Humility is the root of charity, and meekness the fruit of both. There is
no solid and pure ground of love to others, except the rubbish of
self-love be first cast out of the soul; and when that superfluity of
naughtiness is cast out, then charity hath a solid and deep foundation:
“The end of the command is charity out of a pure heart,” 1 Tim. i. 5. It
is only such a purified heart, cleansed from that poison and contagion of
pride and self-estimation, that can send out such a sweet and wholesome
stream, to the refreshing of the spirits and bowels of the church of God.
If self-glory and pride have deep roots fastened into the soul, they draw
all the sap and virtue downward, and send little or nothing up to the tree
of charity, which makes it barren and unfruitful in the works of
righteousness, and fruits of mercy and meekness. There are obstructions in
the way of that communication, which only can be removed by the plucking
up of these roots of pride and self-estimation, which prey upon all, and
incorporate all in themselves, and yet, like the lean kine that had
devoured the fat, are never the fatter or more well-favoured.
It is no wonder, then, that these are the first principles that we must
learn in Christ’s school, the very A B C of Christianity: “Learn of me,
for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls,”
Matth. xi. 29. This is the great Prophet sent of the Father into the world
to teach us, whom he hath, with a voice from heaven, commanded us to hear:
“This is my well-beloved Son, hear him.” Should not the fame and report of
such a Teacher move us? He was testified of very honourably, long before
he came, that he had the Spirit above measure, that he had “the tongue of
the learned;” (Isa. l. 4.) that he was a greater prophet than Moses,
(Deut. xviii. 15, 18.) that is, the wonderful Counsellor of heaven and
earth, (Isa. ix. 6.) the “Witness to the people,” a Teacher and “Leader to
the people.” And then, when he came, he had the most glorious testimony
from the most glorious persons,—the Father and the Holy Ghost,—in the most
solemn manner that ever the world heard of, Matth. xvii. 5. “Behold, a
voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am
well pleased; hear ye him.” Now, this is our Master, our Rabbi, Matth.
xxiii. 8. This is the Apostle and High Priest of our profession (Heb.
iii. 1.); “the light of the world and life of men,” John viii. 12. and vi.
33, 51. Having, then, such a Teacher and Master, sent us from heaven, may
we not glory in our Master? But some may suppose, that he who came down
from heaven, filled with all the riches and treasures of heavenly wisdom,
should reveal in his school unto his disciples, all the mysteries and
profound secrets of nature and art, about which the world hath ploded
since the first taste of the tree of knowledge, and beaten out their
brains to the vexation of all their spirits, without any fruit, but the
discovery of the impossibility of knowing, and the increase of sorrow by
searching. Who would not expect, when the Wisdom of God descends among
men, but that he should show unto the world that wisdom, in the
understanding of all the works of God, which all men have been pursuing in
vain; that he by whom all things were created, and so could unbowel and
manifest all their hidden causes and virtues, all their admirable and
wonderful qualities and operations, as easily by a word, as he made them
by a word; who would not expect, I say, but that he should have made this
world, and the mysteries of it, the subject of all his lessons, the more
to illustrate his own glorious power and wisdom? And yet behold, they who
had come into his school and heard this Master and Doctor teach his
scholars, they who had been invited to come, through the fame and report
of his name, would have stood astonished and surprised to hear the subject
of his doctrine; one come from on high to teach so low things as these,
“Learn of me, I am meek and lowly.” Other men that are masters of
professions, and authors of sects or orders, do aspire unto some
singularity in doctrine to make them famous. But behold our Lord and
Master, this is the doctrine he vents! It hath nothing in it that sounds
high, and looks big in the estimation of the world. In regard of the
wisdom of the world, it is foolishness, a doctrine of humility from the
most High! A lesson of lowliness and meekness from the Lord and Maker of
all! There seems, at first, nothing in it to allure any to follow it. Who
would travel so far as the college of Christianity to learn no more but
this, when every man pretends to be a teacher of it?
But truly there is a majesty in this lowliness and there is a singularity
in this commonness. If ye would stay and hear a little longer, and enter
into a deep search of this doctrine, we would be surcharged and overcome
with wonders. It seems shallow till ye enter but it has no bottom.
Christianity makes no great noise, but it runs the deeper. It is a light
and overly knowledge of it, a small smattering of the doctrine of it, that
makes men despise it and prefer other things, but the deep and solid
apprehension of it will make us adore and admire, and drive us to an _O
altitudo!_ “O the depth both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!” Rom. xi.
33. As the superficial knowledge of nature makes men atheists, but the
profound understanding of it makes men pious so all other things,
_vilescit scientia_, “grow more contemptible by the knowledge of them.” It
is ignorance of them which is the mother of that devout admiration we bear
to them. But Christianity only, _vilescit ignorantia, clarescit scientia_,
is common and base, because not known. And that is no disparagement at all
unto it, that there is none despises it, but he that knoweth it not, and
none can do any thing, but despise all besides it that once knows it. That
is the proper excellency and glory of it.
All arts and sciences have their principles, and common axioms of
unquestionable authority. All kind of professions have some fundamental
doctrines and points which are the character of them. Christianity hath
its principles too. And principles must be plain and uncontroverted; they
must be evident by their own light, and apt to give light to other things.
All the rest of the conclusions of the art are but derivations and
deductions from them. Our Master and Doctor follows the same method. He
lays down some common principles some fundamental points of this
profession, upon which all the building of Christianity hangs. “Learn of
me, for I am meek and lowly.” This was the high lesson that his life
preached so exemplarily, and his doctrine pressed so earnestly, and in
this he is very unlike other teachers who impose burdens on others, and
themselves do not so much as touch them. But he first practises his
doctrine and then preaches it. He first casts a pattern in himself, and
then presses to follow it. Examples teach better than rules, but both
together are most effectual and sure. The rarest example and noblest rule
that ever was given to men are here met together.
The rule is about a thing that has a low name, but a high nature.
Lowliness and meekness in reputation and outward form, are like servants,
yet they account it no robbery to be equal with the highest and most
princely graces. The vein of gold and silver lies very low in the bowels
of the earth, but it is not therefore base, but the more precious. Other
virtues may come with more observation, but these, like the Master that
teaches them, come with more reality. If they have less pomp, they have
more power and virtue. Humility, how suitable is it to humanity! They are
as near of kin one to another, as _homo_ and _humus_,(420) and therefore,
except a man cast off humanity, and forget his original, the ground, the
dust from whence he was taken, I do not see how he can shake off humility.
Self knowledge is the mother of it, the knowledge of that _humus_ would
make us _humiles_.(421) Look to the hole of the pit from whence thou art
hewn. A man could not look high that looked so low as the pit from whence
we were taken by nature, even the dust, and the pit from whence we are
hewn by grace, even man’s lost and ruined state. Such a low look would
make a lowly mind. Therefore pride must be nothing else but an empty and
vain tumour, a puffing up. “Knowledge puffeth up,” not self knowledge.
That casts down, and brings down all superstructures, razes out all vain
confidence to the very foundation, and then begins to build on a solid
ground. But knowledge of other things without, joined with ignorance of
ourselves within, is but a swelling, not a growing, it is a bladder or
skin full of wind, a blast or breath of an airy applause or commendation,
will extend it and fill it full. And what is this else but a monster in
humanity, the skin of a man stuffed or blown up with wind and vanity, to
the shadow and resemblance of a man; but no bones or sinews, nor real
substance within? Pride is an excrescence. It is nature swelled beyond the
intrinsic terms or limits of magnitude, the spirit of a mouse in a
mountain. And now, if any thing be gone without the just bounds of the
magnitude set to it, it is imperfect, disabled in its operations, vain and
unprofitable, yea, prodigious like. If there be not so much real
excellency as may fill up the circle of our self estimation, then surely
it must be full of emptiness and vanity, fancy and imagination must supply
the vacant room, where solid worth cannot extend so far. Now, I believe,
if any man could but impartially and seriously reflect upon himself, he
would see nothing of that kind, no true solid and real dignity to provoke
love, but real baseness and misery to procure loathing. There is a lie in
every sin, but the greatest and grossest lie is committed in pride, and
attribution of that excellency to ourselves which is not. And upon what
erroneous fancy, which is a sandy and vain foundation, is built the tower
of self estimation, vain gloriation, and such like? Pride, which is the
mother of these, says most presumptuously, “By the strength of my hand I
have done it, and by my wisdom, for I am prudent,” (Isa. x. 13.) “I am and
none else besides me,” Isa. xlvii. 10. It is such a false imagination, as
“I am of perfect beauty,” “I am and none else,” “I am a god,” (Ezek.
xxvii. 3. and xxviii. 2.) which swells and lifts up the heart. Now what a
vain thing is it, an inordinate elevation of the heart upon a false
misapprehension of the mind? The “soul which is lifted up, is not upright
in him,” Hab. ii. 4. It must be a tottering building that is founded on
such a gross mistake.
Some cover their pride with the pretence of high spiritedness, and please
themselves in apprehensions of some magnanimity and generosity. But the
truth is, it is not true magnitude, but a swelling out of the
superabundance of pestilent humours. True greatness of spirit is inwardly
and throughout solid, firm from the bottom, and the foundation of it is
truth. Which of the two do ye think hath the better spirit, he that calls
dust, dust, and accounts of dung as dung, or he that, upon a false
imagination, thinks dust and dung is gold and silver, esteems himself a
rich man, and raises up himself above others? Humility is only true
magnanimity, for it digs down low, that it may set and establish the
foundation of true worth. It is true, it is lowly, and bows down low. But
as the water that comes from a height, the lower it comes down the higher
it ascends up again, so the humble spirit, the lower it fall in its own
estimation, the higher it is raised in real worth and in God’s estimation.
“He that humbles himself shall be exalted, and he that exalts himself
shall be abased,” Matt. xxiii. 12. He is like a growing tree, the deeper
the roots go down in the earth, the higher the tree grows above ground, as
Jacob’s ladder, the foot of it is fastened in the earth, but the top of it
reaches the heaven. And this is the sure way to ascend to heaven. Pride
would fly up upon its own wings. But the humble man will enter at the
lowest step, and so goes up by degrees, and in the end is made manifest.
Pride catches a fall,(422) and humility is raised on high; it descended
that it might ascend. “A man’s pride shall bring him low, but honour shall
uphold the humble in spirit,” Prov. xxix. 23. “Pride goeth before
destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” But “before honour is
humility,” Prov. xvi. 18. and xviii. 12. The first week of creation, as it
were, afforded two signal examples of this wise permutation of divine
justice, angels cast out of heaven, and man out of paradise, a high and
wretched aim at wisdom brought both as low as hell. The pride of angels
and men was but the rising up to a height, or climbing up a steep to the
pinnacle of glory, that they might catch the lower fall. But the last week
of the creation, to speak so, shall afford us rare and eminent
demonstrations of the other, poor, wretched, and miserable sinners lifted
up to heaven by humility, when angels were thrown down from heaven for
pride. What a strange sight, an angel, once so glorious, so low, and a
sinner, once so wretched and miserable, so high! Truly may any man
conclude within himself, “Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the
lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud,” Prov. xvi. 19. Happy
lowliness, that is the foundation of true highness! “But miserable
highness that is the beginning of eternal baseness.” “Blessed are the poor
in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” Matt. v. 3. Blessedness
begins low, in poverty of spirit. And Christ’s sermon upon blessedness
begins at it, but it arises in the end to the riches of a kingdom, a
heavenly kingdom. Grace is the seed of glory, and poverty of spirit is the
seed, first dead before it be quickened to grow up in fruits. And indeed
the grain “is not quickened except it die,” (1 Cor. xv. 36) and then it
gets a body, and “bringeth forth much fruit,” John xii. 24. Even so, grace
is sown into the heart, but it is not quickened except it die in humility,
and then God gives it a body, when it springs up in other beautiful
graces, of meekness, patience, love, &c. But these are never ripe till the
day that the soul get the warm beams of heaven, being separated from the
body, and then is the harvest a rich crop of blessedness. Holiness is the
ladder to go up to happiness by, or rather our Lord Jesus Christ as
adorned with all these graces. Now these are the steps of it, mentioned
Matt. v., and the lowest step that a soul first ascends to him by, is
poverty of spirit, or humility. And truly the spirit cannot meet with
Jesus Christ till he first bring it down low, because he hath come so low
himself, as that no soul can ascend up to heaven by him, except they bow
down to his lowliness, and rise upon that step.
