complaints and lamentations among men. Ye know the voice in which it was
given at Sinai. It was delivered with great thunders, great terrors
accompanied it. The law is a voice of words and thunder, which made these
that heard it entreat that it should not be spoken to them any more; for
they could not endure the word that was commanded, Heb. xii. 18, 19. Ye
would think if they were holy men, they would not be afraid of it, but so
terrible was that sight, and that voice, that it even made holy Moses
himself exceedingly fear and quake. It made a great host, more numerous
than all the inhabitants of Scotland, to tremble exceedingly. And why was
it so sad and terrible? Even because it was a law that publishes
transgression, for “by the law is the knowledge of sin.” If there were no
fear of judgment and wrath, yet I am sure there is none that can
reasonably consider that excellent estate in which he was once, that
throne of eminency above the creatures, that height of dignity in
conformity and likeness to God, that incomparable happiness of communion
with the supreme Fountain of life; none I say, none can duly ponder these
things, but they will think sin to be the greatest misery of mankind. They
must be affected with the sense of that inestimable treasure they lost.
And how sad a consideration is it to view that cloud of beastly lusts, of
flesh and earth, that was interposed between the Sun of righteousness, and
our souls, which hath made this perpetual eclipse, this eternal night and
darkness! How sad is it to look upon our ruin, and compare it with that
stately edifice of innocent Adam! How are we fallen from the height of our
excellency, and made lower than the beasts, when we were once but a little
lower than the angels! But then if ye shall consider all that followed
upon this the innumerable abominations of men, so contrary to that holy
law and God’s holiness, that hath flowed from this corrupt fountain, and
hath defiled so many generations of men, that they are all bruises and
putrified sores, and in nothing sound from the head to the foot,—the soul
within becomes the sink of all pollution, the members without the conduits
it runs through, and weapons of unrighteousness against our Maker. And
what a consideration is this alone, how vile and ugly doth that holy and
spiritual law make the most refined and polished civilian? He that hath
poorest naturals,(456) most extracted from the dregs of the multitude, oh
how abominable will he appear in this glass, in this perfect law of
liberty! So that men would despise themselves, and repent in dust and
ashes, if once they did see their own likeness. Ye would run from
yourselves as children that have been taken up with their own beauty, but
are spoiled with the small pox. Let them look unto a glass, and it will
almost make them mad. But if we shall stay, and hear out the trumpet which
sounds louder and louder, there will be yet more reason of trembling. For
it becomes a voice publishing judgment and wrath, for therein is the wrath
of God “revealed from heaven, against all ungodliness and unrighteousness
of men,” Rom. i. 18. It speaks much of all men’s sins “that every mouth
may be stopped,” but the voice waxed louder and louder, the spring grows
still sadder, that “all the world may become guilty before God,” Rom. iii.
19. It publishes first the command, and then follows the sad and weighty
curse of God. “Cursed is every one that abides not in all things which are
written in the law,” (Gal. iii. 10) as many curses as breaches of the law.
And what a dreadful song is this! Ye shall be punished with everlasting
destruction, from the presence of the Lord, and the glory of his power? If
he had said, ye shall be eternally banished from God, what an incomparable
loss had this been? Men would lead an unpleasant life, who had fallen from
the expectation of an earthly kingdom, but what shall it be to fall from
the expectation of a heavenly kingdom? But when withal there is an eternal
pain with that eternal loss, and an incomparable pain with incomparable
loss, everlasting destruction from God’s presence, joined with this,
always to be destroyed, and never to be made an end of! It is the comfort
of bodily torments, and even of death itself, that it shall be quickly
gone, and the destruction ends in the destruction of the body, and so
there is no more pain. But here is an eternal destruction,—not a dying,
and then a death, but an eternal dying without tasting death. Now consider
(if ye can indeed think) what it is to have a law of enmity, and a hand
writing of ordinances against us, as many curses written up in God’s
register against us, as there were transgressions of the law multiplied
and God himself engaged to be against us, to have no mercy on us, and not
to spare us! Could any heart endure, or any hands be strong, if they would
duly apprehend this? Would the denunciation of war, the publishing of
affliction, the sentence of earthly judges, would they once be remembered
beside this? If ye would imagine all the torments and rackings that have
been found out by the most cruel tyrants against men, all to be centred in
one, and all the grief and pain of these who have died terrible deaths, to
be joined in one, what would it be to this! It would be but as a drop of
that wrath and vexation that wicked souls find in hell, and are drowned
into, and that everlastingly without end.
But we must not dwell always at mount Sinai. We are called to mount Zion,
the city of the living God, to hear a sweet and calm voice of peace, to
hear the sweet and pleasant songs of the sweet Psalmist of Israel, and of
our glorious Peacemaker, Christ Jesus, the desire of all nations, and the
blessing of all the families of the earth. His song is a joyful sound, and
blessed are they that hear it. I am come, says Christ, “to seek and to
save that which was lost.” I am come to save sinners, and the chief of
sinners. Let all these who find their spirits saddened by the terrible
law, or who find themselves accursed from the Lord, and cannot be
justified by the law of Moses, come unto me. Cast your souls upon me, and
ye shall find ease to them. Are ye pressed under the heavy burden of sin
and wrath? Come unto me, and I will give you ease. Put it over upon me. Do
ye think yourselves not wearied nor burdened enough, and yet ye would be
quit of sin and misery? Do your souls desire to embrace this salvation?
Come unto me, and I will not cast you out. Whoever comes, on whatsoever
terms, in whatsoever condition, I will in no case cast you out. Do not
suppose cases to exclude yourselves. I know no case. Ye who cannot be
justified by the law of Moses, come unto me, and ye shall be justified
“from all things from which ye could not be justified by the law of
Moses.” Ye who have no righteousness of your own, and see the
righteousness of God revealed with wrath against you, now come to me, I
have a righteousness of God, beside the law, and will reveal it to you. Ye
have a band of enmity, and handwriting of ordinances against you, but come
unto me, for I have cancelled it in the cross, and slain the enmity, so it
shall never do you any harm. In a word, this is the messenger whose feet
are beautiful, that publishes glad tidings of peace. This is the Mediator,
who reconciles us unto God. The whole gospel and covenant of grace is a
bundle of precious promises. It is a set of pleasant melodious songs, that
may accompany us through our wearisome pilgrimage, and refresh us till we
come unto the city, where we shall all sing the song of the Lamb. What a
song is liberty to captives and prisoners, light to them that sit in
darkness, opening of the eyes to the blind, gladness of spirit to those
who are heavy in spirit! Ye would all think salvation and remission of
sins a sweet song. But if ye would discern it, ye would find nothing
sweeter in the gospel than this redemption from all iniquity, from sin
itself, and from all kind of misery. How lovely and pleasant a thing is
that! When Christ hath piped unto you the remission of all sins in his own
blood, then he plays the most sweet spring, the renunciation of sin, and
dying to this world, by his death and resurrection. Many listen to the
song of justification, but they will not abide to hear out all the song.
He is our sanctification and redemption, as well as our righteousness.
Always to whomsoever he is pleasant, when he puts his yoke upon them, he
will be more pleasant in bearing it. Whosoever gladly hears Jesus singing
of righteousness and holiness, they shall also hear him sing of glory and
happiness. Those who dance at the springs of righteousness and
sanctification, what an eternal triumph and exultation waits on them, when
he is singing the song of complete redemption!
Are these things so? Is this the law, and this the gospel? Do they daily
sound in our ears, and what entertainment, I pray you, do they get from
this generation? Indeed, Christ’s complaint hath place here, whereunto
shall our generation be likened? For he hath lamented to us and we have
not mourned; he hath piped to us, and we have not danced. We will neither
be made glad nor sad by these things. How long hath the word of the Lord
been preached unto you, and whose heart trembled at it? Shall the lion
roar, and the beasts of the field not be afraid? The lion hath roared
often to us. God hath spoken often, who will not fear? And yet who doth
fear? Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, in congregations every day,
that terrible trumpet of Mount Sinai that proclaims war between God and
men, and yet will not the people be afraid? Amos iii. 6, 8. Have not every
one of you heard your transgressions told you? Are ye not guilty of all
the breaches of God’s holy law? Hath not the curse been pronounced against
you for these, and yet who believes the report? Ye will not do so much as
to sit down and examine your own guiltiness, till your mouth be stopped
and till ye put it in the dust before God’s justice. And when we speak of
hell unto you, and of the curses of God passed upon all men, you bless
yourselves in your own eyes, saying, peace, peace, even though ye walk in
the imagination of your own hearts, add sin to sin, and “drunkenness to
thirst,” Deut. xxix. 20. Now, when all this is told you, that many shall
be condemned and few saved, and that God is righteous to execute judgment
and render vengeance on you, ye say within yourselves, For God’s sake, is
all this true? But where is the mourning at his lamentations, when there
is no feeling or believing them to be true? Your minds are not convinced
of the law of God, and how shall your hearts be moved? Christ Jesus
laments unto you, as he wept over Jerusalem, “How often would I have
gathered thee, and thou wouldst not!” What means he? Certainly, he would
have you to sympathize with your own condition. When he that is in himself
blessed, and needs not us, is so affected with our misery, how should we
sympathize with our own misery! God seems to be affected with it, though
there be no shadow of turning in him. Yet he clothes his words with such
affections, “Why will ye die?” “O that my people had hearkened unto me!”
He sounds the proclamation before the stroke, if it be possible to move
you to some sense of your condition, that concerns you most nearly. Yet
who judges himself that he may not be judged? The ministers of the Lord,
or Christians, may put to their ear, and hearken to men in their retiring
places, but who repents in dust and ashes, and says, “What have I done?”
Jer. viii. 6. But every man goes on in his course without stop. The word
ye hear on the Sabbath day against your drunkenness, your oppressions,
your covetousness, your formality, &c., it doth not lay any bands on you
to keep you from these things. Long may we hearken to you in secret, ere
we hear many of you mourn for these things, or turn from them. Where is he
that is afraid of the wrath of God, though it be often denounced against
him? Do not men sleep over their time, and dream of escaping from it?
Every man hath a refuge of lies he trusts in, and will not forsake his
sins.
Again, on the other hand, whose heart rejoices within them to hear the
joyful sound? Because men do not receive the law, and mourn when he
laments, they cannot receive the gospel. It cannot be glad news to any but
the soul that receives sad tidings, the sentence of death in its bosom.
Therefore Christ Jesus is daily offered and as often despised, as a thing
of nought, and of no value. Ye hear every day of deliverance from eternal
wrath, and a kingdom purchased unto you, and ye are no more affected, than
if we came and told you stories of some Spanish conquest, that belonged
not unto you. Would not the ears and hearts of some men be more tickled
with idle and unprofitable tales, that are for no purpose but driving away
the present time, than they are with this everlasting salvation? Some men
have more pleasure to read an idle book, than to search the holy
scriptures, though in them this inestimable jewel of eternal life be hid.
