Doct. 2. That there is a sensible difference between the godly and the wicked in their several duties and performances.
1. Why it is so?
2. What is the difference?
First, Why the children of God act in a different manner than the wicked?
Ans. They have another nature, and other assistance.
1. They have another nature than wicked men. Water can rise no higher than its fountain; acts are according to their causes; nature can but produce a natural act. The children of God have the spirit of grace bestowed upon them: Zech. xii. 10, 'I will pour upon them the spirit of grace and of supplication.' First of grace, then of supplication; therefore their addresses come out of a principle of grace. A new work requires a new nature. As Christ spake in the matter of fasting: Mat. ix. 12, 'New wine must not be put into old bottles;' new wine and old bottles will never suit. Duties well done will make natural men either weary of their natural estate, or their natural estate will make them quite weary of their duty.
2. They have other assistance. The children of God have a mighty Spirit to help them: Jude 20, 'Praying in the Holy Ghost.' They pray not merely by the strength of parts, but by the Spirit. Natural men have only the rigour of natural parts, and some general assistance, whereby their gifts are heightened for the use of the church and good of the body, but they have not the special operation of the Holy Ghost; therefore, let them do what they can, they can never get up their worship to that height and latitude unto which godly men are raised. Look as in Elijah's time, 1 Kings xviii. 38, there was a contest between him and Baal's priests, the fire came down and devoured Elijah's sacrifice. But Baal's priests might fetch blood from themselves, but not fire from heaven; so carnal men may force nature, beat themselves, cut their flesh, but their sacrifice will not burn; there is no holy flame by which their hearts are heightened and carried out as christians; they act in their own strength, and to their own ends, therefore there must need be a difference.
Secondly, Wherein lies the difference between the worship of the godly and the worship of carnal men that live in the church? I answer, In three things mainly - in the principle, in the manner, and in the end.
1. In the principle. Natural men do nothing out of the constraints of love, but out of the enforcement of conscience; duty is not their delight, but burden. Cain's sacrifice was tendered rather like a fine, than an offering; so are all their services. There are several sorts of principles of worship: some are altogether false and rotten, some tolerable, some good, and some are excellent.
[1.] Some are altogether false and rotten; as custom, and the statutes of men. Thus it is with wicked men, there is more of conformity than devotion; their worship is not so much an act of religion as of man observance. Men do as they learn of their fathers, or as authority commands, or as others expect from them.
[2.] Some principles are more tolerable; as enforcement of conscience, fear of eternal torment, natural desire of welfare and salvation. Men must pray, and keep up some worship, else they are afraid they shall be damned. Alas! this is but a natural act of self-love Our salvation is never regularly desired but with subordination to God's glory. Or else they do it out of hope of temporal mercies. Men pray that God may bless them in their calling; constant observation of worship brings in a blessing, therefore they pray out of such a low end: Hosea vii. 14, 'They howl upon their beds,' saith the prophet, 'for corn, wine, and oil.' This is but a brutish cry: beasts will howl for things they stand in need of; so men may pray for outward conveniences without any grace. Consider, God's worship must not have an end beneath itself. We act preposterously, and not according to the laws of reason, when the means are more noble than the end, and worship is prostituted to such a base end as merely to serve our outward conveniences; when self is the end of prayer, it is not worship, but self-seeking. All gracious actions are to have a reference and ordination to God, therefore the spiritual life is called 'a living to God,' Gal. ii. 10; much more acts of worship, which are more raised operations of the spiritual life; there the addresses are more directly to God, and therefore must not be prostituted to a common use.
[3.] There are some good and sound principles, though in the lower form of good things; that is, when duties are done out of an enlightened conscience, and with respect to the command, and the general rewards and compensations of religion. It is true, acts thus done, upon these principles, are rightly done, because they are done in faith and obedience, which is that which constitutes and makes up the essence of a religious act; and usually these are the first dispositions of the soul after grace is first received. Therefore the apostle saith, 'He that cometh ' - proserchomenos, or is coming on - 'to God,' his main work is to 'believe that God is, and that God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him,' Heb. xi. 6. He is to act his faith upon the reward God hath promised, and obedience upon the duty he hath required.