Now a man being thus humbled in spirit before God, and under his mighty
hand, he is only fit to obey the apostolic precept “Be ye all of you
subject one to another,” 1 Pet. v. 5. Humility towards men depends upon
that poverty and self emptying under God’s mighty hand, ver. 6. It is only
a lowly heart that can make the back to bow, and submit to others of
whatsoever quality, and condescend to them of low degree, Rom. xii. 16,
Eph. v. 21. But the fear of the Lord humbling the spirit will easily set
it as low as any other can put it. This is the only basis and foundation
of Christian submission and moderation. It is not a complemental
condescendence. It consists not in an external show of gesture and voice.
That is but an apish imitation. And indeed pride often will palliate
itself under voluntary shows of humility, and can demean itself to
undecent and unseemly submissions to persons far inferior, but it is the
more deformed and hateful, that it lurks under some shadows of humility.
As an ape is the more ugly and ill favoured that it is liker a man,
because it is not a man, so vices have more deformity in them when they
put on the garb and vizard of virtue. Only it may appear how beautiful a
garment true humility is, when pride desires often to be covered with the
appearance of it, to hide its nakedness. O how rich a clothing is the
mean-like garment of humility and poverty of spirit! “Be ye clothed with
humility,” 1 Pet. v. 5. It is the ornament of all graces. It covers a
man’s nakedness by uncovering of it. If a man had all other endowments,
this one dead fly, would make all the ointment unsavoury, pride. But
humility is _condimentum virtutum,_ as well as vestimentum.(423) It
seasons all graces, and covers all infirmities. Garments are for ornament
and necessity both. Truly this clothing is alike fit for both, to adorn
and beautify whatsoever is excellent, and to hide or supply whatsoever is
deficient: _ornamentum et operimentum_.(424)
The apostle Paul gives a solemn charge to the Romans (Rom. xii. 3), that
no man should think high of himself; but soberly, according to the measure
of faith given. That extreme undervaluing and denial of all worth in
ourselves, though it be suitable before God (Luke xvii. 6, 7, 10, Prov.
xxx. 2, 3, Job xlii. 6, 1 Cor. iii. 7), yet is uncomely and incongruous
before men. Humility doth not exclude all knowledge of any excellency in
itself, or defect in another, it can discern, but this is the worth of it:
that it thinks soberly of the one, and despises not the other. The humble
man knows any advantage he has beyond another, but he is not wise in his
own conceit. He looks not so much upon that side of things, his own
perfections and others’ imperfections. That is very dangerous. But he
casts his eye most on the other side, his own infirmities and others’
virtues, his worst part and their best part, and this makes up an equality
or proportion. Where there is inequality, there is a different measure of
gifts and graces, there are diverse failings and infirmity, and degrees of
them. Now, how shall so unequal members make up one body, and join unto
one harmonious being, except this proportion be kept, that the defects of
one be made up by the humility of another? The difference and inequality
is taken away this way, by fixing my eye most upon my own disadvantages
and my brother’s advantages. If I be higher in any respect, yet certainly
I am lower in some, and therefore the unity of the body may be preserved
by humility. I will consider in what I come short, and in what another
excels, and so I can condescend to them of low degree. This is the
substance of that which is subjoined. (Rom. xii. 16) “Mind not high
things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own
conceits.” And this makes us meet in honour to prefer one another, taking
ourselves up in the notion of what evil is in us, and another up in the
notion of what good is in him. Rom. xii. 10, “Be kindly affectioned one to
another, with brotherly love, in honour preferring one another.” Thus
there may be an equality of mutual respect and love, where there is an in
equality of gifts and graces, there may be one measure of charity, where
there are different measures of faith, because both neglect that
difference, and pitch upon their own evils and another’s good.
It is our custom to compare ourselves among ourselves, and the result of
that secret comparison is estimation of ourselves, and despising others.
We take our measure, not by our own real and intrinsic qualifications, but
by the stature of other men’s, and if we find any disadvantage in others,
or any pre-eminence in ourselves, in such a partial application and
collation of ourselves with others (as readily self love, if it find it
not, will fancy it), then we have a tacit gloriation within ourselves, and
a secret complacency in ourselves. But the humble Christian dares not make
himself of that number, nor boast of things without his measure. He dare
not think himself good, because, _deterioribus melior_, “better than
others who are worse.” But he judges himself by that intrinsic measure
which God hath distributed unto him, and so finds reason of sobriety and
humility, and therefore he dare not stretch himself beyond his measure, or
go without his station and degree, 2 Cor. x. 12-14. Humility makes a man
compare himself with the best, that he may find how bad he himself is. But
pride measures by the worst, that it may hide from a man his own
imperfections. The one takes a perfect rule, and finds itself nothing. The
other takes a crooked rule, and imagines itself something. But this is the
way that unity may be kept in the body, if all the members keep this
method and order, the lowest to measure by him that is higher, and the
higher to judge himself by him that is yet above him, and he that is above
all the rest, to compare with the rule of perfection, and find himself
further short of the rule than the lowest is below him. If our comparisons
did thus ascend, we would descend in humility, and all the different
degrees of persons would meet in one centre of lowliness of mind. But
while our rule descends, our pride ascends. The scripture holds out pride
and self estimation as the root of many evils, and humility as the root of
many good fruits among men. “Only through pride comes contention,” Prov.
xiii. 10. There is pride at least in one of the parties, and often in
both. It makes one man careless of another, and out of contempt not to
study equity and righteousness towards him, and it makes another man
impatient of receiving and bearing an injury or disrespect. While every
man seeks to please himself, the contention arises. Pride in both parties
makes both stiff and inflexible to peace and equity, and in this there is
a great deal of folly. For, by this means, both procure more real
displeasure and dissatisfaction to their own spirits. “But with the well
advised is wisdom.” They who have discretion and judgment will not be so
wedded to their own conceits, but that in humility they can forbear and
forgive for peace’ sake. And though this seem harsh and bitter at first,
to a passionate and distempered mind, yet O how sweet is it after! There
is a greater sweetness and refreshment in the peaceable condescendence of
a man’s spirit, and in the quiet passing by any injury, than the highest
satisfaction that ever revenge or contention gave to any man. “When pride
comes, then comes shame, but with the lowly is wisdom,” Prov. xi. 2. Pride
groweth to maturity and ripeness. Shame is near hand it, almost as near as
the harvest. If pride come up, shame is in the next rank behind it. But
there is a great wisdom in lowliness. That is, the honourable society that
it walks in. There may be a secret connection between this and the former
verse, “divers and false balances are abomination to the Lord, but a just
balance is his delight.” Now, if it be so in such low things as
merchandise, how much more abominable is a false spiritual balance in the
weighing of ourselves! Pride hath a false balance in its hand, the weight
of self love carries down the one scale by far.
Lowliness of mind is the strongest bond of peace and charity. It banishes
away strife and vain glory, and makes each man to esteem another better
than himself, (Philip. ii. 3) because the humble man knows his own inside,
and only another’s outside. Now certainly the outside is always better and
more specious than the inside, and therefore a humble man seeing nothing
but his neighbour’s outside, and being acquainted throughly with his own
inside, he esteems another better than himself. Humility, as it makes a
man to think well of another, so it hinders him to speak evil of his
brother. James iv. He lays down the ground work in the 10th verse, “Humble
yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” He raises
his superstructure, verses 11, 12: “Speak not evil one of another,
brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother,
speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law, but if thou judge the law,
thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver, who is
able to save, and to destroy. who art thou that judgest another?” For
truly the very ground of evil speaking of that nature, is some advantage,
we conceive, that may redound to our own reputation, by the diminution of
another’s fame. Or, because we are so short sighted in ourselves,
therefore we are sharp sighted towards others, and because we think little
of our own faults, we are ready to aggravate other men’s to an extremity.
But in so doing we take the place of the judge and law upon us, which
judges others, and is judged by none. So we judge others, and not
ourselves. Neither will we suffer ourselves to be judged by others. This
is to make ourselves the infallible rule, to judge the law.
Humility levels men to a holy subjection and submission to another,
without the confusion of their different degrees and stations. It teaches
men to give that respect and regard to even one that is due to his place
or worth, and to signify it in such a way as may testify the simplicity of
their estimation, and sincerity of their respect. Eph. v. 21, “Submit
yourselves one to another in the fear of God.” 1 Pet. v. 5, “All of you be
subject one to another, and be clothed with humility.” Now, if humility
can put a man below others, certainly it will make him endure patiently
and willingly to be placed in that same rank by others. When others give
him that place to sit into, that he had chosen for himself, will he
conceive himself wronged and affronted, though others about him think so?
Nay, it is hard to persuade him of an injury of that kind, because the
apprehension of such an affront hath for its foundation the imagination of
some excellency beyond others, which lowliness hath razed out. He hath
placed himself so low for every man’s edification and instruction, that
others can put him no lower, and there he sits quietly and peaceably.
_Bene qui latuit bene vixit._(425) Affronts and injuries fly over him, and
light upon the taller cedars, while the shrubs are safe.
Qui cadit in plano, (vix hoc tamen evenit ipsum,)
Sic cadit, ut tacta surgere possit humo.(426)
He sits so low, that he cannot fall lower, so a humble man’s fall upon the
ground is no fall indeed, but in the apprehension of others, but it is a
heavy and bruising fall from off the tower of self conceit.
Now the example that is given us, “Learn of me,” is certainly of greater
force to persuade a man to this humble, composed, and quiet temper of
spirit, than all the rules in the world. That the Son of God should come
down and act it before our eyes, and cast us a pattern of humility and
meekness, if this do not prevail to humble the heart, I know not what can.
Indeed this root of bitterness, which is in all men’s hearts by nature, is
very hard to pluck up, yea, when other weeds of corruption are extirpated
this poisonable one, pride groweth the faster, and roots the deeper.
Suppose a man should be stript naked of all the garments of the old man,
this would be certainly nearest his skin and last to put off. It is so
pestilent an evil, that it grows in the glass window as well as on the
dunghill and, which is strange, it can spring out of the heart, and take
moisture and aliment from humility, as well as from other graces. A man is
in hazard to wax proud that he is not proud, and to be high minded because
he is lowly. Therefore, it is not good to reflect much upon our own
graces, no more than for a man to eat much honey.