The vain things of this present world have a voice unto you of pleasure,
and profit, and credit. They will pipe unto you, and ye will listen unto
their sound, but ye know not that the dead are there, and that it is the
way to the chambers of hell. These indeed are Sirens(457) that entice
passengers by the way with their sweet songs, and having allured them to
follow, lead them to perishing. Here is the voice that is come down from
heaven, the “Word that was with God,” and he is “the way, the truth, and
the life.” He is gone before you, and undertakes to guide you. He comes
and calls upon simple men. The Father’s Wisdom calls the simple ones to
understand wisdom, to find life and peace. Will ye then so far wrong your
own souls as to refuse it? And yet the most part are so busied with this
world and their own lusts, that the sweetest and pleasantest offers in the
gospel sound not so sweet unto them as the clink of their money, or the
sound of oil and wine in a cup. Any musician would affect them more than
the sweet singer of Israel, the anointed of the God of Jacob. Always(458)
these souls that have mourned and danced according to Christ’s motions,
and whose hearts have exulted within them at the message and word of
reconciliation,—blessed are ye. Ye are of another generation, children of
wisdom, ye who desire to hear his voice. “Let me hear thy voice.” O thou
that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hear thy voice, “for thy
voice is sweet, and thy countenance is comely.” If this be the voice of
thy heart, blessed art thou. Thou mayest indeed dance, who hath rejoiced
in his salvation, or who hath mourned at his lamentation, thy dancing is
but yet coming, for his piping is but yet coming. When all the companies
of wisdom’s children shall be gathered together in that general assembly
of the first born, Christ Jesus, the head of all principalities, and in
special the head of the body the church, shall lead the ring, and there
shall be eternal praises and songs of those that follow the Lamb. They
shall echo into him, who shall begin that song of the hallelujah,
Salvation, blessing, honour, glory, and power to the Lamb, &c.
Now, whereunto shall this generation be likened, that are not affected
with these things? What strange stupidity and senselessness is it, that
men are not affected with things of so great and so near concernment? It
would require the art of men to express the obstinacy of some Christian
professors, or rather a pen steeped in hell. He would be thought unnatural
that would not grieve at his friend’s death or loss. And what shall they
be called that will not sympathize with themselves, that is, their souls?
If we speak to you of corporal calamities, and ye could not be moved, it
were great stupidity. But what stupidity is it, that men will not consider
their own souls? What shall ye profit, if ye lose your precious souls, and
be cast away? It is the greatest loss that is told you, and the greatest
gain. Your affections are moved with perishing things, every thing puts
them up or down, and casts the balance with you. What deep ignorance and
inconsideration is it, that ye who can mourn for loss of goods, of
children, of health, of friends, that ye cannot be moved to sorrow for the
sin of your soul, for the eternal loss of your soul! Other sorrows cannot
profit you, but this is the only profitable mourning. If ye were told your
sin and misery, to make you despair and mourn eternally, ye had some
excuse to delay, and forget it as long as ye can. But when all this is
told you, that you may escape from it, will ye not consider it? When ye
are desired to mourn, that ye may be comforted for ever, will ye not
mourn? We would have you to anticipate the day of judgment, that ye may
judge yourselves, and then ye shall not be judged. What folly and madness
is this to delay it till endless, irremediless mourning come, a day that
hath no light mixed with darkness! Those that now mourn at that law, and
for their sin, and dance at the promises of the gospel, may well be called
children of wisdom, and O how may this generation be said to be begotten
of foolishness, as their father, and wildness, as their mother! For is
there any such folly as this, to lose a man’s self absolutely and
irrecoverably, for that which they cannot have always? Is there any such
folly as to refuse this healing medicine, for the little bitterness which
is in it, and then to incur eternal death?
Now what should we do then? What doth the word of God call you to do? This
is it, to mourn and rejoice, and this is to justify wisdom. These two are
the pulse of a Christian. According as he finds his grief and joy, so is
he. All of you have these affections, but they are not right placed. They
are not pitched upon suitable objects. The worldling hath no other joy but
carnal mirth, no other grief but that which is carnal, these are limited
within the bounds of time. Some loss, or some gain, some pleasure or pain,
some honour or dishonour, these are the poles all his affections turn
about on. Now then we exhort and beseech you, as ye would flee from the
wrath to come, consider it now and fear it. As ye would not partake with
this untoward generation in their plagues, so be not like them in their
stupidity.
Ye are called to consider your sins and God’s wrath, that ye may turn unto
the Lord, and then you will hear the voice of peace crying unto thee, “Be
of good comfort, thy sins are forgiven thee.” If ye submit unto the
justice of God, or unto the holiness and righteousness of his law in
condemning you, you justify wisdom in part, but ye who have justified
wisdom thus far, do not condemn wisdom after it. Justify the gospel, in
believing upon Jesus Christ. Receive it as a true and faithful saying with
your hearts, and this shall justify you. And if ye justify the wisdom of
God in prescribing the righteousness of Christ unto you, ye will also
justify wisdom in prescribing a rule of holiness and obedience unto you,
and count all his paths pleasantness and peace. Ye must dance at the
commandments, as well as the promises, because all God’s precepts are
really promises. Ye have nothing to do but to believe them as the way, and
then to dance until ye all sing the song of the Lamb with the saints
above.
Now if ye believe his law and gospel, and be suitably affected with these,
ye are led also to sympathize with all the dispensations of his
providence. Doth God lament to you in his works as well as his word? O
then, Christians, we exhort you to mourn. Yet mourning because of his
lamentable providence, should be joined with rejoicing in his word. “God
hath spoken in his holiness, I will rejoice.” We are a stupid generation,
that can neither see, nor hear, neither can we be affected with what we
see, nor hear. Do not his judgments go forth as a lamp that burneth, yet
who considers? Doth not the lion roar, but who is afraid? Is there not a
voice publishing affliction? Hath not God’s rod a loud voice, and yet who
hears it? Who fears? We do not receive agreeable impressions of the Lord’s
dealing with us, but every man puts the day of evil far from him. He will
not apprehend public rods, till they become personal, and therefore they
must become personal. If ye were mourning in a penitent manner, as a
repenting soul laments, would not our fast days have more soul affliction
attending them? If ye did dance as God pipes in his providence, would not
our solemn feasts have more soul rejoicing, and heavenly mirth? Alas for
that deep sleep that has fallen upon so many Christians! How few stir up
themselves to take hold upon God, though he hides his face, and
threateneth to depart from us? For the Lord is with you while ye are with
him; if ye seek him, and feareth for him with all your heart, you will
find him, but if ye forsake him he will forsake you.
Sermon XI.
[It is extremely probable that this was one of the probationary discourses
which the author delivered before the Presbytery of Glasgow, previous to
his ordination. The following is an extract from the Record of that
Presbytery: “Dec. 5, 1649. The qlk daye Mr. Hew Binnen made his popular
sermon 1 Tim. i. ver. 5 ‘The end of ye commandment is charity.’—Ordaines
Mr. Hew Binnen to handle his controversie this day fifteen dayes, De
satisfactione Christi.”—_Ed._]
1 Tim. ii. 5.—“Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a
pure heart, and a good conscience, and faith unfeigned.”
In this chapter the apostle, after the inscription of this epistle,
repeats a former commandment that he had given to Timothy, how he should
both teach himself, and by authority, committed unto him by an
extraordinary commission, see that other ministers teach so also. Paul
almost in all his epistles, sets himself against legal preachers, and
false teachers. It was a common error in the primitive times, to confound
the law and grace, in the point of righteousness, or to make free
justification inconsistent with the moral law. Therefore our apostle makes
it his chief study to vindicate the doctrine of the gospel. He preaches
the gospel, and yet is not Antinomian. He preaches the law, and yet is no
legal preacher. He exalts Christ more than the Antinomian can do, and yet
he presses holiness more than the mere legalist can do. He excludes the
law in the point of justification and pardon, and then brings it in again
to the justified man’s hand. If these words were rightly understood, and
made use of, it would put an end to the many useless controversies of the
present time, and reform many of our practices.
There are as many practical abuses among Christians concerning the law and
the gospel, as there are speculative errors among other sects. In the
former verse, he more particularly directs him what to take a care of,
that men may neither spend their own, or their neighbour’s time, in
foolish, unnecessary, or impertinent questions, that tend nothing to the
edification of the body of Christ, or in building them up in our most holy
faith, the doctrine of Christ Jesus, and faith in it. And in this verse,
he shows the true meaning and purpose of the law, and commandment, when he
meets these doctors, and draws an argument against them from their own
doctrine. They boasted of the law, and were counted very zealous of it,
but as it is said of the Jews, they had a zeal of God, but not according
to knowledge, because they did not submit unto the righteousness of God.
They were also zealous for the commandment, but neither God nor the
commandment would give them thanks. Why? Because they wholly mistake and
pervert the meaning and purpose of the law. As long as they make the law
inconsistent with the gospel, or would mix it with it, in the point of
justification, they do it not unto edification in faith (as it is read),
and as they ought to do, verses 4, 5, 6. We think this evangelic sentence,
but rawly,(459) yea, legally exponed by many, when they look upon the
words as they lie here, “the end of the commandment is love,” for love
worketh no evil, and is the fulfilling of the whole law, and this love is
described to be pure and sincere, by the following properties. But we
conceive the main business is not to describe love, or to oppose this unto
their contentions about trifling questions. We choose rather to understand
the text another way, according to the order of nature, which also the
words themselves give ground for, “The end of the commandment is love out
of a pure heart,” out “of faith unfeigned.” So then, according to the
phraseology and meaning of the words, love is not first, but faith must be
first, and primarily intended, so that the sense of the words is this, The
end of the commandment is unfeigned faith, from whence flows a good
conscience, a pure heart, and love, or the end of the commandment is
faith, which is proved unfeigned by these effects, that it gives the
answer of a good conscience, it purifies the heart, worketh by love, the
effect of faith which is love, being to our knowledge more sensible than
faith itself. We think it then more native(460) to make a pure heart, and
love, marks of unfeigned faith, than faith and a good conscience the marks
of love. This exposition is yet more confirmed by parallel places, Rom. x.
4, “The end of the law is Christ for righteousness, unto them that
believe.” This is most principally intended, and even before love. Now it
is all one to speak of faith as to speak of Christ. For faith and Christ
are inseparably joined, and faith comes not as a consideration in the
gospel, abstracted from Christ the object of it, as some enemies of Christ
affirm. It justifies us not as an act or work, but as an instrument,
whereby we apprehend Christ and his righteousness. For faith abstracted
from Christ is but an empty notion, and among the dung and loss that Paul
would quit to be found in Christ, Phil. iii. 7-9. Now this sense only fits
the scope and purpose, and leads on strongly against the false teachers.
When Paul brings his argument from the law, which they defended against
the gospel, they made the commandment to contradict the gospel. Paul makes
the commandment to contradict them, and agree with the gospel, and to be
so far from disagreeing with it, that it hath a great affinity with it as
the mean to the end as that which is unperfect, without its own complement
and perfection. Faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation, quieting a
man’s conscience, is the very intent of the law, and the command was never
given since Adam, to justify men by obedience to it, but to pursue men
after Christ. And to satisfy you more fully, and clear it up he says,
though the end of the command be not to justify, but to pursue a man from
it to Christ, yet the command suffers no prejudice by this means, but
rather is established by faith, the end of it, because this faith
persuades the heart, and makes a man obey out of love to God, whereas
before it should never have gotten any obedience, while men sought
salvation by it.
