Whereby their conscience is to be directed? The rule of Heathens, (as
the apostle teaches elsewhere) is _the law written in their hearts.
These_, saith he, _not having the_ (outward) _law, are a law unto
themselves: who shew the work of the law_ (that which the outward law
prescribes) _written in their heart_, by the finger of God; _their
conscience also bearing witness_, whether they walk by this rule, or
not; _and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing, or even excusing_,
acquitting, defending them, (ἤ καὶ ἀπολογουμένων) _Rom._ ii. 14, 15.
But the Christian rule of right and wrong is the word of God, the
writings of the Old and New Testament: all that the prophets and _holy
men of old_ wrote, _as they were moved by the Holy Ghost: all_ that
_scripture_ which was _given by inspiration of God, and_ which _is_
indeed _profitable for doctrine_, or teaching the whole will of God;
_for reproof_ of what is contrary thereto; _for correction_ of error,
_and for instruction_ (or training us up) _in righteousness_, 2 Tim.
iii. 16.
This is _a lantern unto_ a Christian’s _feet, and a light in all_
his _paths_. This alone he receives as his rule of right or wrong,
of whatever is really good or evil. He esteems nothing good, but
what is here enjoined, either directly or by plain consequence. He
accounts nothing evil but what is here forbidden, either in terms, or
by undeniable inference. Whatever the scripture neither forbids nor
enjoins, (either directly, or by plain consequence) he believes to be
of an indifferent nature, to be in itself neither good nor evil: this
being the whole and sole outward rule, whereby his conscience is to be
directed in all things.
7. And if it be directed thereby in fact, then hath he _the answer of
a good conscience toward God_. A _good conscience_ is what is elsewhere
termed by the apostle, a _conscience void of offence_. So, what he at
one time expresses thus, _I have lived in all good conscience before
God until this day_, Acts xxiii. 1. he denotes at another, by that
expression, _Herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience
void of offence toward God and toward man_, ch. xxiv. 16. Now in order
to this, there is absolutely required, first, a right understanding
of the word of God, of his _holy and acceptable and perfect will_
concerning us, as it is revealed therein. For it is impossible we
should walk by a rule, if we do not know what it means. There is,
secondly, required (which how few have attained?) a true knowledge
of ourselves: a knowledge both of our hearts and lives, of our inward
tempers and outward conversation: seeing, if we know them not, it
is not possible that we should compare them with our rule. There
is required, thirdly, an agreement of our hearts and lives, of our
tempers and conversation, of our thoughts and words and works with
that rule, with the written word of God. For without this, if we have
any conscience at all, it can be only an evil conscience. There is,
fourthly, required, an inward perception, of this agreement with our
rule. And this habitual perception, this inward consciousness itself,
is properly a _good conscience_; or (in the other phrase of the apostle)
_a conscience void of offence, toward God and toward man_.
8. But whoever desires to have a conscience thus void of offence,
let him see that he lay the right foundation. Let him remember, _other
foundation_ of this _can no man lay, than that which is laid, even
Jesus Christ_. And let him also be mindful, that no man buildeth on
him but by a living faith; that no man is a partaker of Christ, until
he can clearly testify, _The life which I now live, I live by faith
in the Son of God_; in him who is now _revealed_ in my heart; who
_loved me, and gave himself for me_. Faith alone is that evidence,
that conviction, that demonstration of things invisible, whereby the
eyes of our understanding being opened, and divine light poured in upon
them, we _see the wondrous things of_ God’s _law_, the excellency and
purity of it; the height and depth and length and breadth thereof, and
of every commandment contained therein. It is by faith, that beholding
_the light of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ_, we
perceive, as in a glass, all that is in ourselves, yea, the inmost
motions of our souls. And by this alone can that blessed love of God be
_shed abroad in our hearts_, which enables us so to love one another as
Christ loved us. By this, is that gracious promise fulfilled, unto all
the _Israel_ of God, _I will put my laws into their minds, and write_
(or engrave) _them in their hearts_, Heb. viii. 10. Hereby producing
in their souls, an entire agreement with his holy and perfect law, and
_bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ_.
And as an evil tree cannot bring forth good fruit, so a good tree
cannot bring forth evil fruit. As the heart therefore of a believer,
so likewise his life is thoroughly conformed to the rule of God’s
commandments. In a consciousness whereof, he can give glory to God,
and say, with the apostle, _This is our rejoicing, the testimony of our
conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly
wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the
world_.