I know not any antidote so sovereign as the example of Jesus Christ, to
cure this evil, and he himself often proposes this receipt to his
disciples, (John xiii. 13-17) “Ye call me Master and Lord, and ye say
well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet
ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example,
that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
the servant is not greater than his lord, neither he that is sent greater
than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do
them.” Matt xi. 29, 30, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am
meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my
yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matt. xx. 27, 28, “And whosoever
will be chief among you, let him be your servant. Even as the Son of man
came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a
ransom for many.” Might not that sound always in our ears, the servant is
not above his lord, the “Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to
minister?” O whose spirit would not that compose? What apprehension of
wrong would it not compensate? What flame of contention about worth and
respect would it not quench? What noise of tumultuous passions would it
not silence? Therefore, the apostle of the Gentiles prescribes this
medicine, (Phil. ii. 5-8) “Let this mind be in you, which was also in
Christ Jesus who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be
equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the
form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men, and being found in
fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even
the death of the cross.” If he did humble himself out of charity, who was
so high, how should we humble ourselves, both out of charity and
necessity, who are so low! If we knew ourselves, it were no strange thing
that we were humble, the evidence of truth would extort it from us. But
here is the wonder, that he who knew himself to be equal to God, should
notwithstanding become lower than men, that the Lord of all should become
the servant of all, and the King of glory make himself of no reputation!
That he pleased to come down lowest, who knew himself to be the highest of
all, no necessity could persuade it, but charity and love hath done it.
Now, then, how monstrous and ugly a thing must pride be after this! That
the dust should raise itself, and a worm swell, that wretched, miserable
man should be proud, when it please the glorious God to be humble, that
absolute necessity shall not constrain to this, that simple love persuaded
him to! How doth this heighten and elevate humility, that such an one
gives out himself, not only as the teacher, but as the pattern of it.
“Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest
unto your souls.”
SEVERAL SERMONS UPON THE MOST IMPORTANT SUBJECTS OF PRACTICAL RELIGION.
The Publisher To The Reader.
There are no sermons I know of any divine or pastor in this kingdom, that
have been more frequently printed, or more universally read and esteemed,
than the elegant and judicious discourses of Mr. Binning, which were
published after his death, at different times, in four small volumes. As
there was a great demand for these valuable writings, about twenty six
years ago; so these printed copies of them were compared with his own
manuscript copy now in my hand, carefully revised, and then printed, in a
large 4to of 641 pages, by Robert Fleming, Printer at Edinburgh, in the
year 1735, to which was prefixed a short account of his Life, chiefly
taken from the large memoirs of his Life, that the Reverend Mr. Robert
M’Ward, some time minister of the gospel at Glasgow, wrote, in a long
letter to the Reverend Mr. James Coleman, Minister of the gospel at Sluys
in Flanders, who translated Mr. Binning’s Sermons into High Dutch, and
printed them for the benefit of the Christian congregations in Holland and
Flanders. Some of the most memorable particulars of this great man’s life
have been also published, anno 1753, by the reverend, learned, and
industrious Mr. John Wesley, late Fellow of Lincoln college, Oxford, in
his Christian Library, which contains about fifty volumes in 8vo of
Extracts from, and Abridgments of, the choicest pieces of practical
Divinity, we have printed in our language. It is prefixed to Mr. Binning’s
Sermons upon the first and part of the second chapters of the first
Epistle of John, in the 29th volume of that useful work.(427)
Mr. Binning’s elegant and judicious Treatise of Christian Love was first
printed from a manuscript in my hand, at Edinburgh, 1743, in an octavo
pamphlet of forty-seven pages, in short print, by Robert Fleming, to which
he hath prefixed a short preface. And the publisher tells us, “That he had
revised about twenty four sermons, upon very edifying and profitable
subjects, to print in a separate volume, from which they [his readers]
should receive as great improvement and satisfaction, as from any of his
printed treatises, which every person may easily discover from the style
and language to be Mr. Binning’s genuine compositions, as his manner of
writing can scarcely be imitated by any other person.” These sermons were
carefully transcribed some little time ago, and revised by the assistance
of a friend, and are now printed in this small volume.... And not to
detain the reader further from the serious and candid perusal of this
book, I shall only add, that I have faithfully transcribed these sermons
from the manuscript copy without the smallest alteration of his
sentiments. I have endeavoured to rectify a few grammatical errors of the
transcribers and the old form of spelling, and altered a few words not now
used in our modern sermons, for words of the same meaning. As I have added
several sermons of this author upon the kingdom of God, which I
transcribed since the proposals of this book were printed, so I could not
insert the sermons upon Acts xxvi. 18; Acts xiv. 11, 12, without almost
doubling the price, which I feared would not be agreeable to some of the
encouragers of this work. I intend to put the other sermons I have
transcribed, or may yet copy, into the hands of some friends to revise
before they be printed; as also Mr. M’Ward’s Life of this worthy
gentleman, taken from his own papers....
It is my sincere wish, that all the readers of this book may be builded up
in spiritual wisdom and goodness unto eternal life.
Brousterland, September 12th, 1760
Sermon I.
1 John iii. 23.—“And this is his commandment, That we should
believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one
another.”
It is a common doctrine often declared unto you, that the most part of
those who hear the gospel do run, in their pretended course to heaven,
either upon a rock of dashing discouragement, or the sands of sinking
presumption. These are in all men’s mouths; and no question they are very
dangerous, so hazardous, as many fools make shipwreck either of the faith,
or a good conscience,—of the faith, by running upon and dashing upon the
rock,—of a good conscience, by sitting down upon the quicksand. But I fear
that which is commonly confessed by all is cordially believed by few, and
so, little regarded in our course and conversation. All Christians pretend
to be making a voyage heaven-ward, and that is only home-ward. Now the
gospel is given us to direct our course, and teach us how to steer between
these two hazards, both safely and surely. This is the shore that shall
guide us, and conduct to our intended haven, that is heaven, if we set our
compass by it, and steer our course accordingly. Yet strange it is to
behold the infinite wanderings and errors of men, on the one hand or the
other:—some presuming upon the news of mercy, and the sound of God’s
grace, to walk after the imagination of their own hearts, and to live and
continue in sin, for which Christ died, that he might redeem us from it,
fancying a possibility of living in sin, and escaping wrath, and so
abusing the tender of grace to promote licentiousness;—others, again,
apprehending the wrath of God, and their just deservings, abusing the
notion of God’s justice, and the perfection of his holiness, to the
prejudice of the glory of his grace and mercy, and their own salvation.
This is certainly the cunning sleight of Satan, with the deceitfulness and
ignorance of our own hearts, that leads men, and sometimes one and the
same man, at diverse times, to contrary misapprehensions of divine truths.
The wind of temptation gets fires to one corner of the house and then to
another, and sometimes over-persuades the notion of mercy, and another
time overstretches the apprehension of his justice; and yet in effect
there is no true persuasion of any of them, but a cloud or shadow is
apprehended instead of them.
Now I say, there is one cure for both these,—the right apprehension of the
gospel in its entire and whole sum, the right uptaking of the light which
shines in a dark place, and is given to lead us to our place of rest—to
have a complete model, and a short summary of the gospel, always in our
heart and eye. For truly it is the apprehending of parcels of divine
truth, which leads men into such opposite mistakes and courses. To remedy
this, we have some brief comprehensive models of the gospel set down by
the Holy Ghost, and none in better terms than this here: “This is his
commandment, that ye believe,” &c. You have it in two words, faith and
love. This is the form of sound words which we should hold fast, 2 Tim. i.
13. This is the mould of doctrine delivered by Christ and his Apostles. It
is the separation of these two in some men’s fancy, that leads too many in
such paths of destruction. Truly they can as little be divided as the
sun’s light and heat, but the motions and shadows of them may, and it is
the following the shadows of some of them which shipwrecks souls. Now not
only the common multitude of the hearers of the gospel are in hazard of
this, but even God’s own children, who have believed in him.
The taking up of these things apart, creates the heart much trouble and
perplexity, and occasioneth much sin and stumbling. I do think it is the
ignorance and advertency of this conjunction, that makes our case both
more sad and sinful than otherwise it would be. And these two indeed have
a mutual influence upon one another, loosing reins to sin more freely, for
it unquestionably disturbs the soul’s peace, and procures it much
bitterness. And again, the quitting hold of the promise of grace in Christ
Jesus, and the indulging our own sad and sullen apprehensions, cannot but
in the issue disable the soul from the duties of love, and expose it unto
the violence of every temptation. As these two do mutually strengthen one
another, the faith of Jesus Christ, and the lively apprehension of his
grace and goodness, so they are the most noble and effectual persuasives
to live unto him, and to walk in love. Besides, faith is the mean and way
which God hath appointed to convoy his influence unto the soul; and then
again, love carrying itself actively in duties to God and men, bestirring
itself for God and those who are beloved of God, it brings in a supply to
faith, and returns by a straight compass to the spring from whence it
first issued, and increases it still more. Believing on the name of the
Son sends forth the stream of holy affection to him, and all begotten of
the Father, and this returns again by the circuit of obedience to his
commands and submission to his easy yoke, to unbosom itself in the
fountain from whence it first issued; and whereas faith was at first one
simple soul adherence to a Saviour, and a hearty embracing of him, this
accession of the fruits of it exalts it unto that height of assurance, and
gives that evidence which it wanted; and faith being thus strengthened,
and rooted, and built up to the top of assurance of God’s grace, love, and
salvation, it becomes more able to bear the yoke of his commands, which
are not grievous. The spring of believing, thus swelled by the concurrence
of so many streams, it breaks forth the more, and sends out more love and
delight in God, and more charity, compassion, and meekness towards men.
And this is the circle and round Christianity runs, until that day come
that the head-spring of faith shall be obscured and shrivelled up in the
great sea of the love of God, which shall overflow all the saints’ graces
in due time, when we shall see God face to face.
This is a true Christian, which this apostle so beloved of God describes.
Here is one under a commandment, and not above it, as some fondly
conceive. He is a keeper of his commands, and a doer of these things which
are pleasant in God’s sight. This is no legal notion, if it be right
taken.
It is not the bondage of the creature to be under the command of God,
truly it is the beauty and liberty of a reasonable soul. Some speak of all
subjection unto a law as slavery, but is it not an infinitely greater
slavery to be at liberty to sin, and serve our own lusts? O wretched and
base liberty! the Son indeed makes us truly free, and that from sin; and
he is truly a Redeemer who redeems us from all iniquity, John viii. 32;
Psal. cxxx. ult.; Tit. ii. 14.