You see then, there is an admirable harmony and consent between these
things that are set at variance, both in the opinion and practice of the
times. For what seems more contrary than the cursing commanding law, and
the absolving promising gospel? Yet here they are agreed. Doth not justice
go cross to mercy in the ordinary notion? Yet here there is a friendly
subordination of justice to mercy, of the law to the gospel. Behold how
faith is environed with the law, commanding and cursing on the one hand,
and obedience to the command on the other hand, how faith is the middle
party. A good conscience could never meet with the command since Adam’s
fall. A pure heart, and the obedience of love, had casten out(461) with
the command, but here is the union, the meeting of old friends. Faith is
the mediator, as it were, and the gospel comes between them, and so they
dare meet again. Christ Jesus, who is our peace to make two one, comes in
the middle, and takes away the difference. The law never meets with an
obedient servant, or friend, till it meet first with Christ. It can find
none righteous in all the world, none upright. Here you have the law’s
command and curse reconciled with the gospel’s promise, and absolution
reconciled with new obedience unto the command, the command leading to
Christ, and Christ leading the man just back again to the command, the
command serving Christ’s design, and Christ serving the command. And this
is the round that the believer shall go about in, until sin shall be no
more. He shall be put over from one hand to another, till Christ shall be
all in all. The command shall put him to Jesus, and Christ shall lead him
back again, under a new notion, to his old master.
We may consider in the text a twofold relation that faith stands in, the
relation of an end, and of a cause. Faith hath the relation of an end unto
the commandment, of a cause unto a good conscience and a pure heart, and
love, for these are said to be out of faith, which notes this dependence
of a cause and fountain. The command is for faith, and a pure heart and
love are from faith. We shall use no other division but consider the
method of these effects that flow from faith. There is an order of
emanation and dependence. There is a chain here. The first link nearest
faith is a good conscience. The second link is a pure heart. The third is
love, the hand follows the heart, and the heart follows the conscience.
We need not be subtile in seeking our purpose on these words, we think
there is more in the plain words than we can speak of. We shall only
resolve the verse in these propositions, without more observations.
_First_, Faith in Jesus Christ is the end of the commandment, or law.
_Secondly_, There is a faith feigned, and a faith unfeigned, a true and a
false faith. _Thirdly_, Unfeigned faith gives the answer of a good
conscience. _Fourthly_, Faith purging the conscience, purifies the heart.
_Fifthly_, Faith purifying the heart, works by love. Here then is the
substance of all the gospel, and all this makes up an entire complete end.
Faith purifying the heart, purging the conscience, and working by love, is
the end of the commandment.
_First_, The end of the commandment or law (for a part is put for the
whole) is faith in Christ or Jesus Christ apprehended by faith, which is
all one. For ye cannot abstract faith from Christ, for the whole gospel is
a shadow without him. Grace and glory is but a beam of the Sun of
righteousness, that if ye come between it and Christ, it evanishes
presently, Rom. x. 4, “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to
every one that believes.” And if Christ be the end of the law, then faith
is the end of it, because faith is the profession of Christ, and union
with him. But consider, I. That the end is not taken here for the
consumption or destruction of a thing. Christ is not the end of the law in
that sense, though indeed, if the Antinomian speak ingenuously, his sense
would be this, Christ makes an end of the law, contrary to Christ’s own
express meaning, “I came not to destroy the law but to fulfil it,” Matt.
v. 17. II. The end is either the intention or scope of a thing, the
original word imports both. III. There is an end principally and directly
intended in the thing, or work itself, and an end adventitious, and of the
work. We may speak either of the end the law, of its own nature, is
ordained unto, or the end of the Lawgiver in promulgating the law. These
may be different. Next, concerning the law, consider, I. That the law may
be taken strictly in a limited sense, as it comprehends only the command,
and the promise of life, and the curse on the breach of it, and in this
sense, it is frequently taken in Paul’s epistles to the Romans, and
Galatians, and opposed to faith and the gospel, as the gospel contains
promises of salvation to penitent sinners. Or, II. It may, or useth to be
so extended, as to comprehend all the administrations made under Moses, or
all God’s mind revealed under the Old Testament; now, in this sense, it
comprehends the gospel, and covenant of grace in it, as we shall hear.
Faith in Christ is the intention and scope of the law. Indeed, faith in
Jesus is not the intention of the law itself, as it is only made up of
commandments, promises, and curses. For the law as it commands, hath
nothing to do, but to be a rule and obligation to men, and as it curses,
it condemns men, and speaks nothing of Jesus Christ, or a way to make up
the breach of the law. The gospel is not contained in the law, but rather
accidental to it. For Jesus Christ comes with the gospel, as if some
unexpected cautioner would come in, when the Judge is, as the angel that
held Abraham’s hand,—when he was to slay his son, and offer him up a burnt
offering,—giving sentence to deliver him. It is an exception from the
curse.
But Christ is directly intended and pointed out by the law. If ye consider
the whole administration of Moses, that is, the law and covenant of works,
though it was preached after the fall, yet it was never preached alone
without the gospel, and so if ye consider the whole administration of
God’s mind and ordinances, Christ is principally aimed at. For, 1. The
doctrine Moses delivered in mount Sinai contained a covenant of grace. If
you look to the preface of the ten commandments, it is even the chief
gospel promise, and article of the covenant. For how could God come to
terms with men after sin, but in terms of grace? and on no other terms can
man stand before God, nor God be his God. And likewise, seeing the gospel
was preached in paradise, and afterwards to Abraham, God could not be
false in his promise made to Abraham, neither could the promulgation of
the law that followed make that null which went before, Gal. iii. 17. What
meant all the ceremonial law? It shadowed out Jesus Christ, the only
sacrifice and propitiation. And this is the sum of the gospel salvation to
penitents believing in Christ, and looking through the sacrifices unto
him, and thus David’s righteousness was the imputation of righteousness,
and not inherent holiness, Psal. xxxii. 1, 2; Rom. iv. 5. But 2. It used
to be a question, whether the law delivered upon mount Sinai was a
covenant of works or not. Some say, that the law which was delivered upon
mount Sinai was indeed a covenant of works, though they confess it was
preached with the covenant of grace, and not delivered to them to stand by
it or of intention to get righteousness by it, but to be subservient to
the covenant of grace. Others speak absolutely that the law upon mount
Sinai was a covenant of grace. We conceive this is but a contention about
words. The matter is clear in itself, (1) That neither is now the gospel
preached without the law, as ye may see in Christ’s sermon upon the mount,
and his sermon to the young man, (Matt. chapters v., vi., vii., Mark x.
17,) nor yet was then the law preached without the gospel, as ye may see
in Exod. chap. xx. The preface to the commandments, and the second command
contains much of the gospel in them. Deut. xxx. 6, 7, &c., compared with
Rom. x. 6, &c., where Paul notes both the righteousness of faith and of
the works of the law. (2) Those who say the law on mount Sinai was a
covenant of works, do not assert that God gave it to be a covenant of
works, out of intention that men should seek salvation thereby, but they
make it only a schoolmaster to lead us unto Christ, and to discover our
sinful condition; and those who say it was a covenant of grace, consider
it in relation to God’s end of sending it, and as it takes in all the
administration and doctrine of Moses. So there needs be no difficulty
here. The matter seems clear, that the covenant of works was preached by
Moses, and so it was by Paul, (Rom. x., Gal. iii.) and that neither Paul
nor Moses preached the covenant of works, but as a broken covenant; not as
such that men could stand unto, or be saved by. No man can preach the
gospel, unless he preach the covenant of works; not because both concur to
the justification of a sinner, but because the knowledge of a man’s own
lost condition under the one, presses him to flee to the other.
Now I say, Christ Jesus, or faith in him, is the scope and intention of
the law. It is the scope and intention of the lawgiver, in giving out the
law. God hath never given a command or curse since Adam’s fall, but for
this end, to bring sinners unto Christ. This is the end revealed, and
appointed by him in his word. This we shall clear from some texts of
scripture, because it is very material, Rom. v. 20, 21. It might be
questioned from the former words, since death hath reigned before Moses,
for sins against nature’s light, what means the new entry of the written
law? What was the end of the promulgation of it on mount Sinai? He
answers, “the law entered that sin might abound;” that is, the world knew
not sin, the letters of nature’s light were worn out and rusty; men
thought not of their miserable condition by nature, and did not charge
themselves before God; therefore a new edition and publication of the law
must be given, that all men may know how much they owe, and how they were
guilty in a thousand things they never dreamed of. But wherefore serves
this? That grace might superabound where sin had abounded. The Lord would
have sin abounding in men’s knowledge, and their charge to be great and
weighty, that God’s pardoning grace might be more conspicuous, and the
discharge more sweet. We also learn, (Gal. iii. 19.) that the same
question was moved, “Wherefore then serves the law? Seeing the covenant of
grace was preached to Abraham, what meant the publishing of a covenant of
works upon mount Sinai?” He answers, “It was added because of
transgression, till the seed should come, to whom the promise was made;”
and as it is said, Rom. v. 13, “For until the law sin was in the world.”
It abounded in all places of the world before the law came; but men did
not impute it unto themselves, nor condemn themselves as guilty. Therefore
the law was added to discover many hidden transgressions, and to show them
the curse they deserved. Now this law is not against the promise or
covenant of grace, (ver. 21.) which it behoved to be if it were not given
of intention to drive men to Christ. But the 22d verse speaks out clearly
the end of it, “the scripture hath concluded all men under sin,” and under
the curse both. To what end? That the promise by faith in Christ might
come, or be given to believers. And ver. 24, “The law” was a
“schoolmaster” and teacher, to lead us unto Christ. The very doctrine of a
command impossible for man to keep, was, as it were, a proclamation of
Christ Jesus to him, a complete teaching of the necessity of some other
way of salvation. The law exacted obedience rigorously, even such as we
could not perform, and cursed every degree of disobedience. This, if there
were no more, speaks that a man cannot stand to such terms, and therefore
he must flee to Jesus Christ, who mends the broken covenant.
Again, the apostle, 2 Cor. iii. 13, 14, while he speaks of the excellency
of the ministry of the gospel beyond the ministry of Moses,
notwithstanding all the material glory that accompanied that ministration,
as the shining of Moses’ face, &c., now opens up a great mystery
here,—Moses’ face shining while he was with God upon the mount. This holds
forth the glory of the law as in respect of God. By counsels and
inventions they saw no more but temporal mercies in it, and were not able
to fix their eyes on that glory; the carnal Israelites did not break
through the ministry of the law and death, to see Jesus there, because a
vail was upon their hearts. They thought God had been dealing with them in
the terms of a covenant of works, and they would stand to all God had
said, and undertook indeed very fairly, “All which God hath commanded, we
will do, and be obedient.” But though(462) they perverted God’s meaning of
the law, and did not see Jesus intended; for they did not look steadfastly
to the end of that mystery. Now what was it the vail hid them from? For
the same vail is yet on them to this day, while they read Moses and the
prophets, and when they shall be converted it shall be done away in
Christ, they shall then see him in Moses’ law. So then, the end of this
ministry of the law was Jesus Christ, and this they could not behold.
Now from all this it is very clear, that Jesus Christ, or faith in him,
was the great purpose and end of the law, and covenant of works. The world
was lying in sin, and none sought God, no not one; neither knew they well
what sin was. Therefore God sends his gospel from mount Sinai, and
publishes his law in a terrible manner, that they might know the way and
manner of the God they served, and see that their obligation was
infinitely beyond their ability or performance. But, poor souls! they
clearly mistake the matter, and stand to the terms of the covenant of
works, as if they were able to perform them. But God did not leave them
so. For he adds a ceremonial law, and sacrifices, to shadow out Christ
Jesus. Now, says God, though ye have undertaken so well, yet I know you
better than ye do yourselves. Ye will never keep one word of what you say.
