this would profit thee nothing; for thou art
not able to perform it; no, not in any one point. Begin now. Make the
trial. Shake off that outward sin that so easily besetteth thee. Thou
canst not. How then wilt thou change thy life from all evil to all
good? Indeed, it is impossible to be done, unless first thy heart be
changed. For so long as the tree remains evil, it cannot bring forth
good fruit. But art thou able to change thy own heart, from all sin to
all holiness? To quicken a soul that is dead in sin? Dead to God and
alive only to the world? No more than thou art able to quicken a dead
body, to raise to life him that lieth in the grave. Yea, thou art not
able to quicken thy soul in any degree, no more than to give any degree
of life to the dead body. Thou canst do nothing more or less, in this
matter; thou art utterly without strength. To be deeply sensible of
this, how helpless thou art, as well as how guilty and how sinful, this
is that _repentance not to be repented of_, which is the fore-runner of
the kingdom of God.