But this commandment here spoken of, would not indeed be gospel, unless
there was a prior command, a brighter precept, given by the Father to the
Son. I find two commands given by the Father, and received by the Son,
which two you may conjoin and make one of, as here faith and love are made
one commandment. The first is, John x. 18, “I lay down my life of myself,
no man taketh it from me. This commandment have I received from my Father,
and no other.” John xii. 49, 50, “The Father gave me a commandment, what I
should say and speak, and I know that his commandment is life
everlasting.” This is more expressly and clearly set down, John vi. 39,
40, “This is the Father’s will that sent me, that of all that he gave me I
should lose none, but raise them up at the last day. This is the will of
him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on
him, should have everlasting life.” Here, then, beloved in the Lord, is
the foundation of our hope, and that which makes all commandments given by
God to us to come under a gospel notion, that which makes Christ’s yoke
easy, and his burden light, and his commands not grievous. The great
commandment was imposed upon our Saviour. The great weight of that wrath
due to our sins was put upon his shoulders. This was the Father’s will,
that he should lay down his life for his sheep; this command he received
willingly, and obeyed faithfully and fully. And by his obedience to this,
that great obligation to satisfy God’s justice, and pay a ransom for our
souls is taken off us; inasmuch as he died, justice cannot come and demand
it at our hand. Now, therefore, there is another commandment given to
Christ, which directly concerns us, and it is this in substance: “I will
and command that thou who hast come in the place of sinners, and resolvest
to die for them, that thou give eternal life to whom thou wilt, even to as
many as believe in thy name; I give to thee the absolute disposal of life
and death; I command thee to preach life everlasting to all pious souls,
that shall flee unto thee upon the apprehension of the danger of death,
and that thou bestow that life upon them, and raise them up at the last
day to be partakers of it.” This is the commission the Father gave to the
Son, a sweet commission for poor sinners, and the charter of our
salvation. And for this errand he was anointed with the Holy Spirit, and
sent into the world; nay, the commission extends further than grace, even
to eternal glory also. Christ has received commandment of the Father, to
give repentance and remission of sin, both to give faith, and love, and
all other graces, else it were defective. Thus Christ comes instructed to
the world. He lays open his commission in preaching the gospel. He obeys
the first commandment in his own person, by offering up himself upon the
cross a sacrifice for sins, and he is about the fulfilling the next
commandment, that is, the giving life to them that believe: and that he
may accomplish it, having ascended himself unto heaven to intercede for
us, he also sent his ambassadors into the world, to whom he hath committed
the word of reconciliation, and he gives them commission to publish and
proclaim this commandment in his own name. This is his command, that ye
“believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ.” And this we do proclaim in
his name, since he has gotten a commandment to give life everlasting to
believers. This, then, is his charge to you, to come and receive it from
him. Come and embrace him, and ye shall have life and all in him. This is
the hardest and heaviest burden he imposes upon you, the weight of your
life and salvation he hath taken upon himself. But O! now come and lay
hold on him, who is thus offered unto you. Know that you are lost and
undone in yourselves, consider the impossibilities you lie under to escape
his wrath. Behold the anger of God hanging over your head, ready to be
revealed in flaming fire, and a tempestuous cloud of eternal misery. Will
ye consider that ye are born heirs of wrath? Your natural inheritance is
in the lake of fire; and whatsoever your endowments by nature, or your
privileges by birth be, nothing shall exeem you from this. Shall not then
this Saviour be welcome to you? For truly faith is but a cordial
salutation and embracement of our blessed Redeemer. The soul brings him
into the house, and makes him welcome, and he is standing ready to come in
to your heart, and to bring in salvation with him.
Now whatever soul hath obeyed this commandment by belief of the truth, and
receiving of Christ into the heart, there is but one commandment behind,
and it is not grievous, viz., love me, and love one another; love me, and
live unto me. This is an easy yoke; and there is good reason for it,
though it had never been required to love him, and live to him, who loved
not his life unto the death for us. There is mention made only of
brotherly love here, but certainly the other love to God flowing from the
sense of his love, is the right wing of the soul, and brotherly love the
left; and by these the pious soul mounts up to heaven with the wings of an
eagle. The love of our brother is but the fruit and consequent of this
love, but it is set down as a probation, and clear evidence of the love of
God in our souls.
Love is commanded as the very sum and substance of the whole law, as the
fountain of all other duties. Things are compacted in their causes, and
lie hid within the virtue of them. Truly this is the way to persuade and
constrain you to all the duties of godliness and righteousness, of piety
towards God, and charity towards men,—if once we could fasten this chain
of affection upon your hearts, and engage your souls by love to God and
man. We cannot but beat the air, while we seek to persuade you to the
serious practice of religious duties, of prayer in secret and in your
families, of reading and meditation upon the word, of sanctifying the
Sabbath, of dealing justly and moderately with all men, of sobriety and
temperance in your conversation, of denying ungodliness and worldly lusts,
of walking humbly with God and towards men, of restraining and subduing
your inordinate lusts and passions; I say, it is almost in vain to press
these things upon you, or expect them from you, till once the Spirit of
power and love enter into your hearts; and indeed the spirit of love is a
powerful spirit, the love of God possessing the heart within, cannot but
conform all within and without to his love and good pleasure. Love only
can do these things which are pleasant in his sight, for it doth them
pleasantly, heartily, and cheerfully; and God loves a cheerful giver, a
cheerful worshipper. Brotherly love is rather expressed, because little or
not at all studied by the most part. Other duties to God, if men come not
up in practice to them, yet they approve them in their soul and mind. But
there is scarce a notion of the obligation of charity and love towards our
brethren, yea, not so much as in the minds of Christians, let be in their
practice. It is the special command which Christ left to his disciples
when he was going away, John xiii. 35. But, alas! we have forgotten it, it
is so long since.
Sermon II.
1 John iii. 23.—“This is his commandment, that,” &c.
We commonly make many rules in religion, and turn it into a laborious art,
full of intricate questions, precepts, and contentions. As there hath been
a great deal of vanity in the conception of speculative divinity, by a
multitude of vain and unedifying questions which have no profit in them,
or are beneficial to them that are occupied therein, but only have stirred
up strife and envy, and raised the flame of contention in the Christian
world; so I fear that practical divinity is no less vitiated and spoiled
in this age amongst true Christians (by many perplexed cases relating to
every condition), than the other among the schoolmen. Hereby it seems to
me, that Christ and his apostles did not suppose it to be so perplexed a
business as we now do make it; neither did the hearers weary themselves or
others with so many various objections against the practice of the
fundamental commandment of the gospel, believing in Jesus Christ. The
plain nature of the gospel being holden forth and received, I am
persuaded, was and is able (like the sun arising in brightness) to dispel
and scatter all these mists and clouds which do arise both in the one and
other, from ignorance at first, and which are elevated to a greater height
by the custom of the times. The matter, my brethren, is not so dark as you
make it. Here it is plainly and simply expressed: “This is his
commandment, that ye believe in the name of his Son;” and then, “love one
another.” Ye all know that we had commandments given us by God, which were
by nature impressed on the heart of man; but by his fall into sin, the
tables of the law (which I may say were in Adam’s mind and heart,
understanding and affection), those two tables were broken in the fall,
and since there could be no obedience, because of ignorance and
perversion, the tables breaking in pieces, their ruptures have produced
these two opposite principles. The fall of man hath broken his mind, and
so darkened his understanding, and broken his will, and put it in a wrong
set. This appointed it, set it in a posture of enmity against God.
However, we are by this fall utterly disabled to stand up before God in
acceptable obedience. There is no man breathing, how blameless soever he
be before the world, but must fall down as guilty before God in many
things, yea, in all things. But the law being thus obliterated out of
men’s consciences, as he lost ability to obey, so he lost almost all
conscience of sin and disobedience. He not knowing his charge and
obligation, could not accuse himself for falling in rebellion. Therefore
it pleased the Lord to cause the law to be written in tables of stone in
mount Sinai. He transcribes the commandments over again, that all the
world may see their obligation, and how infinitely short they have come in
their subjection, and how just their condemnation may be. For this
purpose, the Lord causes proclaim the old bond in the ears of men with
great majesty and authority, as it became the Lawgiver, that all may
become guilty, and stop their mouth before God, Rom. iii. 19. He would
once have all men knowing that they are under infinite breaches of his
commandments, that they may see themselves also subject to his judgment.
Now, what do you think of a soul that stands at the foot of this mountain,
and hears a dreadful accusation read against it, to all which the
conscience within must subscribe unto, and both together pronounce the
person guilty and liable to eternal punishment? I say, what can such a
soul do, who has with trembling heard his voice? Satisfaction there cannot
be given for an infinite offence against an infinite nature. The curse and
sentence which was the sanction and confirmation of this commandment is
just, and there appears no way how, without violation of God’s justice, it
can be repealed. Obedience to these commandments is now both impossible
and unprofitable;—impossible, I say, because of the weakness and
wickedness of the flesh, that has no ability nor willingness but to offend
and disobey; and unprofitable, because it cannot at all relax the former
sentence of condemnation. Now obedience, being a present duty, cannot pay
old debts, or satisfy for our former rebellions, and so it must leave a
man to seen condemnation. I fear this is a puzzle that all consciences
must come unto here, or elsewhere. Here is a strait indeed.
But yet there is an enlargement, there is a way found out of bringing the
soul out of the miry clay, and deep pit of misery; and it is this, God
hath found out a ransom for himself, without our procurement, or consent,
or knowledge. He hath provided a satisfaction to his justice in his Son
Jesus Christ. Having laid upon him our iniquities, he exacts of him our
deserved punishment, and makes him a curse who knew no sin. Now this being
done, the Lord sends forth to all poor sinners who are trembling at mount
Sinai this proclamation,—this is my last and most peremptory command, that
ye believe in the name of my Son Jesus Christ. This is my well-beloved
Son, in whom I am well-pleased, hear ye him. Have ye heard me the lawgiver
condemning you? Now go and hear him, the Mediator and Saviour, absolving
you, for I have committed all judgment unto him. Though I pronounce the
sentence in this world against you, yet I have committed all the execution
of it to him, and if you come to him, you may prevent it. You have broken
all my former commandments, and I have pronounced a sentence against you
for that. But now I give a new commandment instead of all the former,
which if you obey, then the sentence of death is relaxed. You who cannot
obey the law and give satisfaction in your own persons, I charge you to
flee unto my Son Christ, who hath given me full satisfaction both to the
curse, by suffering, and to the command, by obedience, and lay hold on his
righteousness as your own, and in him ye are justified, and delivered from
all these sentences and hard writings against you. I give a new
commandment as the cure and remedy of all broken commandments. Believe on
this name, in which is salvation. Take his obedience and suffering for
your cure, and present me with that, I shall be as well satisfied as with
your own personal satisfaction.
This now is very plain business. All commands are broken. There is yet one
published in the gospel to help all, and it is in substance to embrace and
welcome Jesus Christ for all, to seek our life and salvation in him, to
take him as a priest to offer sacrifice for us, and expiate our sins, and
to come to him as a prophet to seek wisdom and illumination, and all grace
from him; to choose him as our King, henceforth to submit to his easy yoke
of government. Now I say there will be no more debates about this. Will ye
yet dispute whether ye may believe or not? Will ye inquire after this
whether you have a warrant or not? Truly such a question would occasion
much jealousy and provocation among men. If a man had signified as much
willingness by command, by invitation, by request, by frequent repetition
of these, yet to call in question or dispute whether or not I may go to
such a person, will he make me welcome, were it not the greatest affront I
could put upon him? Would it not alienate his affection more than any
thing, to be jealous of his real kindness to me.
I would desire to hold out unto you the sin, the danger, and the vanity of
such a way. I say the sin is great, it is no less than the highest and
most heinous disobedience to the gospel, which of all others is of the
deepest dye. You have disobeyed the law, and broken all the ten
commandments. And will ye therefore disobey the gospel, too, and break
this fundamental commandment? Is it not enough that ye have broken the
rest, and will ye break this also, which was given for the cure of all?