Therefore, when ye sin bring a sacrifice, and look to my Son, the Lamb
that is to be slain and offered up, and ye shall have pardon in him.
II. Christ Jesus apprehended by faith, is the accomplishment and
perfection of the law. 1. Because Christ Jesus, or faith laying hold upon
him, accomplishes the same end that the law was ordained for of itself.
The law was appointed to justify men, that it might be a rule of
righteousness according to which men might stand before God and live. Now
when the law was weak through the flesh, and could not give life, (Rom.
viii. 3; Gal. iv. 21.) and the law ordained to life, wrought more death,
and made sin exceeding sinful, (Rom. vii. 10-13.) therefore Jesus Christ
came in the flesh, to do what the law was unable to do, and to bring many
sons unto glory, that the just might live by faith, Gal. iii. 11. The law
should never have gotten its end, no man should have stood before God, but
the curse only would have taken place, and the promise would have been of
no effect. Therefore, Jesus comes, and gives obedience to the law, and
delivers men from the curse of it, and by faith puts men in as good, and
even in a better condition, than they would have been by the promise; so
that the justified sinner may come before God, as well as innocent Adam,
and have as great confidence and assurance, and peace by faith, as he
could have had by inherent holiness. Imputed righteousness comes in as a
covering over the man’s nakedness, and doth the turn(463) of perfect
inherent holiness.
2. Christ, or faith laying hold on him, is the end or accomplishment of
the law, because faith in Christ fulfils the righteousness of the law, in
respect of a believer’s personal obedience. Although the believer gave not
perfect obedience, and so cannot stand in terms of justice, yet he gives
sincere and upright obedience, which the law should never have got. The
command wrought sin and death, by occasion of corruption, and never would
any point of it be fulfilled by men. For as long as the curse was
standing, no obedience could be acceptable till justice was satisfied, and
though that might have been dispensed with, yet there is none that are
righteous, none seek after God. No good principles of obedience were in
us, but all are corrupt, and have done abominable works, and all our
righteousness is as a menstruous cloth; and though upright obedience could
have been yielded, yet the law exacted perfect obedience. But now faith in
our Redeemer absolves a man from the curse of the law, so that now he is
not looked upon as an enemy, but a friend; and then it puts a man upon
obedience to the command from new motives and principles: and thus the
righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us, who walk after the Spirit,
Rom. viii. 4. And that imperfect obedience is accepted of God, and
received off his hand, by virtue of the sacrifice and atonement of Christ.
The law would accept of no less, no not of nine commandments, if the tenth
was broken. But now God in Christ accepts of endeavours and minting,(464)
and so is the law in some way or other accomplished. And faith leads a man
on till he be perfected. He walks by faith from strength to strength, till
he appear before God, and be made holy as he is holy. Faith in Christ is
the end of the law.
3. Because whatever faith wants of perfect and personal obedience, it
makes up in Christ’s obedience, and thus is the law thoroughly
accomplished, for what it wants in the believer it gets in Christ. Paul
would have the Romans take this way, Rom. vi. 11: “Likewise reckon ye
yourselves dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ.”
Ye may gather by good consequence, that since Christ hath died to sin as a
public person so ye should die with him unto sin, and mortify sin with
him. And thus may ye have consolation against your imperfect personal
mortification. Ye were thoroughly mortified in Christ. So the believer may
look unto Jesus, as one who hath given obedience even unto the death, and
that, not in his own name but for us, that the imperfect holiness and
obedience of every sound believer, may have his complete righteousness to
cover it, and come next the Father’s eye. And thus is the law fulfilled,
and this way doth faith not make void, but establish the law, Rom. iii.
31. And as the law got better satisfaction in the sufferings of Christ,
who became a curse for us, than in all the punishment we could endure, so
it gets more satisfaction to the command by his obedience than if our
personal had been perfect. Christ was “made under the law, that we might
receive the adoption of sons,” (Gal. iv. 4) and the Son’s being made under
the law is of more worth than all our being under it. Now faith puts that
obedience of God Man in the law’s hand. When we do God’s will, he brings
out Christ Jesus, “Lo, (says he) I come, I delight to do thy will,” Psal.
xl. 7-9. In a word, faith in Jesus accomplishes the law, in the commands,
in the promise, in the curse, as might be easily shown, if your time would
allow.
(1) In the curse, because it lays hold upon Christ, who was “made a curse
for us,” (Gal. iii. 13) and so gives complete satisfaction to the Lord’s
justice in that point. It holds up the sacrifice and propitiation of our
Saviour, and justice says, I am satisfied. It holds up the ransom, (Job
xxxiii. 24) and therefore Christ says, “Deliver them from going down to
the pit, for I have found a ransom.” Again we also observe, (2) That faith
in Christ also fulfils the commandments of the law, because it is the
fountain of new obedience unto the law. It hath a respect unto all God’s
righteous judgments. It purifies the heart into the obedience of them, and
it works by love, and so it is the end of the law for righteousness. It
not only gives the answer of a good conscience unto all challenges and
curses from Christ’s blood, but daily derives virtue out of Jesus Christ,
to bring forth fruit unto God. What it cannot reach by doing, it supplies
by believing, and laying hold upon Christ’s obedience. And this is the
righteousness of the law fulfilled in us. Let us also,
(3) Look upon the promise of life, and it is accomplished also by faith in
Christ. For the law could not have given life, and so the promise would
now be in vain; but Christ by faith justifies the sinner, and he lives,
yea, hath eternal life in him, and so all the three are strengthened and
established. Faith is the most comprehensive commandment, 1 John iii. 22,
23. It is put for all the commandments, (1) By acknowledgment of the
breach of all, and so it magnifies the law, and makes it honourable, and
subscribes to the sentence of justice and the authority of the command;
(2) By satisfaction, because it gives a price for the breach of it, and
puts the Cautioner(465) in the craver’s hand; (3) By obedience, because
after this, it hath a respect to all God’s laws, and endeavours after new
obedience to every one of them.
The improvement of all this is extremely plain. It may serve to discover
unto us how we disappoint God of his end in giving unto us the command.
And the law was given for the best purposes. But, the most part of men
have no end, no use of the law. God hath given it for some end, but they
know it not. They live without God, and without rule in the world. Men
walk as if there was no law, nor command, nor curse. There are but two
ends the command was ordained for, the first instituted end which it
naturally tends unto is life, (Rom. vii. 10) and the second end for which
God hath appointed it since the first is missed, is to pursue men to Jesus
Christ, and convince them of sin, to make them once die that they may
live, Rom. vii. 9. But the most part know neither of these ends. A carnal
profane generation will not seek life by the righteousness of the law;
their iniquities testify against them even to their face, and their sin is
found hateful. There is not so much as an endeavour among too many
Christian professors, either to approve themselves unto men, or their own
consciences in their outward walking. They walk without any regard of a
command, or rule, as it were by guess. Their own rule is what pleases them
best. What suits their humours, and crosses God’s word, that they will do,
as if they knew not the curse, or were afraid of the sentence of
condemnation. They walk in peace, and have no changes, they walk in the
imagination of their vain hearts. They cannot say, and none will say for
them, they seek life by the law, their contempt of it is so palpable, and
yet no other end of it they know so it is to them as if God had never
appointed it. Again,
2. There are many wrong and false ends, or uses of the law, when we make
it the immediate mean to life and righteousness, and seek justification by
it. And this was the end that these false teachers would have made of it.
This is the end that the Israelites looked to. “All that the Lord hath
commanded, will we do.” O that was a great undertaking! Poor men, they
knew not what they said. They thought upon no other thing but obedience to
the command, and so made it a covenant of works. Thus did the people that
followed Christ, John vi. 28. And the young man that came to Christ said,
“What good thing shall I do, to inherit eternal life?” Here doing was
preferred to living by faith, Rom. x. 1-23. The Jews did so, and missed
the right way. And few of you will take(466) with this, that ye seek to be
justified by your own works; and yet, it is natural to men, they will not
submit to God’s righteousness. There is need of submission to take Christ.
O would not any think all the world would be glad of him, and come out and
meet him bringing salvation? Would not dyvours(467) and prisoners be
content of a deliverance? Were it any point of self denial for a lost man,
to grip a cord cast unto him? Yet here must there be submission to quit
your own righteousness. It were of great moment to convince you of this,
that ye are all naturally standing to the terms of a covenant of works, ye
who are yet alive, and the commandment hath not slain you, with Paul, Rom.
vii. 9, 11. Ye are yet seeking life by the law, if ye have not applied the
curse unto yourselves. After application of yourselves to the command, ye
are yet seeking life by it. Ye adorn yourselves with some external
privileges, in some external duties of religion, some branches of the
second table duties, and come to God with these. Some think to satisfy God
for their faults, with an amendment in time to come. Some think God cannot
punish some faults in them, because they have some good things in them.
Ask many men the ground of their confidence, and in all the world they
know not how to be saved, unless their prayers do it, or their keeping the
kirk.(468) But this is not the end that God hath sent out the law for. Ye
cannot now stand to such a bargain. The law is now weak through the flesh,
and it is now impossible for it to give life. Though you would pray never
so much, all is but abomination. And would not many of you think ye were
in a fair venture for heaven, if no man living could lay any thing to your
charge, but were you unblameable in all the duties of the first and second
table? [Could you say,] though you know nothing as by yourselves, that you
were frequent and fervent in prayer, reading, and meditation; and as far
advanced as Paul, or David, or Moses, or Job, sure ye would think
yourselves out of doubt of heaven? Nay, but in this, ye may see ye are
seeking righteousness by the law. Though ye were so far advanced, yet God,
who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, would look to your sins, and
pass by your righteousness, and all that would be as menstruous rags
before him; and therefore Paul was much wiser, who said, “though I know
nothing by himself, yet am I not hereby justified.” 3. Many make the law
an end, when God hath only made it a mean. God hath appointed the law for
some other use, namely, to be subservient to Christ and the gospel. But
oftentimes we make the law the end of all God’s speaking to us, and so
conclude desperate resolutions from it, (Rom vii. 9). “When the law came,
sin revived, and I died.” Here the man is slain by the commandment, and
not yet come to the healing Physician at Gilead. We use to gather
desperation of the command, when it presses so perfect and exact
obedience, such as we cannot yield. When it craves the whole sum, without
the abatement of a farthing, we sit down under the sense of an
impossibility to obey, and will not so much as mint(469) at obedience.
Because we cannot do as we ought, we will not do as we can. Because we
cannot do in ourselves we conclude nothing can be done at all. This is to
make the command the last word, and the end of God’s speaking. Doth not
the child of God frequently sit down and droop over his duty, while he
looks upon the Egyptian taskmaster, the command, charging the whole work
and portion of brick, and giving no straw to work upon? So are many in
duties. While the aim and eye is upon some measure according to the
perfect rule, the hands fall down feeble, and none is wrought at all, and
they do not look if there be another word from God posterior to the
command, a word of promise. We use also to gather desperate conclusions of
the curse, and make the law according to which we examine ourselves, the
end of God’s manifesting his mind unto us, and do not look upon it as a
way leading to some other thing. When ye have tried yourselves, and
applied your own ways and state unto the perfect rule, God’s verdict of
all men’s condition is true in you, “all have sinned, and come short of
the glory of God,” “there is none righteous, no, not one,” and so if
necessitated to apply the dreadful sentence of the judgment to yourselves,
ye stay there, and sit down to lodge with the sentence of condemnation, as
if that were God’s last word to sinners. Is not this to make the law the
end, which is but appointed for another end? The curse is not
irrepealable. Why then do ye pass peremptory conclusions, as if there was
no more hope, but it were perished from the Lord?