[4.] There are more excellent and raised principles of worship; and that is when duties are done out of a grateful remembrance of God's mercy to us in Christ, to testify our thankfulness to God: Luke i. 74, 'That we, being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear;' or else when they are done out of a pure love to God, because we delight in his presence. Job xxvii. 10 makes that the note of a hypocrite, 'Will he delight himself in the Almighty? will he always call upon God?' A vile carnal man, natural conscience will make him call upon God in his straits but doth he this out of delight? or else from the excellency and sweetness of the work of obedience? as, Ps. cxix. 140, 'Thy law is very pure, therefore thy servant loveth it,' when a man can love pure and holy duties because they are pure and holy, and for that very reason. Though there were no heaven nor hell, yet a child of God finds such a privilege in worship, and such a sweetness in communion with God, that he cannot omit it. What delight can be more sweet and ravishing to their souls than communion with God? God usually carrieth men on from one sort of principles to another: first from those that are sinful to those that are tolerable; then to those that are good; then to those that are rare and excellent. First he brings them on from custom to conscience; then from conscience to obedience; then from obedience to delight, to see the beauty of his ordinances and sweetness of his ways.
2. There is a difference in the manner how these duties are to be performed; this is to be regarded as well as the matter. A man may sin in doing good, but he can never sin in doing well. A man may sin though the matter be lawful, for the manner is all: Luke viii. 18. 'Take heed how you hear,' saith Christ ; not only that you hear, but how you hear. A man must not only make conscience of the very act of worship, but of the manner how he performs it. There are several differences between the children of God and others in the manner of worship; it must be done humbly, reverently, affectionately.
[1.] It must be done humbly. It is not worship without it; they have a deep sense of their own vileness. In scripture the saints of the Most High in all their addresses to God, have always low thoughts of themselves; as the centurion Mat. viii 8, 'Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under my roof;' and the great example of faith, Abraham - 'O Lord, I am but dust and ashes,' Gen. xviii. 27. When we come to converse with God, it will put us in remembrance of our distance. Rev. v. 8, 'The elders fell down before the Lamb.' There will be a comparing of ourselves with God. Alas! what is our drop to his ocean? What is a candle before the sun? The children of God shrink into nothing, whether you respect the benefit they receive, or the glory of God's presence in worship. Gen. xvii. 3, when. God came to tender his covenant to Abraham, 'he fell upon his face,' in humble adoration of God, because of the richness of his bounty. So when you consider the glory and majesty of God, you must humbly adore in the presence of God.
[2.] You must come with reverence: Eccles. v. 1, 'Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God.' When you go to worship, consider what you are about to do. We had need to awaken out drowsy and careless spirits, that we may have fresh and aweful thoughts of God in worship. Exod. iii. 5, 'Put off thy shoes from thy feet;' lay aside the commonness of your spirit, and the ordinary frame of your heart. God complains of some that were careless, and brought the sick and the lame! Mal. i. 14, 'Cursed be the deceiver, that hath a male in his flock, and voweth, and sacrificeth to the Lord a corrupt thing; for I am a great king, saith the Lord of Hosts.' Wicked men's approaches are rude and unhallowed, because they do not consider what a great king God is; therefore they will bring less to their great king than to an ordinary governor. We are more slight in our addresses to God than to an ordinary king. Wicked men, that are given up to vain superstition, may seem to be reverent in their gestures, and have more of the garb of religion; but the main thing they have not, - fresh and aweful thoughts of God; they do not come as into the presence of a great king.
[3.] It must be with affection; God must be served with the heart. There are two things notable in the affections, - vehemency and complacency.