Consider, I say, this is his commandment. Now commands should be obeyed,
and not disputed, coming from an infallible and uncontrollable authority.
Would ye not silence all the rebellions of your hearts against the
commands of praying, hearing, reading, dealing justly, and walking
soberly, with this one word, it is his command, it is his sovereign will?
And why do ye not see the stamp of that same authority upon this? Now if
you consider it aright, it hath more authority upon it than upon others,
because it is his last command, and so would be taken as most pungent and
weighty. When your hearts rise up to question and dispute this matter, I
pray you cut all these knotty objections with the sword of his
commandment. You use to go about to loose them by particular answers and
untie them at leisure with art and skill, but truly it would be a readier
and wiser course to cut them in pieces at one stroke, by this piercing and
pungent precept. If your reasons and scruples be weighty, and you cannot
get answers to overbalance them, I pray you put this weighty seal of
divine authority into the balance, and sure I am it will weigh down all.
Consider then the danger of it. It is the last and most peremptory
command, after which you may expect no other, but the execution of
justice. How sad and severe is the certification, “He that believeth not
is condemned already,” and “the wrath of God abideth on him.” There needs
no new sentence to be pronounced against you. Why? Because, if you believe
not, that prior sentence of the law is yet standing above your heads to
condemn you, that wrath abides on you. This is the only way to remove it,
to come to him, who hath taken it on himself, after the breach of all
commands. Ye have this retreat, this refuge to flee unto, a new command to
come unto the Son, and have life; but after this disobedience of the Son,
you have none. There is nothing after unbelief, but ye are turned over, or
rather left over, in the hand of the law and divine justice. Therefore it
is the most dangerous and damnable thing to disobey this. It is to refuse
the very remedy of sin. Consider also what vanity and uselessness is in
these debates. What an unreasonable and senseless thing is it to dispute
against our own soul, and against our own happiness! All is wrapt up here,
and we do no less than the highest act of self-murder that can be. He that
hateth me, wrongs his own soul. What an unreasonable thing then is it,
because ye are miserable, to refuse mercy; because ye are unclean,
therefore to maintain that ye are not to come to the blessed fountain of
cleansing; because ye have broken the rest of the commands, therefore ye
may not obey this? Is there any sense or reason in such things; because I
am a sinner, therefore I will not come to a Saviour? Alas! to what purpose
was the Son sent and given, and for what end came he? Was it not to seek
and to save such as are lost and undone, and to deliver them from misery?
What do you gain by such questions? For at length you must turn and enter
in at the door of a naked command and promise, when you have wearied
yourselves to find that in your hearts which is not in them, to seek
waters in the wilderness, and springs in the desert, qualifications and
graces in your own hearts to warrant your boldness in coming to the
promise. I say, when you have sought and all in vain, you must at length
come to this fountain in which is all grace and happiness. If you had what
you seek, yet if ye would indeed believe in Christ, you must deny them and
look upon yourselves as ungodly, to be justified by faith. Why then do you
grasp after that which can do you no good, (though you had it), I mean, in
point of your acceptation? Consider it, my beloved, that the honour of God
and your own happiness lies most in this, nay not only that, but your
holiness too, which you pretend to seek after, lies in it. Till you come
to Christ, it is in vain to seek it elsewhere.
Sermon III.
1 John iii. 23.—“And this is his commandment,” &c.
There are different tempers of mind among men, some more smooth and
pliable, others more refractory and froward. Some may be persuaded by
love, who cannot be constrained by fear. With some a request will more
prevail than a command. Others again are of a harsher disposition. Love
and condescension doth rather embolden them, and therefore they must be
restrained with the bridle of authority. It would seem that the Lord hath
some regard to this in the administration of the gospel. He accommodates
himself to the diverse dispositions of men, and (if we may say with
respect to him which yet can be no disrespect, seeing he hath humbled
himself lower) he doth become all things to all men, that he may gain
some. You see the gospel sometimes running in the channel of love and
kindness, sometimes in the channel of authority and majesty. God sometimes
stoopeth down to invite, and affectionately to beseech sinners to come
unto his Son for life. He hath prepared a marriage and banquet for us in
Christ. He hath made all things ready for the receiving, for the eating,
and he sends forth his servants to entreat and invite all such, who have
no bread and clothing, who are poor and lame, to this wedding. He gives an
hearty invitation to all that stand at an infinite distance from God, and
so are feeding upon empty vanities without him, to come and enjoy the
riches of his grace, which runs as a river in Christ between these two
golden banks, the pardon of sin, and the purification of our soul from its
pollution. You have a hearty invitation, Isa. lv. 1, 2, 3, “Ho, every one
that thirsteth, come to the waters.” But he comes yet lower to request and
obtest poor sinners, as if he could have advantage by it; he will not
stand(428) to be a supplicant at any man’s door, to beseech him to be
reconciled to God, 2 Cor. v. 14, 19, 20. As if we could do him a favour
and benefit, he requests us most earnestly. Truly it is strange that this
doth not melt the heart, and make it fall down into the belief and
obedience of the truth. Affection is the most insinuating and prevailing
thing with an ingenuous spirit, most of all when it is accompanied with
majesty in the person that hath it, and humility in the carriage and
disposition. For a great personage to descend out of love, to affectionate
and humble requests and solicitations, this cannot but have a mighty
influence on any spirit that is not wild and savage. But because the heart
of man is desperately wicked, and hath lost that true ingenuity and
nobleness of spirit, and is now become stubborn and froward, as a wild
ass, or as a swift dromedary traversing her ways, therefore the Lord takes
another way of dealing with men suitable to their froward natures; he
gives out his royal statute backed with majesty and authority; “This is
his command,” &c.—that when fair means could not prevail, other means more
terrible might reduce lost rebellious men. He hedges in our way with
threatenings and promises annexed to the commandment, “He that believeth
has everlasting life, but he that believeth not is condemned already, and
shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.” He declares all
men traitors if they come not in to his Son, to be reconciled to God,
before the decree of wrath pass forth.
Truly it is a wonder that there should be any need either of an
invitation, or a request, or a command, or a threatening; that we should
need to be invited, or requested, or commanded, or threatened to our own
happiness. Might not a bare and simple offer, or proposal of Jesus Christ,
his nature, and offices, of the redemption and salvation purchased by him,
suffice? What needed more, but to declare unto us that we are lost and
utterly undone by nature, and that there is a refuge and remedy provided
in Christ? Surely in any other thing of little importance, we needed no
entreaty. Were it not a good enough invitation to a man that is like to
starve for hunger, to cast meat freely before him; or to a man that is in
hazard of drowning, to cast a cord to him? We would seek no other
persuasion to go and dig for a treasure of gold, than to show us where it
is hid. But strange is the rebellious and perverse disposition of man’s
heart. What an enmity is in it to the ways of God! What strange
inclination to self-murder, ever since man destroyed himself! We cannot
express it unto you; but you may perceive it well enough, both by the
Lord’s frequent obtesting, and protesting to us in his word, and the
experience of the great barrenness of all such means. Whence is it, I pray
you, that there should need so many means to persuade you to that which is
your own advantage, and to call you to shun the ways of destruction? And
whence is it that notwithstanding of all those invitations, entreaties,
commandments, promises and threatenings often sounding in your ears, yet
the most part are not reduced to obedience, nor reclaimed from the ways of
death, and do not take hold of the path of life. Truly it may plainly
point out to you the desperate wickedness of the heart, the stubbornness
and rebelliousness of our disposition, and if once we could persuade you
of this we had gained a great point which few do seriously consider, and
so do not abhor themselves.
The commandments mentioned in the text are these two, to believe in
Christ, and to love our brother. It is no wonder they are recommended with
so much seriousness and earnestness; for they are both the most
comprehensive, and the most pleasing commandments. They are most
comprehensive; for it appears that all the commands spoken of in the
preceding verse, are summed up in this one precept, “And this is his
commandment,” &c. And that they are most pleasant in God’s sight is
evident, for the true Christian being described from this, that he does
these things that are pleasing in God’s sight,—that he is one that studies
to conform himself to his good pleasure, this is subjoined, as the two
most pleasing exercises of Christianity, “This is his commandment,” that
is, his pleasing commandment, that ye should believe in Christ, and love
one another.
This command of believing in Jesus is comprehensive, because it takes in
all precepts, and that under a threefold consideration. It takes them all
in as broken and transgressed by men, as fulfilled by Christ, and also
takes them all in as a rule of righteousness, according to which the
believer ought henceforth to walk.
The command of believing in Christ doth first of all import this—that a
sinner should examine himself according to the law of God,—that he should
lay his whole life and course his heart and ways, down before the perfect
and holy commandments,—that he may stop his own mouth with shame and
silence, and find himself guilty before God. Many use to speak of
humiliation preparatory to believing, and the work of the law preparatory
to the gospel. But truly I conceive it would be more fitly expressed, if
it were holden out thus, that it is one of the essential ingredients in
the bosom of believing, and one of the first articles of the gospel law,
to charge all sinners to acknowledge their sin and misery, to discern
their own abounding iniquity, and danger of perishing by it, how guilty
they are before God, and how subject to his judgment, that so finding
themselves undone, they may have recourse to a Saviour.
Truly the Spirit’s work is to convince of sin, and then of righteousness,
and when we are commanded to believe, the first part of our believing is
crediting and subscribing to the law, to the justice and righteousness of
God against us, and then the believing and acknowledging the gospel is the
end and purpose to that. “Ye believe in God, believe also in me.” This
takes in completely the two books of saving faith towards God as a
Lawgiver and Judge, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ as a Saviour
and Redeemer; and it doth but beget misapprehensions in many, when the one
is looked upon as a condition without which we shall not be welcome to the
other. Truly, I think, both are proposed as essentials of saving faith;
none of them in such a way as to procure right and warrant to the other,
but only in such an order as is suitable to any reasonable nature to be
wrought upon, and that is all. It is only required of you, upon that
account, because fleeing unto a Saviour for refuge is a rational and
deliberate action, which necessarily includes the sense of misery without
him. But the sense of sin and misery is not urged as one thing which ye
should go about to prepare, and fit yourselves for more welcome at
Christ’s hand as commonly it is taken. Here it is easy to understand how
the command of believing belongs unto all who hear it, even to the vilest
and grossest sinners, who are yet stout, hard hearted, and far from
righteousness, (Isa. xlvi. 12.) those who are spending their money for
that which is not bread, and their labour for that which satisfies not,
and those whose hearts are uncircumcised, and their lives profane. And yet
the commandment of coming to the Son and believing on him for life, is
extended unto them all. All are invited, requested, commanded, and
threatened to this duty. There is no bar of exclusion set down in the
gospel to hold out one, and let in another; as many suppose these
promises, that sound condition wise, to be limitations and restrictions of
the right and warrant to persons to believing. Indeed it is true all are
not exhorted at the first hand to assurance of God’s love, and an interest
in Christ. There is no question that none have right to this seal, but
them who have believed and set to their own seal to the character or truth
of the word. But all are charged to believe in Christ that is, out of a
sense of their own lost estate, to embrace a Saviour for righteousness and
strength. Neither is there any fear that men can come too soon to Christ.
We need not set down exclusions or extractions, for if they be not
sensible of sin and misery, they will certainly not come to him at all.