9. _We have had our conversation._ The apostle in the original,
expresses this by one single word (ἀνεστράφημεν). But the meaning
thereof is exceeding broad, taking in our whole deportment, yea, every
inward as well as outward circumstance, whether relating to our soul
or body. It includes every motion of our heart, of our tongue, of our
hands and bodily members. It extends to all our actions and words; to
the employment of all our powers and faculties; to the manner of using
every talent we have received, with respect either to God or man.
10. _We have had our conversation in the world_; even in the world
of the ungodly: not only among the children of God (that were,
comparatively, a little thing:) but among the children of the devil,
among those that _lie in wickedness_, ἐν τῷ πονηρῷ, _in the wicked
one_. * What a world is this! How throughly impregnated with the spirit
it continually breathes! As our God is good and doth good, so the God
of this world, and all his children, are evil, and do evil, (so far
as they are suffered) to all the children of God. Like their father,
they are always lying in wait, or _walking about, seeking whom they
may devour_: using fraud or force, secret wiles or open violence, to
destroy those who are not of the world: continually warring against our
souls, and by old or new weapons and devices of every kind, labouring
to bring them back into the snare of the devil, into the broad road
that leadeth to destruction.
11. _We have had our_ whole _conversation in_ such _a world, in
simplicity and godly sincerity_. First, _in simplicity_. This is what
our Lord recommends, under the name of a _single eye. The light of the
body_, saith he, _is the eye. If therefore thine eye be single, thy
whole body shall be full of light._ The meaning whereof is this. What
the eye is to the body, that the intention is, to all the words and
actions. If therefore this eye of thy soul be single, all thy actions
and conversation, shall be _full of light_, of the light of heaven; of
love and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.
We are then simple of heart, when the eye of our mind is singly
fixt on God: when in all things we aim at God alone, as our God, our
portion, our strength, our happiness, our exceeding great reward, our
all, in time and eternity. This is simplicity; when a steddy view, a
single intention of promoting his glory, of doing and suffering his
blessed will, runs thro’ our whole soul, fills all our heart, and is
the constant spring of all our thoughts, desires and purposes.
12. _We have had our conversation in the world_, secondly, _in godly
sincerity_. The difference between simplicity and sincerity seems to be
chiefly this: simplicity regards the intention itself, sincerity, the
execution of it. And this sincerity relates not barely to our words,
but to our whole conversation, as described above. It is not here to be
understood in that narrow sense, wherein St. _Paul_ himself sometimes
uses it, for speaking the truth, or abstaining from guile, from craft
and dissimulation. But in a more extensive meaning, as actually hitting
the mark which we aim at by simplicity. Accordingly it implies in this
place, that we do in fact speak and do all to the glory of God; that
all our words are not only pointed at this, but actually conducive
thereto; that all our actions flow on in an even stream, uniformly
subservient to this great end: and that in our whole lives, we are
moving strait toward God, and that continually; walking steddily on
in the highway of holiness, in the paths of justice, mercy and truth.
13. This sincerity is termed by the apostle, godly sincerity, or
the sincerity of God, (εἰλικρίνεια Θεοῦ,) to prevent our mistaking
or confounding it with the sincerity of the Heathens: (for they had
also a kind of sincerity among them, for which they professed no small
veneration) likewise to denote the object and end of this, as of every
Christian virtue; seeing whatever does not ultimately tend to God,
sinks among _the beggarly elements of the world_. By styling it, the
sincerity of God, he also points out the author of it, the _Father of
lights, from whom every good and perfect gift descendeth_: which is
still more clearly declared in the following words, _Not with fleshly
wisdom, but by the grace of God_.
14. _Not with fleshly wisdom._ As if he had said, We cannot thus
converse in the world, by thy natural strength or understanding,
neither by any naturally-acquired knowledge or wisdom. We cannot gain
this simplicity, or practise this sincerity, by the force either of
good sense, good nature, or good breeding. It overshoots all our native
courage and resolution, as well as all our precepts of philosophy.
The power of custom is not able to train us up to this, nor the most
exquisite rules of human education. Neither could I _Paul_ ever attain
hereto, notwithstanding all the advantages I enjoyed, so long as I was
_in the flesh_, in my natural state, and pursued it only by _fleshly_,
natural _wisdom_.