[1.] Vehemency: Ps. lxiii. 8, 'My soul follows hard after thee.' A man should not faint when he comes to seek God ; our motion should not be weak, but an earnest travail of the spirit to find God. Wicked men's prayers are but paper-and-ink devotions; they do not lay out their hearts and affections before God. At best, their prayers are hut a little spiritless talk and prattle, and tongue-babbling. The Lord looks after the reaching forth of the soul: James v. 16,' The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much;' deèsis energoumenè - we translate it 'effectual fervent;' the word signifies prayer possessed of the Spirit. Prayer must be full of life and vigour. And ver. 17, it is said, 'Elijah prayed earnestly.' In the original it is, proseuchèi prosèuxato, he prayed in prayer. It was not only tongue, but heart prayer; the spirit prayed while the mouth was praying. The Spirit assists in groans rather than words, those inward reachings forth of the soul after God.
(2.) Your duties must be managed with complacency and delight: Ps. lxxxiv. 10, 'One day in thy courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.' The Lord will have the exercise of your joy. Now, that a man may delight in the worship of God, there seems to be two things necessary: spiritual esteem, that we may look upon it as a privilege that there is more delight in it than in the house of mirth; and a childlike confidence, that we may have some hopes towards God, otherwise duty will be a sad burden. Carnal affections beget weariness; and carnal doubts beget fear and trouble. We have to do with God the fountain of blessing, and with our God. None complain of duties so much as they that have least cause. Men that are most perfunctory in God's service find it most irksome; as those that brought the sick and the lame came puffing and blowing to the temple as if they were tried, and cried, 'What a weariness is it!' Mal. i. 13. Partly because they have no spiritual esteem, and do not know how to value communion with God, what it is for a creature to have such near approach to him. Partly because they have no child-like confidence. Worship returns their fears upon them, and puts them to a new penance, and brings their sorrow to their remembrance; therefore they cannot act with any complacency. Isa. lviii. 13, the prophet bids us 'call the sabbath a delight.' When we rest in the bosom of God all day, there are actual emanations of grace and comfort.
3. There is a difference in regard of the end. Now there is a general and a particular end of worship.
[1.] A general end, and that is twofold; to glorify God and to enjoy God; the one is the work of duty, and the other is the reward of duty. (1.) The great end of duty is to glorify God. Grace heightens all our natural actions to a supernatural intention: 1 Cor. x. 31, 'Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.' Eating and drinking; therefore especially must duties of worship, and those solemn operations of the new nature. Duties of worship and exercises of grace must be to the glory of God. God is said 'to inhabit the praises of Israel,' Ps. xxii. 3; meaning the temple, the place of worship where God was chiefly honoured and praised. Duties of worship are chiefly for the honour of God. Now carnal men have other ends; either they use duty in design as hypocrites; or with a natural end, as to satisfy natural conscience. With a design, which is hypocrisy. Religion is one of the best commodities in his way of trade and commerce; therefore carnal men make ordinances to lacquey upon their private ends; they pray and preach for esteem and gain to set off themselves; they use the holy things of God for some base ends of their own: 2 Cor. ii. 7, 'We are not of those that corrupt the word of God, katèleuontes.' This is the true Simony, to huck out the gospel, and sell our holy things. Hypocrites look upon religion as a device fitted for their turns - Quantas nobis comparavit divitias, or else carnal men use worship for a natural end, which is the worship of a natural conscience, and is prostituted to self-respect. A natural conscience is hearty and real in its worship, but not spiritual, because it merely aims at self, some temporal commodity, or eternal salvation, as a mere hire. O Christians! look to your ends. Many look that the matter be good, that they can raise themselves into any quickness and smartness of affection; but the end is all: Col. iii. 23, 'Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.' Let God's glory be at the end. (2.) The second end of worship is to enjoy God. Many mind duties as a task, and as the mere homage of the creature, and look not upon it as a means of communion, by which God will let out himself to us. This must be your aim, to use duty to further your joy in the Lord. Duty is expressed by 'drawing nigh to God,' Heb. x. 22. You must renew in every exercise your access to God by him. Now carnal men are content with the duty instead of God and satisfy themselves with the work wrought, though there be no intercourse between God and their souls. Therefore a godly man looks at this, what of God he hath found; how he hath come to Christ as to a living stone. You must not be content with the duty instead of God.