And therefore the command that enjoins them to believe on the Son, charges
them also to believe that they are lost without him. And if the most
presumptuous sinners would once give obedience to this commandment, really
there would be no fear of presumption in coming too soon unto Jesus. A
sense of sin is not set as a porter, to keep out any who are willing to
come in, but rather to open the door, and constrain them that were
unwilling to enter in, so that if the least measure of that can do this,
we are not to stand till we have more, but to come to the Prince exalted
to get remission of sins, and more true gospel sorrow which worketh
repentance unto salvation from dead works. You should not therefore
understand any promises in the scriptures so, as if there were any
conditions set down to seclude any from coming, who are willing to come.
For they do but declare the nature and manner of what they are invited to,
that no man may mistake believing, and take his own empty presumptions or
fancies, which embolden him to sin more, for that true faith which is full
of good fruits.
Now, in the text, the pious soul, having once subscribed to the guilt and
curse of all the commandments by believing the law, he looks also upon the
Son, Jesus Christ, and finds the law fulfilled, the curse removed, all
satisfied in him. He finds all the commandments obeyed in his person, all
the wrath due for the breach of them pacified and quenched by his
sufferings. And he gives a cheerful and cordial approbation of all this.
He receives Christ as the end of the law for righteousness, which Christ
made up by obedience and suffering to supply our disobedience. We should
stay or rest upon this, as that which pacifies the Father’s wrath to the
full. This is what gives the answer of a good conscience, and pacifies
every penitent soul, and secures his title to heaven. Now this presents
God with a full atonement and obedience to all the law, which he accepts
from a believer as if it were his own. This is the large comprehension of
believing, it takes in its arms, as it were, in one bundle,(429) all the
precepts and curses, and devolves them over on Christ, puts them in an
able hand, and then takes them all, as satisfied and fulfilled by him, and
holds them up in one bundle to the Father. And hence it proceeds, in the
third place, that believing on the Son takes in all again to be the rule
of walking and the mark to aim at. Finding such a perfect exoneration of
bygones(430) in Christ and standing in such favour with God, the soul is
sweetly constrained to love and delight in the divine laws. And truly this
is the natural result of faith. I wish you may rightly observe this
conjunction, that this is inseparably knit with it, love to God and men,
delight to do his will, to love him, and live unto him. Do not deceive
yourselves with vain words. If you find not the smartness of the gospel,
and the doctrine of grace laying this restraint upon the heart, ye are yet
in your sins. This is the reasoning of a believing soul. Shall I, who am
dead unto sin, live any longer therein? Shall I not delight in those
commandments, when Christ hath delivered me from the curse of the law?
Though such a one fall, and come short, yet the pressure of the heart is
that way. But then attend unto the order, ye must first believe on the
Son, and then love him, and live unto him. Ye must first flee unto his
righteousness, and then the righteousness of the law shall be wrought in
you. Therefore do not weary yourselves to no purpose. Do not wrong your
own souls by seeking to prevent this order, which was established for your
joy and salvation. Know that you must first meet with satisfaction in all
the commands of Christ, before obedience to any of them be accepted, and
having met with that, know that the sincere endeavour of thy soul, and the
affectionate bensal(431) of thy heart to thy duty, is accepted. And if ye
find yourselves thereafter surcharged with guilt and unanswerable walking,
yet ye know the way is to begin at this again, to believe in the Son. This
is the round you must walk, as long as ye are in the body. When you are
defiled, run into the fountain, and when you are washed, study to keep
your garments clean, but if defiled again, get your hearts washed from
wickedness. “These things,” says John, “I write to you that ye sin not,”
who believe but if any sin, who desire not to transgress, you have a
propitiation for the sins of the whole world.
Now love is a very comprehensive command. It is the fulfilling of the
whole law, Rom xiii. 10, Matth. xxii. 37, 38. It is indeed the true
principle and pure fountain of our obedience unto God and men. All fruits
of the Spirit are moral virtues that grow out of the believer. Whether
pleasant unto God, or refreshing unto men, they are all virtually in this
root of love, all the streams are compacted in this fountain. Therefore he
names one for all, viz. brotherly love, which is the bond of perfection,
Col. iii. 14. It is a bundle of many divine graces, a company or society
of many Christian virtues combined together. They are named bowels of
mercies, long suffering, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness,
forbearance, and forgiveness, all which are tied to the believer’s girdle
by charity, so that where love is, every good comes. After it a troop of
so many sweet endowments and ornaments also come, and where this is
wanting, (as truly it is the epidemical disease of the time), there are
many sins abounding, for when iniquity abounds “the love of many shall wax
cold,” Matt. xxiv. 12. Oh! that is our temper or rather our distempered
nature,—love cold, and passion hot! When charity goes away, these wild and
savage beasts of darkness come forth, viz. bitter envying and strife,
rigid censuring and judging, unmercifulness and implacableness of spirit
upon others’ failings and offences. Self love, that keeps the throne, and
all the rest are her attendants. For where self love and pride is, there
is contention, strife, envy, and every evil work, and all manner of
confusion. Thus they lead one another as in a chain of darkness, Prov.
xiii. 10, James iii. 16. Think not that love is a complimental word, and
an idle motion of loving, it is a more real thing, a more vital thing. It
hath bowels of mercy, they move themselves when others are moved, and they
bring their neighbours misery into the inmost seat of the heart, and make
the spirit a solemn companion in misery. And it is also exercised in
forbearing and forgiving. Charity is not easily provoked, therefore it can
forbear, is easily appeased, therefore it can forgive, it is not soon
displeased, or hard to be pleased, “forbearing and forgiving one another
in love.” Study then this grace more. See it to be the fulfilling of the
law, for “the end of the commandment is charity, out of a pure heart, a
good conscience, and faith unfeigned.” The end of the law is not strife
and debate, nor such intricate and perplexed matters as minister endless
questions and no edification. Though men pretend conscience and scripture,
yet the great end of both is violated, that is charity, which mainly
studies edification in truth and love. And therefore it is a violent
perversion of the commandment, or word, to overstretch every point of
conscience, or difference, so far as to the renting of Christian peace and
unity. What hath kindled all these names of bloody war, what hath
increased all these fiery contentions among us, but the want of this? As
James says of the tongue, so I may speak of uncharitableness and self
love, they set on fire the course of nature, and they are set on fire of
hell. The true zeal and love of God, is like that elementary fire of which
they speak, that in its own place hath a temperate heat, and doth not burn
or consume what is about it. But our zeal is like the fire that is mixed
with some gross matter, a preying, devouring, and consuming thing, zeal
down in the lower region of man’s heart, it is mixed with many gross
corruptions, which are as oil and fuel to it, and gives it an extreme
intemperate destroying nature.
But then consider, that this commandment of love is our Lord and Saviour’s
last testamentary injunction to his disciples, John xiii. 34, 35. “A new
commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another, as I have loved
you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are
my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” It is Christ’s latter will,
and given us as a token and badge of discipleship. Every profession hath
its own signs and rules, every order their own symbol, every rank their
own character. Here is the differential or peculiar character and livery
of a Christian, brotherly love,—“By this shall all men know that ye are my
disciples, if ye have love one to another,” &c. I remember a story of a
dying father who called his sons to him on his death bed, and having sent
for a bundle of arrows, he tried them one by one if they could break them,
and when they had all tried this in vain, he caused loose the bundle, and
take the arrows one by one, and so they were easily broken, by which he
gave them to understand, that their stability and strength would consist
in unity and concord, but, if love and charity were broken, they were
exposed to great hazard.(432) I think our Lord and Saviour gives such a
precept unto his disciples at his departure out of this world,—“A new
command I give unto you,” &c. (John xiii. 34)—to show them that the
perfection of the body, into which they were all called as members,
consisted in that bond of charity. And indeed love is not only a bond or
bundle of perfection in respect of graces, but in regard of the church
too. It is that bond or tie which knits all the members into one perfect
body, Col. iii. 14, 15, 16. Without this bond, all must needs be rents,
rags, and distractions.
Now I shall add but one word of the other, that these commands are
pleasing in God’s sight. And truly believing in the Son must be grateful
to him, not only from the general nature of obedience to his will, but
also because this doth most honour both to the Father and to the Son. The
Father counts himself much honoured, when we honour the Son, and there is
no honour the creature can be in a capacity to give unto him like this, to
cast all our hope, and hang all our happiness upon him, (John v. 23, 24),
to set to our seal that he is true and faithful, (John iii. 33), which is
done by believing. But most of all, this is pleasing in his sight because
the Father’s good pleasure concentres in the same point with the soul’s
good pleasure, that is, on the well beloved Son, Christ. Therefore faith
must needs be well pleasing to the Father, for what is faith else but the
soul’s complacency and satisfaction in the Son. As the Father is already
well pleased with his death and sufferings, so he propones and holds him
out in the gospel, that you may be as well pleased with him as he is. This
is believing indeed, to be pleased with him as the Father is pleased, and
this pleases the Father too. Oh that you could understand this! The gospel
is not brought unto you, that you may reconcile God, and procure a change
in his affection, but for this end, to beseech you to be reconciled unto
God, to take away all hostile affections out of your heart. And this is
the business we have to do, to persuade you that the Father holds him
abundantly contented with his Son. “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am
well pleased.” And to move you to be as well contented with him as he is,
he says, “Hear him. I hear him for you, hear ye him for me. I hear him
interceding for you, hear ye him beseeching you.” Now this may take down
all ground of jealousy concerning our welcome and acceptance, it cannot
but be an acceptable and pleasing thing to God, that the affection and
desire of the soul fall in and embosom itself with his good pleasure upon
Christ his Son.
And then, in the next place, it is well pleasing to God that ye love one
another, not only because he shall see his own image and likeness in your
love, (for there is nothing in which a Christian more eminently resembles
his Father, or more evidently appears to be a child of the Highest, than
in free loving all, especially the household of faith, and forbearing and
forgiving one another, and so he cannot choose but like it well), but
especially, because your love concentres too, and meets upon the same
objects with his love, these whom the Father so loved, that he gave his
only begotten Son for them, and the Son so loved them, that he gave
himself for them. If these be thy delight, and thou forbear them as the
Father and the Son hath done, that conspiracy of affections into one point
cannot but be pleasing unto him. Now, if these please him so well, whom
should they not please?
Sermon IV.
James iii. 14.—“But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your
hearts, glory not,” &c.
It is a common evil of those who hear the gospel, that they are not
delivered up to the mould and frame of religion that is holden out in it,
but rather bring religion into a mould of their own invention. It was the
special commendation of the Romans, that they obeyed from the heart that
form of doctrine into which they were delivered, (Rom. vi. 17) that they
who were once servants, or slaves of sin, had now become voluntary
captives of truth, and had given themselves up to the gospel, to be
modelled and fashioned by it; and if so, then certainly the most
substantial points of religion would be most deeply engraven upon them.
