utter guiltiness and helplessness, there be added suitable affections
sorrow of heart, for having despised thy own mercies, remorse and
self-condemnation, having the mouth stop’d, shame to lift up thine
eyes to heaven; fear of the wrath of God abiding on thee, of his curse
hanging over thy head, and of the fiery indignation ready to devour
those who forget God, and obey not our Lord Jesus Christ: earnest
desire to escape from that indignation, to cease from evil and learn to
do well: then I say unto thee, in the name of the Lord, _thou art not
far from the kingdom of God_. One step more and thou shalt enter in.
Thou dost _repent_. Now, _believe the gospel_.
8. _The gospel_ (that is, good tidings, good news for guilty,
helpless sinners) in the largest sense of the word, means, the whole
revelation made to men by Jesus Christ: and sometimes the whole account
of what our Lord did and suffered, while he tabernacled among men. The
substance of all is, _Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners_.
Or, _God so loved the world, that, he gave his only begotten Son, to
the end we might not perish, but have everlasting life_. Or, _he was
bruised for our transgressions, he was wounded for our iniquities: the
chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are
healed_.
9. Believe this and the kingdom of God is thine. By faith thou
attainest the promise. “He pardoneth and absolveth all that truly
repent and unfeignedly believe his holy gospel.” As soon as ever God
hath spoken to thy heart “Be of good chear, thy sins are forgiven thee,”
his kingdom comes; thou hast righteousness and peace, and joy in the
Holy Ghost.
10. Only beware thou do not deceive thy own soul, with regard to the
nature of this faith. It is not (as some have fondly conceived) a bare
assent to the truth of the bible, of the articles of our creed, or of
all that is contained in the old and new testament. The devils believe
this, as well as I or thou, and yet they are devils still. But it is,
over and above this, a sure trust in the mercy of God through Christ
Jesus. It is a confidence in a pardoning God. It is a divine evidence
or conviction, that _God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself,
not imputing to them their former trespasses_: and in particular, that
the Son of God hath loved _me_ and given himself for _me_: and that I,
even I, am now reconciled to God by the blood of the cross.
11. Dost thou thus believe? Then the peace of God is in thy heart,
and sorrow and sighing flee away. Thou art no longer in doubt of the
love of God: it is clear as the noon-day sun. Thou cryest out, _My song
shall be always of the loving kindness of the Lord: with my mouth will
I ever be telling of thy truth, from one generation to another_. Thou
art no longer afraid of hell, or death, or him that had once the power
of death, the devil: no, nor painfully afraid of God himself; only
thou hast a tender, filial fear of offending him. Dost thou believe?
Then thy _soul doth magnify the Lord, and thy spirit rejoiceth in God
thy Saviour_. Thou rejoicest in that thou hast _redemption thro’ his
blood, even the forgiveness of sins_. Thou rejoicest in that _Spirit of
adoption, which crieth in thy heart, Abba, Father!_ Thou rejoicest in
a _hope full of immortality_, in reaching forth unto the _mark of the
prize of thy high calling_; in an earnest expectation of all the good
things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
12. Dost thou now believe? Then _the love of God_ is now _shed abroad
in thy heart_. Thou lovest him, because he first loved us. And because
thou lovest God, thou lovest thy brother also. And being filled with
_love_, _peace_, _joy_, thou art also filled with _long-suffering_,
_gentleness_, _fidelity_, _goodness_, _meekness_, _temperance_, and
all the other fruits of the same Spirit: in a word, with whatever
dispositions are holy, are heavenly or divine. For while thou
_beholdest with open_, uncovered _face_, (the veil now being taken
away) _the glory of the Lord_, his glorious love, and the glorious
image wherein thou wast created, _thou art changed into the same image,
from glory to glory, by the Spirit of the Lord_.
13. This repentance, this faith, this peace, joy, love; this change
from glory to glory, is what the wisdom of the world has voted to be
madness, mere enthusiasm, utter distraction. But thou, O man of _God_,
regard them not: be thou moved by none of these things. Thou knowest
in whom thou hast believed. See that no man take thy crown. Whereunto
thou hast already attained hold fast; and follow, till thou attain all
the great and precious promises. And thou who hast not yet known him,
let not vain men make thee ashamed of the gospel of Christ. Be thou in
nothing terrified by those who speak evil of the things which they know
not. God will soon turn thy heaviness into joy. O let not thy hands
hang down. Yet a little longer, and he will take away thy fears, and
give thee the spirit of a sound mind. _He is nigh that justifieth: who
is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died; yea rather that rose
again; who is even now at the right-hand of God, making intercession
for thee._ Now cast thyself on the Lamb of God, with all thy sins, how
many soever they be; and _an entrance shall_ now _be ministred unto_
thee, _into the kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ_!