[2.] There is a particular aim, and that is always suited to the particular part of worship, and that is a right intention. It is a sign you do not come customarily when you come to seek that for which God hath instituted that special worship. As in the word, the end of that is to submit ourselves to Christ as our teacher or to promote our life or the liveliness of our souls; therefore when you come to be taught by Christ, you come aright to hear the word. And in prayer the particular end is that we may make use of Jesus Christ as our advocate to God the Father, and may solemnly act our graces in opening our case to God. So in the sacrament, when you come to Christ as the master of the feast, to refresh your souls with the renewed sense of his bounty; as Christ said to those that went to hear John, Mat. xi. 8, 'What went. you out into the wilderness to see?' so, for what reason did you put yourselves upon such worship? Well then, see that you offer a sacrifice more excellent than carnal men; look to your principle, manner, and end.
Use. To press you to see that you offer a sacrifice more excellent than common men. Here I shall speak to three cases, concerning the principle, the manner, and the end of duty.
1. For the principle, Whether or no it be not. a mere natural act to eye the reward, and in what manner it is lawful?
2. For the manner, Whether the children of God may not be surprised sometimes with perfunctory deadness, and wicked men may not by some high impulses be raised to some extraordinary quickness and zeal in duties of worship?
3. For the end, Whether the children of God may not reflect sometimes upon a carnal end in the duties of worship, and how far this is a note of insincerity?
Case 1. For the principle, Whether or no it be not a mere natural act to perform duty with an eye to punishments and rewards? The reason of the inquiry is because I pressed before, that duties, for the principle of them, should be acts of faith, love, and obedience, and not merely done out of the enforcement of conscience; and many press men to acts of religion upon conceits abstracted from all respects to rewards or punishments.
I shall answer this case - (1.) By laying down several spiritual observations; (2.) By stating the question.
The spiritual observations are these -
1. To act in holy duties with respect to terrors and punishments is a far lower principle than to act with an eye to the recompense of reward. Why? because it comes nearer to the rack and enforcement of natural conscience. Hope is a better principle than fear. Bare reason will show that fallen man is liable to judgment, and natural credulity doth more easily suit with the threatenings than the promise; for guilt sitting heavy upon the conscience makes the soul to be more presagious of that which is evil than of that which is good; and the punishment of sin is far more credible than the reward of grace. The heathens that had committed sin knew themselves to be worthy of death; so the apostle, Rom. i. 32. And we see by common experience those doctrines that concern the conviction of sin, make a greater impression upon the soul than gospel promises.
2. I observe, that the consideration of threatenings and punishments are more proper for the avoiding of sin than for the practising of duty; for as nature doth more hearken to threatenings, so nature is more sensible of sins of commission than of omission. Duty is an act of life, and tendeth to life; and therefore the proper respect that draws on the soul to duty is the reward, and the proper dissuasive from sin is the threatening and punishment: Rom. viii. 13, 'If you live after the flesh, you shall die; but if ye, through the Spirit, mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.' When the apostle would dissuade them from sin, he lays death before them; when he would draw them to the practice of holiness, then he propounds encouragements of life and peace.
3. That fear which is culpable is rather an impression than a voluntary act of the creature. It is not a fear begotten by the exercise of our faith or thoughts upon the threatening of the word; but a slavish terror is enforced upon the soul by the spirit of bondage and the evidence of a guilty conscience. When the children of God do make use of terrors, they act their own thoughts upon them; as Paul: 2 Cor. v. 11, 'Knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.' The apostle in his own thoughts graciously considered the severity of the process Jesus Christ would use at the day of judgment. But now the thoughts of the curse in wicked men are but involuntary impressions; they care not for duty, and they would not willingly fear the threatening. Non peccare metuunt, sed ardere, saith Austin, they are not afraid to sin and offend God, but they are afraid to be damned. There is impressed upon them, against their will, a fear of damnation, so that they act out of a mere constraint of terror; when they dare not do otherwise, then 'they come with their flocks and with their herds to seek the Lord,' Hos. v. 6. That they do not willingly fear the threatening is plain, because they are so apt to take all advantages to enlarge themselves, and to get free of this awe; for their desire is not so much to please God as to dissolve the bonds of conscience, and allay their own private fears.