And yet surely, if any man could, _Paul_ himself might have attained
thereto by that wisdom. For we can hardly conceive any, who was more
highly favoured with all the gifts both of nature and education.
Besides his natural abilities, probably not inferior to those of
any person then upon the earth, he had all the benefits of learning,
studying at the university of _Tarsus_, afterwards brought up at
the feet of _Gamaliel_, the person of the greatest account both for
knowledge and integrity, that was then in the whole _Jewish_ nation.
And he had all the possible advantages of religious education, being
a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee, trained up in the very straitest
sect or profession, distinguished from all others by a more eminent
strictness. And herein he had _profited above many_ others, _who were
his equals in years, being more abundantly zealous_ of whatever he
thought would please God, and _as touching the righteousness of the
law blameless_. But it could not be, that he should hereby attain this
simplicity and godly sincerity. It was all but lost labour; in a deep,
piercing sense of which he was at length constrained to cry out, _The
things which were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea
doubtless, and I count all things but loss, for the excellency of the
knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord._ Phil. iii. 7, 8.
15. It could not be that ever he should attain to this, but by the
_excellent knowledge of Jesus Christ_, our Lord: or _by the grace of
God_; another expression of nearly the same import. By _the grace of
God_ is sometimes to be understood, that free love, that unmerited
mercy, by which I a sinner, thro’ the merits of Christ, am now
reconciled to God. But in this place it rather means, that power of
God the Holy Ghost, which _worketh in us both to will and to do, of
his good pleasure_. As soon as ever the grace of God, in the former
sense, his pardoning love is manifested to our soul, the grace of God,
in the latter sense, the power of his Spirit, takes place therein.
And now we can perform, thro’ God, what to man was impossible. Now we
can order our conversation aright. We can do all things in the light
and power of that love, thro’ Christ which strengtheneth us. We now
have _the testimony of our conscience_, which we could never have by
fleshly wisdom, _that in simplicity and godly sincerity we have our
conversation in the world_.
16. This is properly the ground of a Christian’s joy. We may now
therefore readily conceive, how he that hath this testimony in himself,
_rejoiceth evermore. My soul_, may he say, _doth magnify the Lord, and
my spirit rejoiceth in God my Saviour_. I rejoice in him, who of his
own unmerited love, of his own free and tender mercy, _hath called me
into this state of salvation_, wherein thro’ his power I now stand.
I rejoice because his Spirit beareth witness to my spirit, that I am
bought with the blood of the Lamb, and that believing in him, “I am
a member of Christ, a child of God, and an inheritor of the kingdom
of heaven.” I rejoice because the sense of God’s love to me, hath by
the same Spirit wrought in me to love him, and to love for his sake
every child of man, every soul that he hath made. I rejoice, because he
gives me to feel in myself _the mind that was in Christ_: simplicity, a
single eye to him, in every motion of my heart; power always to fix the
loving eye of my soul on him who _loved me, and gave himself for me_,
to aim at him alone, at his glorious will, in all I think or speak or
do: purity, desiring nothing more but God, _crucifying the flesh with
its affections and lusts, setting my affections on things above, not
on things of the earth_: holiness, a recovery of the image of God, a
renewal of soul after his likeness: and godly sincerity, directing all
my words and works, so as to conduce to his glory. In this I likewise
rejoice, yea and will rejoice, because my conscience beareth me witness
in the Holy Ghost, by the light he continually pours in upon it, that I
_walk worthy of the vocation wherewith_ I am _called_: that I _abstain
from all appearance of evil, fleeing from sin as from the face of a
serpent_; that as I have opportunity, I do all possible good, in every
kind, to all men; that I follow my Lord in all my steps, and do what is
acceptable in his sight. I rejoice because I both see and feel, through
the inspiration of God’s holy Spirit, that all my works are wrought in
him, yea and that it is he who worketh all my works in me. I rejoice
in seeing, thro’ the light of God which shines in my heart, that I
have power to walk in his ways, and that thro’ his grace, I turn not
therefrom, to the right hand or to the left.