SERMON VIII.
THE FIRST-FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT.
ROM. viii. 1.
_There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in
Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the
Spirit._
1. BY _them which are in Christ Jesus_, St. _Paul_ evidently means,
those who truly believe in him: those who _being justified by faith,
have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ_. They who thus
believe do no longer _walk after the flesh_, no longer follow the
motions of corrupt nature: but _after the Spirit_: both their thoughts,
words and works, are under the direction of the blessed Spirit of God.
2. _There is therefore now no condemnation to_ these. There is no
condemnation to them from God: for he hath _justified_ them _freely
by his grace, thro’ the redemption that is in Jesus_. He hath forgiven
all their iniquities, and blotted out all their sins. And there is
no condemnation to them from within: for they _have received, not the
spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that they might
know the things which are freely given to them of God:[23] Which Spirit
beareth witness with their spirits, that they are the children of God_.
And to this is added, _the testimony of_ their _conscience, that in
simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the
grace of God_, they _have had_ their _conversation in the world_.[24]
3. But because this scripture has been so frequently misunderstood, and
that in so dangerous a manner, because such multitudes of _unlearned
and unstable men_, (οἱ ἀμαθεῖς καὶ ἀστήρικτοι, men untaught of God,
and consequently unestablished in _the truth which is after godliness_)
have _wrested_ it _to their own destruction_. I propose to shew as
clearly as I can, first, who those are _which are in Christ Jesus,
and walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit_; and secondly,
how _there is no condemnation to_ these. I shall conclude with some
practical inferences.
I. 1. First, I am to shew, who those are that _are in Christ Jesus_.
And are they not, those who believe in his name? Those who are _found
in him, not having_ their _own righteousness, but the righteousness
which is of God by faith_? These, who _have redemption through his
blood_, are properly said, to be _in him_. For _they dwell in Christ
and Christ in them_. They are _joined unto the Lord in one Spirit_.
They are ingrafted into him as branches into the vine. They are united,
as members to their head; in a manner which words cannot express, nor
could it before enter into their hearts to conceive.
2. Now _whosoever abideth in him, sinneth not; walketh not after the
flesh_. The flesh, in the usual language of St. _Paul_, signifies
corrupt nature. In this sense, he uses the word, writing to the
_Galatians_. _The works of the flesh are manifest_, Gal. v. 19. And a
little before, _Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust_
(or desire) _of the flesh_ (_v._ 16.) To prove which, namely, that
those who _walk by the Spirit, do not fulfil the lust of the flesh_,
he immediately adds, _for the flesh lusteth against the Spirit; but
the Spirit lusteth against the flesh (for these are contrary to each
other) that ye may not do the things which ye would_. So the words
are literally translated, (ἵνα μὴ ἃ ἂν θέλητε, ταῦτα ποιῆτε) Not, _so
that ye cannot do the things that ye would_, as if the flesh overcame
the Spirit: a translation which hath not only nothing to do with the
original text of the apostle, but likewise makes his whole argument
nothing worth, yea, asserts just the reverse of what he is proving.
3. _They who are of Christ_, who _abide in him have crucified
the flesh with its affections and lusts_. They abstain from all
those works of the flesh; from _adultery and fornication_, from
_uncleanness and lasciviousness_; from _idolatry_, _witchcraft_,
_hatred_, _variance_; from _emulations_, _wrath_, _strife_, _sedition_,
_heresies_, _envyings_, _murders_, _drunkenness_, _revellings_: from
every design, and word and work, to which the corruption of nature
leads. Altho’ they feel the root of bitterness in themselves, yet are
they endued with power from on high, to trample it continually under
foot, so that it cannot _spring up to trouble them_: insomuch that
every fresh assault which they undergo, only gives them fresh occasion
of praise, of crying out, _Thanks be unto God, who giveth us the
victory, thro’ Jesus Christ our Lord_.