4. When natural men look after the rewards and recompenses of religion, they have wrong notions and apprehensions both of heaven and duty: of heaven as the end, and of duty as the means. (1.) Of heaven; they have nothing but loose, sudden, indistinct desires of happiness. Nature poiseth us to an eternal good, for our own ease and pleasure; therefore natural men may have loose desires of happiness: Num. xxiii. 10, 'Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his' and John vi. 34, 'Lord, evermore give us of this bread.' They look upon heaven as a place of ease and pleasure, and therefore conceive some loose sudden wishes. There needs some grace to desire that which is truly the heaven of christians, which is to enjoy God in an eternal and gracious communion; this will require some exercise of faith, and some spiritual esteem. (2.) They have wrong thoughts of duty; they look upon it as a work by which they must earn the wages of heaven. A natural spirit can never be evangelical. Therefore the sure notes of undue reflections upon the recompenses and punishments which God hath propounded are these two - merit and slavish fear. When natural men look upon terror, the spirit is altogether servile, and vexed with such scruples as do not become the liberty of the gospel, or haunted with such thoughts as do not become the tenour of the gospel. Saith Christ, Luke xvii. 10, 'When ye have done all, say, We are unprofitable servants.' Though we look to the reward, yet we should not look for it as a salary from a master, but as a gift from a father. It is mercenary to act for hire and wages, and establish merit in our private thoughts.
(5.) The acts of the creature are never gracious but when they are ultimately terminated on God. When natural men act in the duties of religion, self is always both in the beginning, and end, and middle of the work; they act from self-love, in self-strength, and with self-respects. But in a godly man all his acts terminate on God; he makes God the fountain, the object, and the end of all his duties, and so his acts come to be gracious. But now for the applying of promises there is a great deal of difference between seeking self in God and seeking self in the creature. A hypocrite always looks to self, but it is in the world; he looks more to credit or profit than to heaven or hell. Self-love, which is an innocent disposition in nature, is improved by grace, for when we seek our welfare in God, that is right; for this is one of the ends of religion - to enjoy God, as well as to glorify God.
(6.) The children of God are sometimes stirred and cheerfully drawn out in duties of religion, by the lower rewards and conveniences of the present life, and that without sin. Obedience is their principle, but the concurrence of outward encouragements may carry them on with more facility and alacrity; as, for instance, a diligent servant goes about his master's business readily, but with more gladness when he meets with fair weather and good speed. So we must primarily look at the will of our master, and discharge our work, whatever our entertainment be; but if God give us the advantage of profit and credit, and a good name, we must be more cheerful in his service. A wicked man looks altogether to those outward respects; he is forward when his own interest and God's are twisted together; he may be then carried out with zealous earnestness, but the unsoundness of his heart is herein seen, in that he prefers self before God. When self is severed from the commandments of God, he lets them alone; but the children of God have learned to pass 'through honour and dishonour,' 2 Cor. vi. 8; they still keep on in the way of duty, whatever entertainment they find in the world. Outward conveniences are very useful to encourage us in our way, and to make our duties more dear and sweet to us. Look, as ciphers added to figures increase the sum, so these things that are as ciphers in comparison of graces, yet if they are found in the way of obedience, they increase the sum: Eccles. xi. 7, 'Wisdom is good with an inheritance.' It is good without, but then there are more obligations. The main principle is obedience, and this is but their accidental encouragement.
Quest. These observations premised, I come to state the question, How far it may be excused from a mere act of self-love for a christian to reflect upon the rewards and punishments of religion? Here I shall show -