II. To discover unto us the right end and use of the law, the great design
and purpose of God in making such a glorious promulgation of the law on
mount Sinai, and delivering it by the ministry of angels, in the hands of
a mediator. The end which God hath been driving at these six thousand
years, is this only, that men may come to Jesus Christ and believe in him.
The end wherefore the covenant of works hath been preached since Adam’s
fall, is only this, to make way for a better covenant of grace, that men
may hearken to the offer of it. Now faith in Jesus Christ hath two special
actings, either upon Christ for justification of the person, and eternal
life and salvation, or for sanctification of the person and actions, in
the fruits of new obedience. And in the text, unfeigned faith is described
from both these, and gives the answer of a good conscience, that is, of
absolution from the curse, by the blood of Jesus, and makes him as quiet
as he had never sinned. And then it purifies the heart, and worketh by
love.
Now the law is a mean appointed of God, and instituted to lead to both
these, and Christ in these. The law is appointed to lead a man to faith in
Christ, for salvation and righteousness, and the suitableness of it to
that end, we comprehend thus: 1. It convinces of sin; “The law entered
that the offence might abound,” and “was added because of transgressions,”
Rom. v. 20, Gal. iii. 19. This is the end of God’s sounding the trumpet,
and declaring our duty, “that every mouth may be stopped” before God, and
that none may plead innocence before his tribunal. While men are without
the law, they are alive, and think well of themselves, but the entering of
the commandment in a man’s conscience, in the length, breadth, and
spirituality of it, makes sin to appear exceeding sinful. Sin was in the
house before, but was not seen before, and now when the bright beam of a
clear, spiritual, holy law, carrying God’s authority upon it, is darted
into the dark soul, O what ugly sights appear! The house is full of motes.
Ye cannot turn the command where it will not discover innumerable
iniquities, an universal leprosy. For all the actions that were called
honest, civil and religious before, get a new name, and they being seen in
God’s light, are called rottenness, and living without the law, Rom. vii.
9 &c. Think ye, but the woman of Samaria knew her adultery, before Christ
spake to her? Nay, but Christ speaks according to the law and makes it a
mean of faith. He tells her all that ever she did. He tells her indeed
what she knew before, but in another manner. Men know their actions, but
the Lord discovers the sinfulness of them, as offensive to God’s holy
majesty, and pure eyes. It will force a man to give his sin the right
name, it will take away all excuses and shifts, and aggravate sin, that it
may become exceeding sinful. But further, 2. This is not the last end of
it. Not only is it ordained to stop all mouths, but to make all flesh
guilty before God, “For by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be
justified,” Rom. iii. 18, 19. It convinces of an impossibility to stand
before God, and so it kills a man. And now the man asks, “What shall I do
to be saved?” He cannot stand before God in terms of justice, where none
can stand, and so either must some other delivery come, or he is gone. Now
here he is put from making satisfaction, “Who can abide with everlasting
burnings?” He sees himself standing under the stroke of justice; and where
can he go from God’s presence? If he go to heaven, he is there, if to
hell, he will find him out, the light and darkness are alike to him, Psal.
cxxxix. 7-11. Not only the cries of sinful man, but of wretched and
miserable man, are heard from him! Now these are the steps the law
proceeds by. But it must not stay there, or else it is not come to the end
of it. It must put a man within the doors of the covenant of grace. The
law is a messenger sent to pursue a man out of his own house of self
confidence and security, he was like to perish in, and not to know it. Now
by discovering his sinful and cursed condition, it brings him out of
himself, and out of all created things. But the end is not yet attained,
till it put him in Christ’s hand, and enter him in the border of the city
of refuge and this is the end of the abounding of sin by the law, that
grace may superabound, Rom. v. 20. And this is the end of the concluding
him under sin, and making him guilty before God, that the promise of faith
may be given him, and another righteousness revealed by faith, Rom. iii.
20, 21, Gal. iii. 23. And now he is at peace, being justified by faith,
and rests as a stone in its own place (Rom. v. 1, 2 ), and the law hath
nothing to do with him; he is out of its jurisdiction. 3. Now when it hath
pursued him unto Christ for salvation, yet the command is still useful,
and appointed yet for faith in Jesus, in performing new obedience. The
Christian’s daily walking is but the turning of the old round, as the sun
doth this day go about the compass it did the first day, so his life is
but a new conversion still. When he is now settled on Jesus for salvation,
he must yet be put by(470) the command. It discovers his dally sins, and
so he is put to Jesus, the open Fountain for all sin and uncleanness. And
the command comes out in perfection, and discovers his shortcoming and
inability, and therefore he is put to Jesus for strength. And this is the
end of the perfect rule upon believers, that they, comparing duty with
their ability, may be forced to make up their inability for duty by faith
in Christ.
III. We may know from this what great encouragement we have to believe,
and how great warrant, since not only God commands faith itself (1 John
iii. 23.), but he hath appointed faith to be the end of all other
commands, and hath given the whole law for this end. For “without faith it
is impossible to see God.” Faith is that which God loves best in all
obedience. What is it that makes faith so precious? Certainly not the act
itself, but the precious object of it, Jesus Christ, in whom the Father is
well pleased. Faith glorifies God in his justice and mercy most, and
abases the creature. Now what an obligation lies on us to believe? It is
usual to question a right and warrant of faith, when we have no doubt of
other commands. But, in all reason, any command might be questioned before
faith. There is no duty admits of less disputing. Hath not God put it out
of all controversy? What warrant have ye to pray, or to sanctify the
Sabbath? Is it not because God commands these duties? And do ye not go
about them in obedience to God, notwithstanding of the sense of your own
inability? How comes it then that ye make any more scruple of this? Hath
not the same authority that gave the ten commands, given also this new
command? And shall not disobedience be rebellion, and worse than
witchcraft?(471) But when besides all this, it is the appointed end of all
the commands, so that ye may say, it is commanded in all the commands and
the whole law,—command and curse is a virtual kind of commanding
faith,—then what shall disobedience be? When ye break one command, ye are
guilty of all. Much more here, not only because of God’s authority stamped
upon all, but because it is the common end of all. If ye could once come
to believe that ye had as good warrant to believe in Christ as to abstain
from cursing God’s name, and as great obligation, what could ye answer for
disobedience?
IV: This is a point of great consolation also. What more terrible than the
law? Nothing in all the world. Nothing in all the word so dreadful as the
trumpet on Sinai, sounding louder and louder. The judge and law gives
voice. Yet if ye could look to the end of it and if the vail that was on
the Jews’ heart be not upon yours, O how comfortable shall it be! Doth not
a command and curse form a dead sound in an awakened man’s ears, and
strike unto his heart like a knife? But if he knew this, it would be a
healing medicine. Would not many sinners wish there would be no such thing
in the Bible as a condemning law, when they cannot get it escaped? But
look to the end of it, and see gospel saving doctrine in the very
promulgation of it. When it was published, it made the Jews all to tremble
and cry out, and even holy Moses himself was afraid. But there is more
consolation than terror here. This condemning law is delivered in a
Mediator’s hand, even Jesus Christ, Gal. iii. 19, 20. Who was he that
spake out of the cloud, and fire, and came and set down his throne on
Sinai, accompanied with innumerable angels? Deut. xxxiii. 2, Acts vii. 53.
It was Jesus Christ that spoke to Moses in the mount, and in the bush
also, Acts vii. 35, 38. Is it then the Mediator’s law, whose office it is
to preach glad tidings, and the day of salvation? Sure then it needs be
dreadful to no man. For if he wound, he shall heal, and he comes to bind
up the broken hearted. Ye may look on the command and curse as messengers
sent by mercy, to prepare you, and make his way straight before his face.
The end of the law is not to condemn you, to stop your mouth, and make you
guilty. That is not the last work it is appointed for, but the Mediator
hath another end, to bring you to the righteousness of faith, to save you
without yourselves. Therefore ye may more willingly accept the challenge,
since it comes in so peaceable terms. What should be terrible to you in
all God’s word and dispensation, since the ministry of condemnation and
death is become the port(472) of heaven and life? What must all his other
dealings be? Surely there is nothing in the world, but it must lead to
this end also. Prosperity and adversity, the end of them is faith,
conviction and challenges. Be not then as men without hope, when you are
challenged, for the challenge comes from a Mediator who would have you
saved.
V: You may see hence how injurious they are to grace who cry down the law.
The Antinomian cannot be a right defender and pleader for faith (the end
of the command), when he opposes the command that leads to that end. He
can not exalt Christ aright, or lead men to him, when he will not come
under the pedagogue’s hand to be led to Christ. The law, even as a
covenant of works, is of perpetual use to a believer, because it lays a
blessed necessity upon him to abide with Christ. It is a guard put before
the door, to keep him, as it was a schoolmaster to bring him to Christ,
and makes a man subordinate to the gospel as a mean to the end, and so it
ought to be used. So then it is against the truth [to say] that the
Israelites were under the law, and not Christians. The law came not to be
a mean of life and righteousness unto them, but that the offence might
abound, that so grace might superabound. The law was not intended, but
Christ was intended, and this end they could not fix their eyes upon, by
reason of the hardness of their hearts. It is also false, that Christian
believers are wholly exeemed(473) from the command and law. No, he hath
use of all that leads to Jesus Christ, and the law itself becomes gospel
under that notion. The command stands in its integrity, that he may be
convinced of shortcoming and inability, and so may believe in Christ. The
curse also stands, and condemns him for new sins, that he may believe in
Christ, who justifies the ungodly. Again, it is not truth, that the law
is no mean of conversion, though not in its own virtue and power, but as
it is delivered in a Mediator’s hand, and applied by the Spirit of grace
and the gospel.
Use VI: We exhort you not to disappoint God of his end, and if he hath
given the law for this end, never rest till ye be at the end. Let the law
enter into you once, or enter ye into it. Ye cannot come to Jesus unless
it lead you. Let it enter into your consciences, with God’s power and
authority as his law, and examine yourselves by it, else ye shall never
believe in Christ. 2. Accept all the challenges of the law, let it enter
till your mouth be stopped. Read your obligation well, that ye may see how
much ye owe. 3. Let faith be the issue and result of all the applications
of the law to yourselves. Ye go in the law’s hand to Christ, but sit not
down with it, or else you will not go free till ye have paid the last
farthing. Make faith in Christ the end of the curse condemning you, that
he may absolve you, the end of the command, commanding, that he may give
strength and fulfil in you the righteousness of the law. God never sent a
condition to you, but that you may believe, and be established. 4. Let it
be your exercise to travel between an impossible command, and Christ Jesus
by faith, through whom all things are possible. Write always down how much
ye owe, that ye may see grace superabounding. Sit not down to examine the
duty, or go not about it in your own strength. Be not discouraged though
ye find no strength. Ye are called in such a case to believe. Nay, in a
word, what is all the Christian’s employment? Faith exhausts it all. Look
on the command, and it calls for believing. Look upon the curse and it
calls also for believing.
Sermon XII.