17. Such is the ground and the nature of that joy, whereby an adult
Christian rejoiceth evermore. And from all this we may easily infer,
first, That this is not a _natural_ joy. It does not arise from any
natural cause: not from any sudden flow of spirits. This may give
a transient start of joy. But the Christian _rejoiceth always_. It
cannot be owing to bodily health or ease; to strength and soundness
of constitution. For it is equally strong in sickness and pain;
yea perhaps far stronger than before. Many Christians have never
experienced any joy, to be compared with that which then filled their
soul, when the body was well nigh worn out with pain, or consumed
away with pining sickness. Least of all can it be ascribed to outward
prosperity, to the favour of men, or plenty of worldly goods. For then
chiefly, when their faith has been tried as with fire, by all manner
of outward afflictions, have the children of God rejoiced in him, _whom
unseen they loved_, even _with joy unspeakable_. And never surely did
men rejoice like those, who were used as _the filth and off-scouring
of the world_; who wandered to and fro, being in want of all things;
in hunger, in cold, in nakedness: who _had trials_, not only _of cruel
mockings_, but _moreover of bonds and imprisonments_: Yea, who at last
_counted not their lives dear unto themselves, so_ they _might finish
their course with joy_.
18. * From the preceding considerations, we may, secondly, infer,
That the joy of a Christian does not arise from any _blindness of
conscience_, from his not being able to discern good from evil. So
far from it, that he was an utter stranger to this joy, till the eyes
of his understanding were opened! That he knew it not, until he had
spiritual senses, fitted to discern spiritual good and evil. And now
the eye of his soul waxeth not dim. He was never so sharp-sighted
before. He has so quick a perception of the smallest things, as is
quite amazing to the natural man. As a mote is visible in the sun-beam,
so to him who is walking in the light, in the beams of the uncreated
Sun, every mote of sin is visible. Nor does he close the eyes of his
conscience any more. That sleep is departed from him. His soul is
always broad awake: no more slumber or folding of the hands to rest!
He is always standing on the tower, and hearkning what his Lord will
say concerning him: and always rejoicing in this very thing, in _seeing
him that is invisible_.
19. * Neither does the joy of a Christian arise, thirdly, from any
_dulness_ or _callousness of conscience_. A kind of joy, it is true,
may arise from this, in those whose _foolish hearts are darkened_;
whose heart is callous, unfeeling, dull of sense; and consequently,
without spiritual understanding. Because of their senseless, unfeeling
hearts, they may rejoice even in committing sin: And this they may
probably call _liberty_! which is indeed mere drunkenness of soul:
a fatal numbness of spirit, the stupid insensibility of a seared
conscience. On the contrary, a Christian has the most exquisite
sensibility; such as he could not have conceived before. He never had
such a tenderness of conscience as he has had, since the love of God
has reigned in his heart. And this also is his glory and joy; that God
hath heard his daily prayer.
“O that my tender soul might fly
The first, abhorr’d approach of ill:
Quick, as the apple of an eye
The slightest touch of sin to feel.”
20. To conclude. Christian joy, is joy in obedience: joy in loving
God and keeping his commandments. And yet not in keeping them, as if
we were thereby to fulfil the terms of the _covenant of works_; as
if by any works or righteousness of ours, we were to _procure_ pardon
and acceptance with God. Not so: we are already pardoned and accepted,
through the mercy of God in Christ Jesus――Not as if we were by our
own obedience to _procure_ life, life from the death of sin. This also
we have already through the grace of God. _Us hath he quickened, who
were dead in sin._ And now we are _alive to God, through Jesus Christ
our Lord_. But we rejoice in walking, according to the _covenant_
of _grace_, in holy love and happy obedience. We rejoice in knowing,
That _being justified through his grace_, we have _not received that
grace of God in vain_; That God having freely (not for the sake of our
willing or running, but through the blood of the Lamb) reconciled us
to himself, we run in the strength which he hath given us, the way of
his commandments. He hath _girded us with strength unto the war_, and
we gladly _fight the good fight of faith_. We rejoice, through him who
liveth in our hearts by faith, to _lay hold of eternal life_. This is
our rejoicing: that as our _father worketh hitherto_, so (not by our
own might or wisdom, but through the power of his Spirit freely given
in Christ Jesus) we also work the works of God. And may he work in us,
whatsoever is well-pleasing in his sight! To whom be the praise for
ever and ever!
☞ _It may easily be observed, that the preceding discourse,
describes the experience of those that are strong in faith.