1. You may make use of them.
2. In what manner.
[1.] You may make use of them. There may be a religious use of punishments and rewards in the matter of duty by natural reason. Punishments are the objects of fear, and rewards the objects of desire and hope, and the faculties may be exercised about their proper object without sin. But, there is an exercise, not only of nature, but of grace. It was an argument of Paul's faith when he reflected upon the day of judgment, 2 Cor. v.11, 'Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.' It was an argument of Moses's faith 'to have an eye to the recompense of reward,' Heb. xi. 26. It is some glory to God when we can believe his word, when we trust in him as one wise to observe, and able and willing to recompense, whatever we do for him. Besides, as there is an act of faith in it, so there is an act of spiritual esteem: it is a sign there is grace, when we can prefer the recompenses of God before present advantages and the allurements of men. And it is an act of spiritual fear to value the threatenings of God before the terrors of men. And it is an act of faith to expect and wait for the accomplishment of these things. It is a prime article to believe 'that God is a rewarder,' Heb. i. 6; and it needs a spiritual eye to see the riches of our high-calling; therefore the apostle desires that God would open their eyes, that 'ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,' Eph. i. 17; that they might be acquainted with the mysteries of the gospel and the rewards of obedience, to keep them still in sight, that upon the encouragement of them we may discharge our duty.
[2.] How, and in what manner you may use them right; for rewards are but encouragements of obedience, not the formal reasons of it. Gratitude, love of God and his honour, these must be the chief incentives, and have the preferment above all self-respect in our obedience. The formal reason of every duty must be obedience to God; but the encouragements are the promises and recompenses.
(1.) You may use them to encourage and quicken a backward heart. We look upon duty through carnal prejudices, and count it a sore exaction, and so draw back; in such a case we may safely use God's arguments as encouragements. God propoundeth them to us in the word, and pleads with us upon this advantage, and seeks to whip us into obedience by the spur of threatenings and hopes. God pleads with his people, Jer. ii. 31, 'Have I been a land of darkness to you? have I been a wilderness?' Is there no blessing grows there? no sun-shine? All the argumentative part of the word is taken from the recompenses and threatenings. Surely it is not good to be wise above the scriptures; we may use that which the scripture useth. Thus the apostle shows he presseth onward upon this advantage: Phil. iii. 14, 'I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Jesus Christ;' the glorious recompenses and high prizes God had set before him at the end of the journey, this made him make progress in the way of religion.
(2.) In the spiritual conflict, to baffle and defeat a temptation. So you may use these rewards and punishments; for herein you do but declare the high esteem you have of your hopes, more than the bait that is presented in the temptation. Let us cast our hopes in another scale: 2 Cor. iv. 18, 'We look not to the things that are seen, but to the things which are not seen,' &c. When things seen come to stand in competition with our high hopes, it is not only lawful but necessary to reflect upon the recompenses. We expect great things from God; he hath promised things unseen. So the apostle, when likely to be discouraged by the inconveniences of this life: Rom. viii. 18, 'I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us.' Moses counterbalanceth 'the pleasures of Egypt, with the recompense of reward,' Heb. xi. 26; and Jesus Christ counterbalanceth the shame of the cross with the glory of his exaltation: Heb. xii. 2, 'Who, for the glory that was set before him, endured the cross, and despised the shame.' What is carnal ease to heavenly pleasure? the fulfilling of a carnal desire to the filling up of the soul with God? This is nothing but a holy design to outweigh a temptation by putting the glory of our hopes in the other scale; by opposing the joys of heaven to the pleasures of sin; and the sweetness of eternal communion with God to the gratifications of the flesh.
(3) To renew the solemn remembrance of your hopes with thankfulness that your heart may the more admire the riches of free grace. By this means the great gospel principle will be the better strengthened, which is gratitude and thankfulness. Now we may be the more thankful, and more drawn out in the admiration of grace. Oh, how should we esteem the Lord's service! He might enforce duty upon us, but he is pleased to quicken us by the reward. Oh, that he should reward such worthless services, and honour our obedience with such recompenses and privileges. This is a right reflection when our thoughts are carried out to the reward, as rather admiring Gods bounty than respecting our own benefit. Gratitude is by this means strengthened, and hath the greater force upon the soul. Gratitude doth not only look to mercies in hand, hut also look for mercies in hope The bird of paradise can sing in winter, faith can give thanks for our hopes before enjoyment. You may say, as Ps xiii 19 'Oh, how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men.' There is not only goodness laid out, and thankfulness for that, but for goodness laid up in hope, those excellences and glorious rewards God hath provided for us, this should put us upon admiring grace.
Hebrews
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