Every thing would have its own due place with us, if we were cast in the
primitive mould of godliness, but when we cast godliness in a mould of our
own apprehension, they cannot choose but a miserable confusion and
disorder will follow in the duties of religion. For according as our fancy
and inclination impose a necessity upon things, so we do pursue them, and
not according to the real weight that is in them. I find the scripture
laying most weight upon the most common things, placing most religion in
the most obvious and known things, and for other things more remote from
common capacity, I find them set far below, in the point of worth and
moment, even these things that seem least. But I find that order quite
perverted in the course of Christians. Some particular points that are not
so obvious to every understanding, are put in the first place, and made
the distinguished character of a Christian, and others again, in which
true and undefiled religion doth more consist, are despised and set in a
low place, because of their ceremonies. I think this apostle hath observed
this confusion, and hath applied himself to remove it, by correcting the
misapprehensions of Christians, and reducing their thoughts and ways to
the frame of true Christianity. Even as Christ dealt with the Pharisees,
who brought in such a confusion in religion, by imposing a necessity upon
ceremonies, and an indifferency upon the very substance itself, truly, I
think, it may be said unto us, you tithe mint, anise, and cummin, and pass
over judgment and the love of God, these things ye ought to have done, and
not to leave the other undone. Ye neglect the weightier matters of the
law, judgment, mercy, faith and truth, and in the room of these ye have
misplaced things, that are higher in God’s esteem from an apprehension of
their necessity. Thus by your traditions and opinions of things so remote
from the kingdom of God, ye have made the unquestionable commandments of
God of none effect, Matth. xv. 6. You think possibly, if this apostle was
coming out to preach unto you this day, that he would certainly resolve
you in many controverted points, and would bring some further light to the
debates of the time. But truly I think if he knew the temper of our
spirits, he would preach over this sermon to us again, “My brethren, be
not many masters,” &c. I suppose he would bring that old primitive light
of pure and undefiled religion, the splendour of which our present ways
and courses could not endure, but would be constrained to hide themselves
in darkness. What would you think of such a sermon as this, “If any man
among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, this man’s
religion is vain?” Jam. i. 26. “If any man offend not in word, the same is
a perfect man,” Jam. iii. 2. This is accounted a common and trivial
purpose. But believe it, sirs, the Christian practice of the most common
things, hath more religion in it than the knowledge of the profoundest
things, and till you learn to do what you know, it is a mockery to study
to know further what to do. There is a strange stirring of mind after more
light and knowledge in some particulars of the time. But I would fain
know, if there be as much ardour and endeavour to practise that which we
have already. To him that hath shall be given, to him that makes use of
his knowledge for the honour of God, and the good of mankind, and their
edification, more shall be given, but from him that hath not, shall be
taken away even that which he hath, and yet really and cordially hath not,
because he hath no use of it. Therefore he may by inquiry find more
darkness, because his old light shall rather be put out. Do you not all
know that ye should bridle your tongues, that it is a great point of that
Christian victory over the world to tame and danton(433) that undantoned
wild beast, to quench that fire brand of hell? Do ye not all know that we
should be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath? And as the
apostle Paul speaks on another subject, “Doth not even nature itself teach
you when you have but one tongue, and two ears, that ye should hear much,
and speak little?” Are not our ears open, and our tongue enclosed and shut
up, to teach us to be more ready to hear than to speak? Now I say, till
Christians learn to practise these things that are without all
controversy, you may make it your account never to want controversy, and
never to get clearness. For to what purpose should more light be revealed,
when that which is revealed is to no purpose?
But it is in vain to think to reform the tongue, till you have the heart
first reformed. They say the belly hath no ears. Truly the tongue is all
tongue, and has no ears to take an admonition or instruction. We must,
then, with the apostle, retire into the heart, and abate from the
abundance of the superfluity and naughtiness that is within; and therefore
our apostle descends to the cure of pride, envy and strife in the heart,
that are fountains of all that pestiferous flood which flows out of every
man’s mouth. “Is there any wise man among you?” &c. And indeed this is the
orderly proceeding both of nature and grace. Nature begins within to probe
among the superfluous and noisome humours which abound in the body, and
desolate the members, and doth not think it sufficient to apply external
plasters. Grace must begin within too, to purge the heart, for out of the
abundance of the heart the mouth speaks, the eye looks, and the feet walk.
If there be no destroyer in the members or outward man, it is not the
preserving of rules and cautions that will suffice to restrain, to abate,
or to cure, but the disease must be ripped up to the bottom, the cause
found within, as our apostle doth here. Hence, says he, proceed all these
feverish distempers among you, your hot and passionate words, your evil
speakings and reproachings, your contentions and wars about matters either
civil or religious. Whence are all these? From a vain persuasion of
wisdom, from a foolish imagination of some excellency in yourselves, and
some inward affection to be accounted something of among men. “Who is a
wise man,” &c. You would be accounted wise, and so you do account
yourselves, and this begets strife and envy in the heart, and predisposeth
the mind to strife and contention with others. And therefore he takes the
mask off, by deciphering the very nature of such a wisdom; he embowels
that pretended wisdom in religion and gives it its own name, and because
things are best known, and most livelily comprehended in their opposition
and comparison with one another, he shows wherein true wisdom and religion
consist, and sets the one against the other, that the deformity of the one
and the beauty of the other may appear. We shall then speak a word of this
that is supposed, and then of that which is expressed, the descriptions of
true wisdom, and pretended wisdom. I conceive this interrogation, “Is
there a wise man among you?” imports chiefly these two one is,—that it is
the natural disease of all men to esteem themselves something, and desire
to be esteemed such by others; another is,—that the misapprehension of
that wherein true wisdom and excellency doth especially consist, is the
ground of many miscarriages in the seeking or venting of that.
It was an ancient remark, that “vain man would be wise, though he be born
like a wild ass’s colt.” Empty man is wise in his own eyes, and would be
so in other men’s too. He hath no reality nor solidity, but is like these
light things which the wind carries away, or the waters bear above, and
tosses hither and thither, yet he apprehends some solid and real worth in
himself, and would impose that apprehension upon others. And truly this is
a drunkenness of mind, which makes a man light and vain, to stagger to and
fro. It is a giddiness of spirit, that makes him inconstant and reeling,
but insensible of it. Though he be born as stupid and void of any real
wisdom and excellency, as a wild ass’s colt, yet he hath this madness and
folly superadded to all that natural stupidity, that he seems to be wise
and understanding, and truly it was a more ancient disease than Job’s
days. We may trace the steps of its antiquity to be from the very
beginning, and there we shall find the true original of it. What was it, I
pray you, did cast the angels out of heaven, down to the lowest hell, to
be reserved in chains for everlasting darkness? I do not conceive what
their natures so abstracted from all sensual lusts could be capable of,
but this spiritual darkness and madness of self conceit, and an ambitious
aspiring after more wisdom, whence did flow that malcontent and envious
humour, in maligning the happiness of man. And this was the poison that
Satan, the chief of these angels, did drop into man’s nature, by
temptations and suggestions of an imaginary wisdom and happiness, “You
shall be as gods knowing good and evil.” And truly this poison is so
strong and pestilent, that having once entered into the body, it spreads
through all the members, it infects all the posterity that were in Adam’s
loins. Being once distilled into the lump, it diffuses itself through the
whole, such a strange contagion is it. That wretched aim at a higher
wisdom, hath thrown us all down into this brutish and stupid condition, to
be like wild asses colts. Yet this false and fond imagination of wisdom
and excellence remains within us, which is so much the nearer madness,
that now there is no apparent ground left for such a fairly.(434) And if
one of a cubit’s height should imagine himself as tall as a mountain, and
accordingly labour to stretch out himself, we would seek no other sign of
madness. Truly this malignant and poisonable humour is so subtile that it
hath insinuated itself into all the parts and powers of the soul, and
steals in without observation into all our thoughts, purposes, affections,
ways, and courses. It is of so infectious and pestiferous a nature, that
it defiles all that is in the man, and all that comes out of the man.
The apostle speaks of covetousness, that it “is the root of all evil.”
Truly I think that comprehends many inordinate affections in it. Now, both
self love and earth love arise from some false imagination of that which
is not. Whether it be an imagination of some excellency in ourselves, or
some worth in these worldly and earthly things, man first makes a god of
it, and then worships it. Therefore covetousness is called idolatry, self
idolatry and earth idolatry. We first attribute some divinity to ourselves
like these people (Isa. xliv. 17) to their idols. We then fall down and
worship ourselves, but we do not consider in our heart, that we are but
dust. And then we ascribe some divinity to the perishing things of the
world, and then worship them, but do not consider that they are earthly
and perishing vanities. Thus we feed upon ashes, a deceived heart hath
turned us aside, and we cannot deliver our own souls, by discovering the
lie that is in our right hand. We feed partly on the element of the air,
by seeking that of others that we have of ourselves, and partly upon the
element of the earth, by the love of this world. And these two degenerated
evils, are the root of all evils, self estimation, and creature affection.
I think this apostle in this one word “Is there any wise man among you, or
any endowed with knowledge” and that word, “glory not,” strikes at the
root of all the forementioned and aftermentioned evils. From whence I say
doth that promptitude and bensal(435) to speak, that slowness and
difficulty to hear, that readiness and inclination to pride, (reproved,
James i. 19, 20) proceed? Is it not from an overweening conceit of our own
wisdom, that we are so swift to speak, and so slow to hear, and that we
would teach others and yet be taught of none? We are so much in love with
our own apprehensions, that we imagine they shall find as much esteem and
affection among men, and so being like barrels full of liquor, in our own
conceit, we are like to burst if we vent not, and are as incapable of
taking from others as of retaining what is within. The word of God was a
fire in Jeremiah’s heart that would have consumed him, if he had not given
it vent. Truly self love is a fire that must vent one way or other, or it
would burn up all within by displeasure, and then it is the over
apprehension of some excellency in ourselves, which so disposes us to
anger, that makes us combustible matter, like the spirit of gunpowder, for
the least spark of injury or offence, will set all in a flame. It is
certainly the fond imagination of some great worth in ourselves, that is
the very immediate predisposition to the apprehension of an injury.
Humility cannot be affronted, it is hard to persuade of an injury. Why?