1 Tim. i. 5.—“Now the end of the commandment,” &c.
We come now, as was proposed, to observe, _Thirdly_,(474) That faith
unfeigned is the only thing which gives the answer of a good conscience
towards God. Conscience, in general, is nothing else but a practical
knowledge of the rule a man should walk by, and of himself in reference to
that rule. It is the laying down a man’s state, and condition, and actions
beside the rule of God’s word, or the principles of nature’s light. It is
the chief piece of a man. The man is as his conscience is. It is a man’s
lord. As a wing to a bird, or as a rudder to a ship, so is conscience to a
man in all his ways. The office of conscience is ordinarily comprehended
in three styles it gets. It is a law or rule, a witness, and a judge, or a
light, a register, and a recorder, and an executioner. For the conscience
its first act is some principle of nature’s light, obliging it as a rule
to walk by, or some revealed truth of God, whereof the conscience is
informed. Now the conscience, in the second place, comes to examine itself
according to the rule, and there it bears witness of a man’s actions or
state, and faithfully records and depones.(475) And at length the
conscience pronounces the sentence upon the man, according as it has found
him, either accusing or excusing, condemning or absolving. Now a good
conscience is diversely taken in scripture, I. A good conscience is an
honest clean conscience, bearing testimony of integrity and uprightness in
walking, such as Paul had, 2 Cor. i. 12, “Our rejoicing is this, the
testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity, and godly sincerity, we
have had our conversation in the world.” Heb. xiii. 18, “We trust we have
a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly.” Acts xxiv. 16,
“Herein do I exercise myself in having a conscience void of offence,
towards God and man.” 1 Pet. iii. 16, “Having a good conscience, that
whereas they speak evil of you, as of evil doers, they may be ashamed that
falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.” II. A good conscience is
a conscience calmed and quieted, that hath gotten an answer to all
challenges, the blood and resurrection of Jesus, 1 Pet. iii. 21. And this
we take to be meant here. The good conscience is the conscience that is
sprinkled with Christ’s blood, from dead works, to serve the living God,
Heb. ix. 14. For the guilty man that comes to Christ, and washes in the
fountain opened for sin, hath no more conscience of sins, Heb. x. 2. And
therefore it is called a pure and clean conscience, 2 Tim. i. 3, “I thank
God, whom I serve from my forefathers, with a pure conscience,” &c.; the
stain of guilt is taken away. Now I say, faith only gives the answer of a
good conscience. The man that comes to Christ hath an ill conscience, when
he hath examined himself according to the law, and given out faithful
witness of his own state and condition, and accordingly pronounced
sentence,—a sentence condemnatory. He finds himself lying under God’s
curse, and so the conscience from a judge turns a tormentor, and begins to
anticipate hell, and prevent(476) the execution of wrath. All the world
cannot answer this challenge, or absolve from this sentence, until faith
come and give a solid answer, that may be a ground of peace. And its
answer is good and sure, because it dips the conscience in the blood of
the Son of God. For the blood of bulls and of goats could not do it, the
redemption of the soul was precious. Faith puts the soul over head and
ears in the fountain opened, and it comes out like snow, or wool, though
it were like scarlet or crimson. The law condemned, and the conscience
subscribed itself sinful, and concluded itself lost in sin; but faith in
Christ pleads before mercy’s throne, where judgment and justice also sit.
It pleads its cause over again, and gets the former sentence repealed. The
conscience gave in the charge against the man, but faith sits down and
writes the discharge; and so he is as free as if all his debt was paid, or
never contracted. Faith puts the Cautioner in the creditor’s hand, and
goes free. As the law writes down a charge of sin and curses, faith sets
against it as many sufferings in Christ, as many blessings in the Blessing
of all nations. And when the conscience that condemned itself by faith
again absolves itself, O what a calm, what a perfect peace is it then kept
in! What a continual feast doth it enjoy! Prov. xv. 15. Make him never
such a great man in the world, he would utterly despise it, and count
himself more blessed in the pardon of sin, and the friendship of God, than
all the enjoyments of this world. He is better in some respect than if he
had never sinned, for his sin is, as it were, not before God. And withal
he hath got not only acquittance from guilt, but acquaintance with Jesus
Christ, the Blessing of the nations, and the Desire of all the families of
the earth. Now may he triumph and boast in Christ Jesus. Who shall
condemn? It is God that justifies, it is Christ that died, and is risen
again. He may say with David, “I will not fear, though my iniquities
compass me about;” and with Job, “If he cause quietness, who can give
trouble?” We observe then that,
I. Before a man come to Christ, he has an ill conscience; for either he is
at peace with himself, and absolves himself, saying, I shall have peace,
though I walk in the abominations of my heart, Deut. xxix. 19; or he also
says, “Because I am innocent,” therefore God will turn away his wrath,
Jer. ii. 35. He cries peace, peace, when there is no peace, (Ezek. xiii.
10.) and that is but a desperate condition, and a bad conscience, if any
can be so called. This is the secure and seared conscience, that either
doth not judge itself, because a man hath beaten it flint hard, or is
constantly absolving itself upon false grounds. That is the conscience
that in all the creation is nearest the desperate conscience, that shall
never have a good answer. His sin is but lying at the door like Cain’s,
and shall enter in when judgment comes. He is but flattering himself in
his own eyes, till his iniquity be found hateful, and till sudden
destruction comes as an armed man. Look upon Deut. xxix. 20, and see such
a man’s case. There is no peace for him, the Lord will not pity nor spare
him, but pour upon him all the curses of the law, even when he blesses
himself in his own eyes. In short, he is such as is awakened to see where
he is, and condemns himself according to the word; and that is a better
and a more hopeful conscience than the former, yet it is but an ill
conscience. Conscience doth act its part aright, and in so far it is good,
but the man is but in a miserable condition. Withal it gives such a wound
to the soul, as none can bear it. All the sad affections which take up
men’s spirits come in, and this is the worm which never dies in hell, and
the fire which shall never be quenched. Anger, grief, hatred, despair,
always dwell with an ill conscience. This is both the resemblance of hell,
and the sparks which come from that devouring fire. But, II. When the
troubled conscience, tossed up and down, and looking upon all hands for
help, and all refuge failing them, and no person caring for their soul,
when it gets once a look of Jesus, and roweth unto his shore, O what a
change! He commands the winds to calm, and the waves to cease, and says
unto him, Son, be of good comfort, thy sins are forgiven. Faith finds in
Jesus ample grounds of answering all challenges, of silencing all
temptations, of overcoming all enemies, and commands the soul to go into
its place of refuge. “Return unto thy rest, O my soul, for the Lord hath
dealt bountifully with thee,” &c. Psal. cxvi. 7-9.
We shall now shut up all with the application in some uses. Use I. We may
learn hence how few have a good conscience. Faith is a rare thing, but a
good conscience is much rarer. And here we may notice, 1. That the
conscience which is dead and sleeping, is not a good conscience: every
quiet and calm conscience is not a good one. Ye may dream over your days
with the foolish virgins, and take rest in a pleasing delusion, and cry
peace, peace, and yet the end of it will be worse than the beginning. A
conscience that acts not at all, nor judges itself, is, as it were, no
conscience; either ignorance hath blinded it, and keeps it in the dark, or
wickedness hath stopped its mouth. You think your conscience good because
it tells you few of your faults, it troubles you not; but that conscience
must once speak, and do its office, it may be in a worse time for you. 2.
It is not a good conscience that always speaks good, and absolves the man.
God may condemn when it absolves. When ye walk according to false
principles and grounds, and either take a wrong rule, or know not how to
apply the rule to yourselves, shall God approve of false judgment? Your
conscience is erring and deludes you. But, 1. The good conscience is not
only a quiet conscience, but a quieted conscience. It not only hath peace,
but peace after trouble. Ye then that have no peace, but what ye had all
your days, it is but a mere fancy. The answer of a good conscience quiets
the distempered mind, it comes by the sprinkling and washing of Christ’s
blood. He that hath peace on solid grounds with God, hath once taken up
his enmity against him. 2. The good conscience hath been once an evil
conscience, when it met with the command. The man has once been under the
law, before he came to faith, and examined himself, and his conscience
condemned him as not righteous, and out of Christ. Ye then that never
examined your state, according to the perfect and holy law, and never
judged yourselves, ye cannot believe in Jesus, and so can have no good
conscience. 3. The good conscience flows nearest from faith answering the
challenges of the law. Some have had sore distempers of conscience, and
puddling exercises of terror. But how they were eased or quieted they
cannot tell, but their spring-tide ebbed, and they bubbled no more. It
went away at will, and did wear out with time. This is not a good
conscience, that knows not distinctly the grounds of faith to oppose to
the law’s condemnation. Some turn to build cities with Cain, and pass the
time pleasantly, or in some business, that they may beguile their
challenges. But this is not the conscience that faith makes good. Now, set
apart all these who do not examine themselves at all, nor judge
themselves, but live in a golden dream, who have never been arraigned
before God’s tribunal, or summoned by his deputy to appear before his
judgment-seat; and join unto these all persons who, judging themselves,
take other rules of absolution than the word gives, who after trial
absolve themselves, and withal those, who, condemning themselves, yet flee
not unto this city of refuge, this blood of sprinkling, to get a solid
answer in the word to all their challenges, and O how few are behind! It
is but as the gleaning after the vintage. Nay, many believers have not a
good conscience, though they have a right to it, because they settle not
themselves on the grounds of faith, and go not on from faith to faith.
There must be some sense of faith, before faith answer rightly, and give
peace to the mind.
Use II. Ye see the way to get a good conscience. Believe much, and
maintain your faith. It is as simple and poor a mistake as can befall a
soul. Ye think because ye have not peace after your believing, therefore
it was not unfeigned and true faith: and therefore ye will not believe,
because ye cannot get peace. But believe that ye may have a good
conscience. Would ye know your sins are pardoned before ye believe? How
precious should faith be unto you, when by faith ye may not only overcome
the world, but, as it were, overcome God in judging, that the soul may be
justified when it is judged? Ye will not get challenges(477) answered by
your own integrity and uprightness, or by your performing of duties. No,
no, these cannot be sufficient grounds of your peace. Lay down the solid
and satisfying grounds of faith, of imputed righteousness, and of
salvation by Jesus Christ, and this shall be a foundation of lasting
peace. Sense makes not a good conscience, there is much lightness and
vanity in it, and the rule it proceeds by is changeable, but faith
establishes the soul, and makes it not ashamed.
Sermon XIII.
1 Tim. i. 5.—“Now the end of the commandment,” &c.
Fourthly, Faith purging the conscience purifies the heart (Acts xv. 9.),
and hope also purifies the heart (1 John iii. 3.), which is nothing else
but faith in the perfection and vigour of it. This includes, I. That the
heart was unclean before faith. II. That faith cleanses it, and makes it
pure. But “who can say, I have made my heart pure (Prov. xx. 9.), I am
clean from my sin?” Is there any man’s heart on this side of time, which
lodges not many strange guests? In answer to this we may observe, that
there is a legal purity, and a gospel purity. A legal purity is a sincere
and full conformity to God’s holy will and command, in thought,
affections, inclinations, and actions, and, in this sense, who can say, I
have made my hands clean? The old corruption sticks to the heart and
cannot be thoroughly scraped out, there are many lurking holes for
uncleanness to be hid in. Corruption is engrained in him, and it will not
be the work of one day to change it. The whole head is sick, and the whole
body full of sores. All the corners of the heart are full of filthiness
and idols, and though the house be now sweeped and garnished, and all
things look better in it, yet there are many hidden places of rottenness
undiscovered, and it is the soul’s continual exercise to purify itself as
he is pure. But evangelical purity and cleanness is that which God
reconciled in Christ takes to be so, and that which in Christ is accepted,
and is a fount of his clean Spirit dwelling in the heart. The heart
formerly was a troubled fountain, that sent out filthy streams, as a
puddle. Corruption was the mud among the affections and thoughts, but now
a pure heart is like a clear running water, clean and bright like crystal.