4. They now _walk after the Spirit_, both in their hearts and lives.
They are taught of him to love God and their neighbour, with a love
which is _as a well of water, springing up into everlasting life_.
And by him they are led into every holy desire, into every divine and
heavenly temper, till every thought which arises in their heart, is
holiness unto the Lord.
5. They who _walk after the Spirit_, are also led by him, into all
holiness of conversation. Their speech is _always in grace, seasoned
with salt_, with the love and fear of God. _No corrupt communication
comes out of their mouth, but_ only _that which is good_; that which
is _to the use of edifying_, which is _meet to minister grace to the
hearers_. And herein likewise do they exercise themselves day and
night, to do only the things which please God: in all their outward
behaviour to follow him, _who left us an example that we might tread
in his steps_: in all their intercourse with their neighbour to
walk in justice, mercy and truth; and _whatsoever they do_, in every
circumstance of life, to _do all to the glory of God_.
6. These are they who indeed _walk after the Spirit_. Being filled with
faith and with the Holy Ghost, they possess in their hearts, and shew
forth in their lives, in the whole course of their words and actions,
the genuine fruits of the Spirit of God, namely, _love_, _joy_, _peace_,
_long-suffering_, _gentleness_, _goodness_, _fidelity_, _meekness_,
_temperance_, and whatsoever else is lovely or praise-worthy. They
_adorn in all things the gospel of God our Saviour_; and give full
proof to all mankind, that they are indeed actuated by the same Spirit,
_which raised up Jesus from the dead_.
II. 1. I proposed to shew, in the second place, How _there is no
condemnation to them, which are_ thus _in Christ Jesus_, and thus
_walk, not after the flesh, but after the Spirit_.
And, first, To believers in Christ, walking thus, _there is no
condemnation_ on account of their past sins. God condemneth them not
for any of these: they are as tho’ they had never been. They are _cast
as a stone into the depth of the sea_, and he remembreth them no more.
God having _set forth his Son to be a propitiation for them, thro’
faith in his blood, hath declared_ unto them _his righteousness, for
the remission of the sins that are past_. He layeth therefore none of
these to their charge; their memorial is perished with them.
2. And there is no condemnation in their own breast; no sense of guilt,
or dread of the wrath of God. They _have the witness in themselves_;
they are conscious of their interest in the blood of sprinkling. _They
have not received again the spirit of bondage unto fear_, unto doubt
and racking uncertainty; but they _have received the Spirit of adoption,
crying in their hearts, Abba, Father_. Thus being _justified by faith,
they have_ the _peace_ of God ruling in their hearts: flowing from
a continual sense of his pardoning mercy, and _the answer of a good
conscience toward God_.
3. If it be said, But sometimes a believer in Christ, may lose his
sight of the mercy of God; sometimes such darkness may fall upon him,
that he no longer sees him that is invisible, no longer feels that
witness in himself of his part in the atoning blood; and then he is
inwardly condemned, he hath again _the sentence of death in himself_:
I answer, supposing it so to be, supposing him not to see the mercy of
God, then he is not a believer; for faith implies light; the light of
God shining upon the soul. So far therefore as any one loses this light,
he for the time loses his faith. And no doubt a true believer in Christ,
may lose the light of faith. And so far as this is lost, he may for a
time fall again into condemnation. But this is not the case of them who
now _are in Christ Jesus_, who now believe in his name. For so long as
they believe and walk after the Spirit, neither God condemns them nor
their own heart.
♦5. They are not condemned, Secondly, for any present sins, for now
transgressing the commandments of God. For they do not transgress them?
They do not _walk after the flesh but after the Spirit_. This is the
continual proof of their _love of God, that they keep his commandments_:
even as St. _John_ bears witness, _Whosoever is born of God doth not
commit sin. For his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin, because
he is born of God_: he cannot, so long as that seed of God, that loving,
holy faith remaineth in him. So long as _he keepeth himself_ herein,
_that wicked one toucheth him not_. Now it is evident, he is not
condemned for the sins which he doth not commit at all. They therefore
who are thus _led by the Spirit, are not under the law_, (_Gal._ v. 18.)
Not under the curse or condemnation of it; for it condemns none but
those who break it. Thus, that law of God, _Thou shalt not steal_,
condemns none but those who do steal. Thus, _Remember the sabbath-day
to keep it holy_, condemns those only who do not keep it holy. But
_against_ the fruits of the Spirit, _there is no law_; (_v._ 23.) as
the apostle more largely declares, in those memorable words of his
former epistle to _Timothy_. _We know, that the law is good, if a man
use it lawfully; knowing this_, (if while he uses the law of God, in
order either to convince or direct, he know and remember this) ὅτι
δικαίω νόμος οὐ κεῖται. (Not, that the law is not made for a righteous
man; but) _that the law does not lie against a righteous man_: (it has
no force against him, no power to condemn him) _but against the lawless
and disobedient, against the ungodly and sinners, against the unholy
and profane――according to the glorious gospel, of the blessed God_.
_1 Tim._ i. 8, 9, 11.
6. They are not condemned, thirdly, for inward sin, even tho’ it does
now remain. That the corruption of nature does still remain, even in
those who are the children of God by faith, that they have in them the
seeds of pride and vanity, of anger, lust and evil desire, yea, sin of
every kind, is too plain to be denied, being matter of daily experience.
And on this account it is, that St. _Paul_ speaking to those, whom he
had just before witness’d to be _in Christ Jesus_[25], to have been
_called of God into the fellowship_ (or participation) _of his Son
Jesus Christ_[26], yet declares, _Brethren, I could not speak unto you
as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal; even as unto babes in Christ_
(_1 Cor._ iii. 1.) _Babes in Christ_――So we see they were _in Christ_;
they were believers in a low degree. And yet how much of sin remained
in them? Of that _carnal mind_, which _is not subject to the law of
God_?
7. And yet, for all this, they are not condemned. Although they feel
the flesh, the evil nature in them, although they are more sensible
day by day, that their _heart is deceitful and desperately wicked_:
yet so long as they do not yield thereto, so long as they give no place
to the devil, so long as they maintain a continual war, with all sin,
with pride, anger, desire, so that the flesh hath no dominion over
them, but they still _walk after the Spirit_: there is _no condemnation
to them which are in Christ Jesus_. God is well-pleased with their
sincere, tho’ imperfect obedience: and they _have confidence toward
God_, knowing _they are his, by the Spirit which he hath given them_.
_1 John_ iii. 24.
8. Nay, fourthly, altho’ they are continually convinced of sin
cleaving to all they do; altho’ they are conscious of not fulfilling
the perfect law, either in their thoughts, or words, or works; altho’
they know they do not love the Lord their God, with all their heart,
and mind, and soul and strength; altho’ they feel more or less of pride
or self-will, stealing in and mixing with their best duties; altho’
even in their more immediate intercourse with God, when they assemble
themselves with the great congregation, and when they pour out their
souls in secret to him, who seeth all the thoughts and intents of
the heart, they are continually ashamed of their wandring thoughts,
or of the deadness and dulness of their affections; yet there is no
condemnation to them still, either from God or from their own heart.
The consideration of these manifold defects only gives them a deeper
sense, that they have always need of that blood of sprinkling, which
speaks for them in the ears of God, and that Advocate with the Father
_who ever liveth, to make intercession for them_. So far are these
from driving them away from him, in whom they have believed, that they
rather drive them the closer to him, whom they feel the want of every
moment. And at the same time, the deeper sense they have of this want,
the more earnest desire do they feel, and the more diligent they are,
as they _have received the Lord Jesus, so_ to _walk in him_.
9. They are not condemned, fifthly, for _sins of infirmity_, as they
are usually called. (Perhaps it were adviseable rather to call them
_infirmities_, that we may not seem to give any countenance to sin, or
to extenuate it in any degree, by thus coupling it with infirmity. But
if we must retain so ambiguous and dangerous an expression) by _sins
of infirmity_ I would mean, such involuntary failings, as the saying
a thing we believe true, tho’ in fact it prove to be false; or the
hurting our neighbour, without knowing or designing it; perhaps when
we design’d to do him good. Tho’ these are deviations from the holy and
acceptable and perfect will of God, yet they are not properly sins, nor
do they bring any guilt on the conscience of _them which are in Christ
Jesus_. They separate not between God and them, neither intercept the
light of his countenance; as being no ways inconsistent with their
general character, of _walking not after the flesh but after the
Spirit_.