Because there is no excellency to be hurt or wronged. Therefore Christ
conjoins these, “meek and lowly in heart,” (Matth. xi. 29,) lays poverty
of spirit down as the foundation of meekness, Matth. v. 3-5. Whence is it
that we accept of men’s persons by judging according to the outward
appearance, and are so ready to displease our brethren, especially these
who are inferior to us in body, or mind, or estate? Is it not from this
root, self admiration? This makes us elevate ourselves above others, and
to intrude ourselves among these who are chiefest in account. Whence doth
our unmercifulness and rigidity towards other men proceed, but from this
fountain, that we allow so much licence and indulgence to ourselves, that
we can have none to spare for others, and that we do not consider that we
ourselves stand in need of more mercy from God, and cannot endure a
mixture of judgment in it? Therefore we have judgment to others without
mercy, James ii. 13. And is not this self pleasing humour the fountain of
that contentious plea after the pre-eminence, and censorious liberty of
judging others, and usurping authority over them? James iii. 1, “My
brethren, be not ye many masters.” Truly this is the root of all
contentions and strifes. It is this which rents all human and Christian
society. This looses all the pins of concord and unity. This sets all by
the ears, and makes all the wheels reel through other. The conceit of some
worth beyond others, and the imagination of some pre-eminence over them,
even in the best creatures—he best, and he best, that is the plea, he
greatest, and he greatest, that is the controversy. As bladders puffed up
with wind, they cannot be kept in little room, but every one presses
another, but if the wind were out, they would compact in less room, and
comply better together. The apostle implies this, when he puts every man
in mind of his own failing, “in many things we offend all,” and if this
were considered, it would abate our security, and cool our heat and
fervour, and moderate our rigour towards others. There would not be such
strife about places of power and trust, if we were not swelled in our own
apprehensions to some eminency. And is not this the very fountain which
sends out all these bitter streams of the tongue, these evil speakings one
of another, these sharp and immoderate censures of our neighbours? Truly
this is it, every man accounts himself to be wiser and more religious than
his brother, to have more knowledge, and so he cannot endure any
difference in opinion, to have more holiness, and so he cannot bear any
infirmity in practice. But the way to help this, would be to humble
ourselves before God, James iv. 10. Lowliness and meekness are the ground
stones of these Christian virtues which preserve Christian society, Eph.
iv. 2, 3. And is not this, I pray you, the foundation of wars, strifes,
contentions, and jealousies? “From whence come wars and fightings among
you?” Is it not from these imperious lusts which war in our members? Only
from pride cometh contention, Prov. xiii. 10. The head spring of all envy,
also issues out from pride, and this divides, in many streams and waters,
all our courses and ways, with putrified and pestilent corruptions. While
every man hath this opinion of himself, all is done in strife, no
condescendence, no submission one to another, Phil. ii. 3. While all make
themselves the centre, it cannot otherwise happen, but designs, courses,
thoughts, and ways, must interfere and jar among themselves. Self-seeking
puts all by the ears, as you see children among themselves, if an apple be
cast to them. Any bait or advantage of the times yokes them in that
childish contention, who shall have it? All come, strive, and fight about
it, and it is but a few can have it, and these that get it cannot keep it
long. Others will catch it from them. Now what vain things are these,
which can neither be gotten, nor kept, but by strife? Oh that we could
seek better things, which may be both sought and kept, without emulation
or strife!
Now the other thing is, that the misapprehension of that wherein true
excellence consists is the ground of many evils. “Who is a wise man?” &c.
You all affect the title, and ye seek the thing, as ye suppose. But alas!
ye mistake that wherein it consists. Truly there is in all men (ever since
we tasted of the tree of knowledge of good and evil) a strange innate
desire of knowledge, and affectation of wisdom, and desire of excellence.
But since the first endeavour in paradise succeeded ill, there hath
nothing gone well since. We weary ourselves to catch vanities, shadows,
and lies. “How long, O ye sons of men, will ye love vanity, and follow
after lies?” That divinely taught prophet could not but pity the children
of men. And as Paul speaks to the Athenians of another purpose, “Him whom
ye ignorantly worship, we show unto you,” so he declares unto men that
which they ignorantly and vainly seek elsewhere. This I assure you
consists in this, that ye show out of a good conversation your works with
meekness and wisdom.
All our mischief proceeds from this, that we misapprehend and mistake that
which we would gladly have. And so once being in the wrong way, that
cannot lead to our purposed end, the faster we run, the farther we go from
it. The more we move in affection and diligence, the less we indeed
promove in reality to the attaining what we seek. How greatly have we
fallen! I might instance this in many things, but I shall be content with
these two. There is a desire in all men after happiness, but there is a
fundamental error in the imagination supposing it to consist in the
enjoyment of temporal pleasure, honour, advantage, or the satisfaction of
our own natural inclinations. Now this leads all mankind to a pursuit
after these things. But how base a scent is it? And how vain a pursuit is
it? For the faster they move in that way, the further they are from all
solid and true contentment. Again, in all godly men, there is something of
this rectified, and they suppose religion to be the only true wisdom, and
this wisdom the only true happiness. But oftentimes there are even
mistakes in that too. As many of the world call sweet bitter, and bitter
sweet, because of the vitiated and corrupted palate; so the godly, being
in some measure distempered, call that which is not so sweet sweetest, and
that which is not so bitter, bitterest. They change the value of things,
and misplace them out of that order in which God hath set them. One great
mistake is this. We impose a great deal of weight and moment upon these
things in religion, which are but the hay and stubble, or pins in the
building, and we esteem less that wherein the foundation and substance of
true religion consists. We have an over-apprehension of a profession, and
an undervaluing thought of practice. We overstretch some points of
knowledge, and truth of the least value;(436) and have less value for the
fundamental statutes of the gospel, faith and love, mercy and judgment.
This our Saviour reproved in the Pharisees. “I will have mercy (says God)
and not sacrifice.” A ceremony of opinion in some particulars of the time
hath more necessity with us than the practice of true godliness: and this
is the root of the most part of these vain janglings, strifes of words,
and perverse disputings of men, whereof cometh envy, strife, malice, evil
surmisings, and no edification in faith and love, which were so frequent
in the primitive times, and so often hammered down by Paul. This is it, a
misapprehension of the value of them. Fancy imposes a worth and necessity
upon them. But Paul doth always oppose unto them true godliness (1 Tim.
vi. 3, chap. iv. 7), and prescribes that as the cure, that true godliness
in practice of what we know, and charity towards our brethren, may be
bigger in our apprehension, and higher in our affection. Would ye then
know, my brethren, wherein true religion consists, and wherein genuine
Christianity stands? It is in showing out of a good conversation, our
works with meekness and wisdom. I reduce it to these two words, in joining
practice to knowledge, and meekness to both; and this makes our religion
to shine before men, and glorify our heavenly Father.
Wherein then do ye think this mystery of wisdom which the gospel reveals
consists? Not in the profound and abstracted speculations of God, or the
secrets of nature,—a work about which learned men have racked their
inventions, and beaten their brains to no other purpose, than the
discovery of the greatness of man’s ignorance. It doth not consist in the
sounding of the depths of divinity, and loosing all these perplexing knots
of questions, and doubts, which are moved upon the scripture, in all which
men really bewray their own ignorance and misery. “The world by wisdom
knew not God.” Living right is the first point of true wisdom. It costs
many men great expenses to learn to know their own folly, to become fools,
that they may become wise, 1 Cor. iii. 18. Man became a fool by seeking to
become wiser than God made him; and that is all the result of our
endeavours after wisdom since, Rom. i. 22. But here is the great
instruction of Christianity, to bring man down low from the height of
presumption and self-estimation, and make him see himself just as he is by
nature, a fool, and a wild ass’s colt. Nebuchadnezzar had much ado to
learn this lesson. It cost him some years brutality to learn to know his
brutishness, and when that was known his understanding returned to him.
Now this is the first and hardest point of wisdom. When it is once learned
and imprinted on the heart, O what a docility is in the mind to more! What
readiness to receive what follows! It makes a man a weaned child, a little
simple child, tractable and flexible as Christ would have all his
disciples. A man thus emptied and vacuated of self-conceit, these lines of
natural pride being blotted out, the soul is as a _tabula rasa_, “an
unwritten table,” to receive any impression of the law of God that he
pleases to put on it; and then his words are all “plain to him that
understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge,” Prov. viii. 9.
Then I say it is not difficult to understand and to prove what is the good
and acceptable will of God, Rom. xii. 2; Eph. v. 10-17. It is not up unto
heaven, that thou shouldest say, who shall ascend to bring it down?
Neither is it far down in the depth, that thou shouldest say, who shall
descend and bring it up from hence? But it is near thee, “in thy mouth,
and in thy heart,” &c. Rom. x. 6, 7, 8. “He hath showed thee, O man, what
is good, and what is required of thee, but to do justly, to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with thy God,” Micah vi. 8. There is the plain sign of
Christian wisdom, the abridgment of all that is taught in the school of
Christ. Here is the course of moral philosophy, “The grace of God hath
appeared, to teach us to deny ungodliness, and worldly lusts, and to live
soberly, righteously, and godly in this world.” And when the scholar is
brought along by these degrees, he is at length laureated(437) in that
great day of our Saviour’s appearance. Then he hath the degree of glory
and immortality conferred upon him. He is a candidate of immortality and
felicity, Tit. ii. 12, 13.
We are in the Christian school like many scholars who labour to know so
many things, that indeed they know nothing well; as the stomach that
devours much meat, but digests little, and turns it not into food and
aliment, incorporates it not into the body. We catch at many great points
of truth, and we really drink in none of them; we let none sink into the
heart, and turn into affection and practice. This is the grand disease of
the time, a study to know many things, and no study to love what we know,
or practise any thing. The Christian world is all in a flame, and the
church is rent asunder by the eager pursuit and prosecution of some points
of truth, and this is the clamour of all men, who will show us our light?
Who will discover some new thing unto us? But in the mean time we do not
prove the unquestionable acceptable will of our God; like a fastidious
squeamish stomach, that loathes what it receives, and always longs for
something else. Thus the evil is vented here. Who is a wise man, do ye
think? Not he who knows many things, who hath still a will to controversy,
who hath attained some further light than others of them; not he,
brethren, but he that shows out of a good conversation, his works with
meekness of wisdom, he that proves and practiseth as well as knows, the
good will of God. “For hereby do we know that we know him, if we keep his
commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keeps not his commands, is a
liar, and the truth is not in him,” 1 John ii. 3, 4. This proves that
knowledge is not in the head, but in the heart, and that it is not
captivated and shut up in the mind, but that a man is delivered up as a
captive to the truth, Rom. vi. 16.
All men complain of the want of light and knowledge, though perhaps none
think they have much. But is the will of God so dark and intricate? Is it
so hard to understand? Truly it is plain, “He hath showed thee what is
good,” he hath showed thee what to do; but that thou neglectest to do, and
therefore men know not what to do further. Do ye not all know that ye
should walk soberly, righteously, and piously, and humble yourselves to
walk with God, and in lowliness of mind each should esteem another better
than himself? Ye should forbear and forgive one another, as God for
Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. Ye should not seek great things for
yourselves, especially when God is plucking up what he hath planted, and
casting down what was built. Ye should mind your country above more, and
live as sojourners here. Are not these words of wisdom all plain and
obvious to the meanest capacity? Now, my beloved, with what face can ye
seek more knowledge of God, or inquire for more light into his mind, when
you do not prove that known and perfect will of his? When you do not
occupy your present talent, why do ye seek more? “To him that hath shall
be given.” Truly it is the man that fears and obeys as far as is revealed,
to whom God shows his secret, and teaches the way he should choose, Psal.
xxv. 12. I know not a readier way to be resolved in doubtful things, than
to study obedience in these things that are beyond all doubt. To walk in
the light received, is the highway to more light. But what hope is there
of any more light from the Lord, when our ways and courses, and
dispositions and practices, even in our endeavours after more knowledge,
cannot endure the light of that shining will of God, that is already
revealed? In ordering our conversation, we catch at the shadow of our
points of truth, and lose the substance that was in our hands, lowliness,
meekness, charity, long suffering, sobriety of mind and actions, and
heavenly mindedness. All these substantial we let go, that we may get
hold of some empty unedifying notions. We put out our candle that is
already enlightened, that is, the knowledge of good conversation that we
may seek more light, and that is the way to find darkness and delusion.
Because they received not the truth in love, that they might be saved, God
gave them up to strong delusions and the belief of lies, 2 Thess. ii. 10,
11. There is the ground of delusions, truth received, but not loved or
obeyed, many things known, but the stamp and seal not impressed on the
heart we express in the conversation. Therefore God is provoked to put
out that useless light of truth and deliver that man captive to delusions,
who would not deliver his soul a captive to truth. And is not this
righteousness, that he who detained the known truth in unrighteousness of
affection and conversation, be himself detained and incarcerated by strong
delusions of mind and imagination?