Now this purity consists in the washing of regeneration, and
sanctification by the Spirit of holiness. Jesus Christ came both by water
and blood, 1 John v. 6. He came by blood, to sprinkle and purge the
conscience, that it might have no more conscience of sins, Heb. x. 2, ix.
14. And he also came by water, that is, the washing and cleansing virtue
of the Spirit of grace, to purge and cleanse us from all filthiness of the
flesh and spirit. There are two things in sin that Jesus came to destroy,
the guilt and offence of sin, whereby the sinner is bound over to
condemnation, and lies under the Judge’s curse, and the spot of sin, which
also Christ came to destroy. He did both in his own person, and he is to
perfect this in us personally, who were judicially reckoned one with him,
Rom. vi. 3-12, 1 John iii. 5. Now Jesus Christ hath come with blood to
sprinkle the conscience from dead works, and give it a good answer to the
challenges of the law, and an ill conscience. And he hath come likewise
with water, to wash and cleanse us from the spots, and filth, and power of
sin. The first removes the guilt, the latter removes the filth of sin, and
both are done by faith, which is our victory over the world, and this is
the way how faith overcomes the world by the water and blood. 1 John v.
4-6. The blood of Jesus Christ is holden by faith with a twofold virtue of
cleansing, from the guilt, and from the filth of sin, and thus cleanses us
from all unrighteousness, 1 John i. 7. According to the promise of the
covenant (Ezek. xxxvi. 25, 26.), the application of the blood of
sprinkling hath two effects. One is for justification, “ye shall be
clean,” another is, “from all your filthiness and idols will I cleanse
you,” that is sanctification. I. Now this purity consists in this, that
the pure heart regards not iniquity in the inward man, nor delights in
sin, Psal. lxvi. 18. He sets not up his idols in God’s place, Ezek. xxxvi.
25. The cleansing of the heart is from idols. Although he cannot get
himself purified as Christ is pure, and though iniquity be in his heart,
yet he regards it not. He looks not upon it as a guest approven and
accepted. Sin may be an intruding guest, but sin is not welcomed with all
his heart. He dare not take that pleasure in sin that another man would
do. He hath a worm that eats up his pleasure when he departs from God, or
his thoughts go a-whoring from him. The unbelieving man’s heart is a house
full of idols, but the entry of faith by God’s Spirit makes their Dagon to
fall. But, II. The pure heart hath much of the filthiness taken away that
filled it before, and so it is denominated from the best part. It is
washed and cleansed from a sea of corruption, and the body of sin that did
reign within the heart was formerly like an impure fountain, that sent out
nothing but rotten stinking waters. Unto him were all things unclean, for
his heart and conscience was defiled, Tit. i. 15. Nothing was pure to him,
it ran continually in a stream of unclean thoughts and affections. But now
he is purified, and to the believer “all things are pure:” the ordinary
strain and current of his thoughts and affections run more clearly free of
the earthly quality they had, more sublimated, more spiritualized, and he
is named by that. Though, it may be, temptation may trouble the fountain,
and make it run unclean and earthly, yet it will settle again, and come
into its own posture, and the dreg fall to the bottom, and the clean water
of the Spirit be the predominant. But a standing puddle will run foul as
long as it runs, corruption goes through all. It is not a corner of the
heart, but the whole heart.
III. A pure heart is like a running fountain, if it be defiled, it is
always casting out the filth, and is about returning to a right state. But
an impure heart is like a standing puddle that keeps all it gets. If by
temptation the pure heart and affections be stirred, and the filth that is
in the bottom come up to the brim, it hath no rest nor peace in that
condition, but works it out again, and it hath this advantage, that it is
purer and clearer after troubling nor(478) it was before. For much of the
filth would run out that had been lying quiet before. But an impure heart
keeps all, and vents none. If ye trouble it, ye will raise an ill smell,
and when it settles, it falls but to the bottom again, and there is as
much to work upon the next time. In a word, the believer when he sins, and
his heart goes wrong, he weeps over his heart, and has no peace till it be
cleansed. He washes in the fountain of Christ’s blood. When a natural
transgression gets up, he sets himself against it and the root of it both,
and bears down the original corruption, which is the fountain of all sin
(Psal. li. 5), and at every descent he brings away something of that
puddle. He is upon the growing hand by the exercise of faith and
repentance. Look upon him after he has seen and been sensible of his sins,
and ye would say it is not the man ye saw. He hates sin more than he did
formerly. We also notice,
IV. That purity is sincerity and uprightness (James iv. 8), “Purify your
hearts, ye double minded.” Hypocrisy is filthiness and abominable to God.
He then is a sincere man, that hath any honesty of heart toward God. When
his actions are not right, his heart doth not approve them, Rom. vii. When
he cannot come up to his duty, his desire comes before performance. A
sincere man hath a respect to all God’s commandments.
V. The pure man is still purifying himself “even as God is pure.” As he
who hath called him is holy, so he is holy in all manner of conversation.
He never thinks he is clean enough, and so he aspires after greater
purity, and is named a saint, rather from his aim and endeavour, than from
his attainment. He cries, unclean, unclean, am I, and holy, holy, Lord
God, art thou. He hath taken up his lodging near the opened fountain, and
dwells there, never to remove thence, till he have his robes clean and
white in the blood of the Lamb. No unclean thing can enter into heaven,
and he is trimming himself against that day, and setting apart all
superfluity of naughtiness, and filthiness, and still all his
righteousness is as menstruous rags. He is cleansing his house, every day
casting out something, searching out all the corners of it, lest the
unclean thing, and the Babylonish garment be hid. His pattern is to walk
even as Christ walked, 1 John ii. 6.
Now faith and a good conscience have influence on this purifying the
heart. I. Because faith lays hold upon the cleansing virtue of Christ’s
blood. It applies Jesus Christ who came by water and blood, and his blood
purges the conscience from dead works, to serve the living God. The blood
that was offered up by the eternal Spirit, of how great virtue must it be
when applied to the heart and conscience, Heb. ix. 14. No wonder it makes
that like wool which was formerly like scarlet. Now faith in Jesus Christ
applies that blood. It is the very hand that sprinkles it. Faith takes up
house beside the opened fountain, and dwells there. Faith takes Jesus for
sanctification as well as justification, 1 Cor. i. 30. Faith looks upon a
judicial union with Christ crucified, and sees his perfect offering once
offered to sanctify all, and therefore makes continual applications with
David, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean, wash me, and I shall
be whiter than the snow.” II. Faith purifies the heart, because it lays
hold on the promises, and makes use of the word, 2 Cor. vii. 1. Faith
having such promises, cleanses the man from all filthiness of the flesh
and spirit. The proper order of faith is the word, and the word is the
truth by which we are sanctified and made clean, John xvii. 17. There are
many precious promises of sanctification and holiness, and faith draws the
virtue of purifying the heart out of the promises, and applies the promise
to his impure heart, and it is purged. III. Faith purifies the heart also
by provocation and upstirring, in as far as it gives the answer of a good
conscience. For the man who hath gotten a solid answer to all his
objections in Christ’s blood, and hath the continual feast of joy and
peace in believing, O how will he abhor himself, and repent in dust and in
ashes! Faith takes up God’s holiness and purity, and loathes itself with
Job, and cries, unclean. The believer will thus reason and conclude,—shall
I any more delight and live in sin, since I am dead unto it by Jesus
Christ? Rom. vi. 1, 2. He falls in with the beauties of holiness, and so
cannot abide his own. Faith begets hope, and hope purifies the heart.
Shall then the man who expects to see God, and be a citizen of the new
Jerusalem, where no unclean thing can enter, shall he walk in his former
lusts, like the wicked world, and not make himself ready for the
continuing city he goes to, and adorn himself for the company of the
blessed God and angels?
Let us now conclude, by applying all which hath been said in some uses.
Use I. We may see from what hath been hinted, how little faith is among
you. Faith purifies the heart, but if ye examine yourselves, your hearts
will be found unclean, and such as the Holy Ghost cannot dwell in. The
temple in which God’s Holy Spirit resides must touch no unclean thing, 2
Cor. vi. 16, 17. Are not many men’s corruptions rank and lively? Unclean
hands are an infallible demonstration of an unclean heart, James iv. 8.
These things which proceed out of the heart may teach you what is within
the heart. The streams may let you know what is in the fountain Mark vii.
15-22, James iii. 11, 12. What need ye any more proof of yourselves?
Sinners, look to your hands, and your outward man, and learn from them to
know your hearts. These things proceed out of the heart and defile the
whole man. The profanity of the most part of men’s practices, cursing and
swearing &c., is a bitter stream that cannot proceed from a good fountain.
It is a wonder how the world satisfy themselves with a dream of faith.
What influence hath your faith had upon your heart and conversation? Are
ye not as earthly and worldly as ever, as unclean as ever? Ye think your
hearts good, but if your conversation be not good, your hearts are not
good. Will any person think his sins are pardoned, when he wallows in
them? Do they believe they shall obtain the remission of these sins they
are not purging themselves from? No, no, the blood and water must go
together and the Spirit’s sanctifying with Christ’s justifying.
Use II. The children of God may hence gather the ground and reason of
their little progress in sanctification. Why are your hearts so unclean,
and why is there so much corruption yet living in your thoughts and
affections, that it cannot keep within the heart, but, as a full fountain,
must run out in streams of external actions? It is even this, ye do not
believe much, and though this be told you, yet ye will not believe it; ye
take ways of your own to purge out your corruptions, and it will not do.
All your resolutions, prayers, sad experiences, &c., are of no more virtue
than the blood of bulls and goats. Ye must then apply the blood of the Son
of God, which was offered up by the eternal Spirit. It is but a poor fancy
to suspend believing till ye see a pure heart. How shall ye get a pure
heart? Is it not folly to forbear planting till ye see fruits, or to pluck
up your tree because it bears not the first day? Abide in Christ, and ye
shall bring forth much fruit. Believe, and believe, and believe again,
till faith be answered by a good conscience, till that sweet echo be given
unto the Lord’s comforting voice, “Thy sins, which are many, are forgiven
thee.” Be much in laying hold upon the precious promises, and then your
heart shall fall out of love with this present evil world, and shall
relish spiritual things. But who will believe this report? Ye go away
convinced that this is the only way to purify yourselves, and yet ye
continue puddling in your old way. May God persuade your hearts to do
better.
Sermon XIV.
1 Tim. i. 5.—“Now the end of the commandment,” &c.
Fifthly, Faith purging the conscience, and purifying the heart, works by
love. Love is the fruit of faith. Love is the stream that flows out of a
pure heart and a good conscience. By love, we mean principally love to
God, or Jesus Christ, and then love to the saints next to our Saviour.
This is often mentioned in scripture, “Hope maketh not ashamed, (Rom. v.