10. Lastly, _There is no condemnation_ to them for any thing whatever
which it is not in their power to help; whether it be of an inward or
outward nature, and whether it be doing something, or leaving something
undone. For instance: the Lord’s supper is to be administered. But you
do not partake thereof. Why do you not; you are confined by sickness.
Therefore you cannot help omitting it: and for the same reason, you are
not condemned. There is no guilt; because there is no choice. As there
_is a willing mind, it is accepted, according to that a man hath, not
according to that he hath not_.
11. A believer indeed may sometimes be _grieved_, because he cannot
do what his soul longs for. He may cry out, when he is detain’d from
worshipping God in the great congregation, _Like as the hart panteth
after the water-brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul
is athirst for God, yea even for the living God: when shall I come to
appear in the presence of God?_ He may earnestly desire (only still
saying in his heart, not as I will, but as thou wilt) to _go again with
the multitude and bring them forth into the house of God_. But still,
if he cannot go, he feels no condemnation, no guilt, no sense of God’s
displeasure: but can chearfully yield up those desires, with, _O my
soul, put thy trust in God: for I will yet give him thanks, who is the
help of my countenance and my God_.
12. It is more difficult to determine concerning those which are
usually stiled, _sins of surprize_: as when one who commonly in
patience possesses his soul, on a sudden and violent temptation, speaks
or acts in a manner not consistent with the royal law, _Thou shalt
love thy neighbour as thyself_. Perhaps it is not easy to fix a general
rule, concerning transgressions of this nature. We cannot say, either
that men are, or that they are not condemned, for sins of surprize in
general. But it seems, whenever a believer is by surprize over-taken in
a fault, there is more or less condemnation, as there is more or less
concurrence of his will. In proportion as a sinful desire or word or
action is more or less voluntary, so we may conceive, God is more or
less displeased, and there is more or less guilt upon the soul.
13. But if so, then there may be some sins of surprize, which bring
much guilt and condemnation. For in some instances, our being surprized
is owing to some wilful and culpable neglect; or to a sleepiness
of soul which might have been prevented, or shaken off before the
temptation came. A man may be previously warned either of God or man,
that trials and danger are at hand: and yet may say in his heart, _A
little more slumber, a little more folding of the hands to rest_. Now
if such an one afterwards fall, tho’ unawares, into the snare which he
might have avoided; that he fell unawares is no excuse: he might have
foreseen, and have shuned the danger. The falling even by surprize, in
such an instance as this, is, in effect, a wilful sin; and as such must
expose the sinner to condemnation, both from God and his own conscience.
14. On the other hand, there may be sudden assaults, either from
the world, or the God of this world, and frequently from our own evil
hearts, which we did not, and hardly could foresee. And by these even
a believer, while weak in faith, may possibly be borne down, suppose
into a degree of anger, or thinking evil of another, with scarce any
concurrence of his will. Now in such a case, the jealous God would
undoubtedly shew him that he had done foolishly. He would be convinced
of having swerved from the perfect law, from the mind which was in
Christ, and consequently _grieved_ with a godly sorrow, and lovingly
_ashamed_ before God. Yet need he not come into condemnation. God
layeth not folly to his charge, but hath compassion upon him, _even as
a Father pitieth his own children_. And his heart condemneth him not;
in the midst of that sorrow and shame, he can still say, _I will trust
and not be afraid. For the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he
is also become my salvation._
III. 1. It remains only, to draw some practical inferences from the
preceding considerations. And, first, If there be _no condemnation to
them which are in Christ Jesus, and walk not after the flesh but after
the Spirit_, on account of their past sin: then why art thou fearful,
O thou of little faith? Tho’ thy sins were once more in number than the
sand, what is that to thee now thou art in Christ Jesus? _Who shall lay
any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth: who
is he that condemneth?_ All the sins thou hast committed from thy youth
up, until the hour when thou wast _accepted in the Beloved_, are driven
away as chaff, are gone, are lost, swallowed up, remembered no more.
Thou art now _born of the Spirit_: wilt thou be troubled or afraid for
what is done before thou wert born? Away with thy fears! Thou art not
called to fear; but to the _Spirit of love and of a sound mind_. Know
thy calling. Rejoice in God thy Saviour, and give thanks to God thy
Father through him.