But hereby those that are weak in faith may be discouraged:
to prevent which the following discourse may be of use._
SERMON XIII.
ON SIN IN BELIEVERS.
2 COR. v. 17.
_If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature._
I. 1. IS there then sin in him that is in Christ? Does sin _remain_
in one that _believes in him_? Is there any sin in them that are _born
of_ God, or are they wholly delivered from it? Let no one imagine this
to be a question of mere curiosity: or that it is of little importance
whether it be determined one way or the other. Rather it is a point of
the utmost moment, to every serious Christian: the resolving of which
very nearly concerns both his present and eternal happiness.
2. And yet I do not know, that ever it was controverted in the
primitive church. Indeed there was no room for disputing concerning
it, as all Christians were agreed. And so far as I have ever observed,
the whole body of antient Christians who have left us any thing in
writing, declare with one voice, that even believers in Christ, till
they are _strong in the Lord and in the power of his might_, have need
to _wrestle with flesh and blood_, with an evil nature, as well as
_with principalities and powers_.
3. And herein our own church, (as indeed in most points) exactly
copies after the primitive; declaring (in her ninth article) “Original
sin is the corruption of the nature of every man whereby man is in his
own nature inclined to evil, so that the flesh lusteth contrary to the
Spirit. And this infection of nature doth remain, yea, in them that
are regenerated; whereby the lust of the flesh called in greek φρόνημα
♦σαρκὸς, is not subject to the law of God. And altho’ there is no
condemnation for them that believe, yet this lust hath of itself the
nature of sin.”
4. The same testimony is given by all other churches: not only by the
_Greek_ and _Romish_ church, but by every _reformed_ church in _Europe_,
of whatever denomination. Indeed some of these seem to carry the
thing too far: so describing the corruption of heart in a believer, as
scarce to allow that he has dominion over it, but, rather is in bondage
thereto. And by this means they leave hardly any distinction, between a
believer and an unbeliever.
5. To avoid this extreme, many well-meaning men, particularly those
under the direction of the late count _Zinzendorf_, ran into another;
affirming, that ♦“All true believers, are not only saved from the
_dominion_ of sin, but from the _being_ of inward as well as outward
sin, so that it no longer, _remains_ in them. And from them, about
twenty years ago many of our countrymen imbibed the same opinion, that
even the corruption of nature _is no more_, in those who believe in
Christ.
6. It is true, that when the _Germans_ were pressed upon this head,
they soon allowed, (many of them at least) that “sin did still remain
_in the flesh_, but not _in the heart_ of a believer.” And after a time,
when the absurdity of this was shewn, they fairly gave up the point:
allowing, that sin did still _remain_, though not _reign_ in him that
is born of God.
7. But the _English_ who had received it from them (some directly, some
at second or third hand) were not so easily prevailed upon, to part
with a favourite opinion. And even when the generality of them were
convinced it was utterly indefensible, a few could not be persuaded to
give it up, but maintain it to this day.
II. 1. For the sake of these who really fear God and desire to know
_the truth as it in Jesus_, it may not be amiss, to consider the point
with calmness and impartiality. In doing this, I use indifferently the
words _regenerate_, _justified_ or _believers_: since tho’ they have
not precisely the same meaning, (the first implying an inward, _actual_
change, the second a _relative_ one, and the third, the means whereby
both the one and the other are wrought:) yet they come to one and the
same thing; as every one that _believes_ is both _justified_ and _born
of God_.
2. By _sin_ I here understand inward sin: any sinful temper, passion or
affection: such as pride, self-will, love of the world, in any kind or
degree: such as lust, anger, peevishness; any disposition, contrary to
the mind which was in Christ.
3. The question is not, concerning _outward sin_: whether a child of
God _commits sin_ or no? We all agree and earnestly maintain, _He that
committeth sin is of the devil_. We agree, _whosoever is born of God
doth not commit sin_. Neither do we now enquire whether inward sin will
always remain in the children of God? Whether sin will continue in the
soul, _as long as_ it continues in the body? Nor yet do we enquire,
whether a justified person, may _relapse_ either into inward or outward
sin? But simply this, Is a justified or regenerate man freed from _all
sin, as soon_ as he is justified? Is there then no sin in his heart?
Nor ever after, unless he fall from grace?