5) because the love of God is shed abroad in your hearts by the Holy
Ghost.” This love is the consequence of the peace which a justified man
obtains by faith, Rom. v. 1, 2; 2 Cor. v. 14. The constraining love of
Christ flows from this ground, that a man judges Christ to have died for
him, from faith’s taking up of Christ in that noble expression of his
love, (John v. 40, 42.) “And ye will not come unto me that ye may have
life. I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you.” Faith works by
love. Love is faith’s hand put out in action for Christ, and as the mind
commands the outward man, whether it will or not, so doth faith command
love, Eph. iii. 17. The rooting and building up in love is a fruit of
Christ’s dwelling in the heart by faith. Love is the branch that grows in
faith’s root. These are often joined together, and comprehend the
substance of the law and gospel, 1 Tim. i. 14, 2 Tim. i. 13. Faith fulfils
the obedience to the gospel, and love is the fulfilling of the whole law,
(Rom. xiii. 10) so that faith leads a man back again to the command, that
he fled to faith from. Faith hath reconciled them and taken up the
difference. We shall then show how faith and a good conscience and a pure
heart contribute to love.
First, Faith is the eye and sense of the soul to take up Jesus Christ.
Nothing is loved but as it is known and apprehended to be good. The
affections of themselves are blind, and cannot go forth but as led by the
direction of faith. Faith is the mind to present love’s object. The world
sees no beauty nor form in the commands, that they should desire them.
Even Jesus Christ himself is but foolishness to a natural mind, he neither
knows his need of him, nor Christ’s suitableness to his need. But faith is
the first opening of the eyes, when we are turned from darkness to light,
and from the power of sin and Satan unto God, Acts xxvi. 18. Christ
becomes the believer’s wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and
redemption, 1 Cor. i. 30. The day spring from on high visits them who sit
in darkness, to guide their feet in the way of peace, Luke i. 78, 79. The
light of the knowledge of the glory of God shining in the face of the Sun
of righteousness, doth arise and shine into their hearts. The man sees
himself in a dangerous condition, and says, Oh I where am I? And faith
discovers, on the other hand, all things in Christ Jesus suitable to such
a case. He sees nothing but vanity, emptiness, and misery, sin, and
condemnation in the creature, he sees grace, mercy, holiness,
righteousness and free salvation in Christ. Set these beside one another,
and judge ye if the soul cannot choose to run out in affection and longing
desire. Oh! says he, to be one with him. Faith presents all the motives
and attractives of the heart, and then there needs no more to make it
love. Faith discovers a man’s self unto himself, and lets him see all
misery within, complete woe within doors, and it holds forth bread without
the ports(479) for the saint, and salvation for the lost. It brings in an
amiable person, who is fairer than the children of men, who is all love,
and hath no spot in him. Is it not a sweet word, a Redeemer to captives,
a Saviour to sinners? And will not the soul rise up, and go forth out of
itself? And will it not choose to flit(480) unto him who is the desire of
all nations? Will it not go unto him for food and clothing? Love then is
the soul’s journey and motion towards Jesus, whom faith hath brought in
such a good report of. But,
Secondly. When faith hath given the answer of a good conscience, and
brought Jesus nearer hand to the soul, or the soul nearer unto him, then
love is stronger, and grows like a fire that many waters cannot quench.
It is like jealousy, that is cruel as the grave, many floods cannot drown
it. Union is the ground of love, union in nature, or sympathy, or
likeness, is the ground of affection. According as faith brings Christ
nearer to the heart, the flame increases. All things are desired and
loved as good, but more desired, as not only good in themselves, but good
unto us. Gold in the Indies will not much move the heart, but bring it
hither, and ye shall see who loves it. The first act of faith puts a man
in great need of a Saviour, and discovers a possibility of redemption
through Jesus, and in so far he is loved. But when once faith has gone
that length as to make a good conscience, and to calm and silence the woes
of a troubled mind, by the actual application of that desired possible
redemption, and when it can particularly apply the common salvation, O
then what burning affection! “Who is a God like unto thee, who pardoneth
iniquity, and passest by the transgression of his heritage, because he
delights in mercy?” “Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none
upon earth that I desire besides thee.” “I will love the Lord, because he
hath heard my voice, I will call upon him so long as I live,” as if it had
never loved before. They will love much to whom much is forgiven. Love,
without such a faith, is full of jealousies and suspicions, but when faith
hath brought in Christ to dwell in the heart, then it is rooted and built
up in love, (Eph. iii. 17) and then perfect love casts out fear, 1 John
iv. 18. Love before such an assurance, is but a tormenting love, and hath
much fear in it, saying, “Oh I may want him, and then I will be more
miserable than if I had not known him.” But faith, giving the answer of a
good conscience, casts out horror and fear, and then perfects love, and
the soul then closes with Christ as a Mediator and friend, and closes with
God as a merciful Father, now reconciled unto him through Christ, and not
any more as a stern or severe Judge. But,
Thirdly. When faith hath purified the heart, and cleansed the affections,
then the soul burns with a purer flame of affection and zeal to God, and
is, as it were, delivered from the earthly weight put upon it. When the
heart is purified, love is like the flame, whereas, if he be not so
purged, there may be some heat and fire latent in the ashes, covered with
corruption. But a pure heart is a spiritual heart, and minds spiritual
things, (Col. iii. 1) and it is a heart going back unto its own place,
Christ hath touched it with his own heart, and with his salvation, and it
looks aye(481) sure to him in the heavens. The love of the world is
inconsistent with the love of the Father, 1 John ii. 15. The love of the
world plucks the heart downward, and the lusts of the flesh are so many
weights upon the believer, that he can not mount up in a spiritual cloud
of divine affection to Jesus Christ. But the pure and spiritual heart is
now more refined, and delivered from these impediments, and it is like a
pure lamp of oil burning upward. When a man’s heart is engaged to any
thing of this world, love cannot be perfect. For love is a man’s master,
and no man can serve two masters.
Sermon XV.
Matt. vi. 33.—“But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his
righteousness,” &c.
This is a part of Christ’s long sermon. He is dissuading his disciples and
the people from carnal carefulness and worldly mindedness. The sermon
holds out the Christian’s diverse aspects towards spiritual and external
things. What is the Christian’s disposition in regard to the world, how
should he look upon food, raiment, and all things necessary in this life?
“Be careful for nothing.” “Take no thought for your life, what ye shall
eat, or drink,” &c. “Seek them not as your chief good.” But what is his
disposition towards spiritual and eternal things, and how ought ye to look
upon them? “Seek them, set your heart upon them, look upon them as your
treasure, and where your treasure is, let your heart be there also.” So
then you see here two callings and employments of a man in the world,—two
universal callings that comprehend all men, one natural to us, and
unlawful, the other divine, and lawful, the one paganish, the other
Christian. What is the employment of all men out of Christ? There are many
different callings and employments among men. One spends his time and
thoughts one way, and another another way, but all of them agree in one
general, whatever they are: Their heart is here. The thoughts they have
are bounded and circumscribed in this present world. They are careful for
nothing else but what concerns their back and belly,(482) or their name
and credit. Take the best of them, whose employment seems most abstracted
from the common affairs and distractions among men, yet their affections
run no higher than this present world. On the other hand, what should be
the exercise and employment of a Christian? It is even this, whatever he
be, or whatever his occupation be among men, he drives a higher trade with
heaven, that should take him up. The world gets but his spare hours. He is
upon a more noble and high project. He aspires after a kingdom. His heart
is above where Christ is, and where his treasure is. And these things
exhaust his affections and pains. Christ Jesus once takes the man’s heart
off these baser things, that are not worthy of an immortal spirit, let
be(483) a spirit who is a partaker of a divine nature. But because the
creature cannot be satisfied within itself, its happiness depends upon
something without itself, (and this speaks out the vanity of the creature,
and something of God, that is peculiar to him, to be self sufficient,)
therefore Christ changes the object of the heart, and fixes the spirit
upon a nobler and divine exercise. Since the spirit of a man cannot abide
within doors without starving, it must run out upon something, therefore
Jesus Christ hath described its bounds and way, its end and period.
Before, a man sought many things, because not one was satisfying, that the
want of one might be supplied by another; and therefore he was never near
the borders of contentment and happiness, because still a thousand things
are wanting. But now, Christ puts the soul upon a satisfying and self
sufficient object. And here the streams of affection may run in one
current, and need not divide or go contrary ways.
_First_: We have here then the Christian’s calling and employment in this
world, opposed to the carefulness and worldly mindedness of the men of
this world, “Seek ye the kingdom of God.” _Secondly_: His encouragement
and success in two things, one is expressed, the other implied. That which
is expressed, is seeking the kingdom of God, of grace and glory. If ye
seek this kingdom, all temporal things shall be laid to your hand, all
these things that ye need “shall be added unto you.” The other imported
is, ye shall get the kingdom who seek it. For the words, “added unto you,”
suppose the first and principal intent to be gotten. Then the Christian’s
success and encouragement is this, ye shall have the thing ye seek and
more also. It was said to Solomon, “Because thou hast sought wisdom,
therefore thou shalt get all other things.” Because, O Christian, thou
sought the kingdom of God, and not this present world which Satan is
prince of, therefore thou shalt get according to thy word, and thou shalt
also get what thou asked not, 1 Kings iii. 11-13. He hath success in the
main business, and there is a superplus besides, some accession to his
portion, that comes of will, so to speak. The kingdom of God in the New
Testament is sometimes restricted to the elect, the word of the gospel,
and the administration of it, by the Spirit of grace in the hearts of his
people. This is frequently called “the kingdom of heaven,” and “of God,”
Matth. xiii. 33. Sometimes the kingdom of God is taken for the state of
grace, a new principle of spiritual life, that grows up to the perfect
day, and this kingdom is within us, Luke xvii. 21. It is taken also for
heaven, the kingdom of glory, Luke xxii. 16. Both these must be sought
after, (Luke xii. 31.) and received, (Luke xviii. 17.) and must suffer
violence, Matth. xi. 12. The righteousness thereof may be taken for the
righteousness of God by faith, Rom. x. 3, chap. iii. 21, 22, 2 Cor. v. 21,
Rom. iv. 11, 13, Rom. ix. 30, chap. x. 6, Heb. xi. 7, Phil. iii. 9.
We would observe here: I. That the Christian his name and occupation is to
be a wanter and a seeker. II. The great exercise and employment he should
have in this world, that which should swallow up his affections, thoughts,
and endeavours, should be the kingdom of God and his righteousness, which
is clearly expressed in three things: 1. His first and chief care should
be to be at peace with God, and to be adorned with Christ’s righteousness;
2. To have the kingdom of God within him, a throne of judgment erected for
Christ to rule the whole man, by his Spirit according to the word; 3. To
be made an heir here, and a possessor hereafter, of the everlasting
kingdom of glory; 4. No man can either be a subject of God’s gracious
kingdom here, or his glorious kingdom hereafter, without the imputed
righteousness of the Son of God, and whoever seeks righteousness must also
seek the kingdom of God. These are joined together, and there is a great
opposition between seeking of the world, and seeking grace and glory.
Whoever is careful in these things cannot be diligent here. But rather
seek the kingdom of God (Luke xii. 31) also implies, 5. That whatever a
man be, or his profession be, except he seek this way of righteousness,
and yield himself unto God’s kingdom of grace, and unless Christ rule in
him, he is but a pagan, or infidel Gentile, in God’s account. We return to
the first of these, namely: