The Christian’s Duty,
with respect to
Personal and Family Religion
~ Part 2 of 4 ~
by Thomas Halyburton
‘
And if it seem evil unto
you, to serve the Lord, choose ye this day whom ye will serve; whether
the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the
flood; or the gods of the Amorites in whose land ye dwell; but as for
me and my house, we will serve the Lord.’ — Joshua 24:15.
I. We shall now begin with the first of them [
i.e., these doctrines], ‘That such as engage in the service of the Lord,
ought to serve him resolutely, deliberately, and willingly.’
T
hat we ought to serve the Lord, innumerable scripture precepts require, and even the light of nature testify.
And that we should do it deliberately and resolutely, our Lord, in the parable of the foolish builder, who counts not the cost,
Luke 14:28, plainly enough teacheth.
Nor is it less plain, that willingness is required in order
to acceptance, since it deserves not the name of service that is
constrained. Where the will is wanting, nothing can be accepted: and
where this is, many imperfections will not hinder acceptance, 2 Cor.
8:12, ‘For if there be a willing mind, it is accepted according
to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.’
But that we may further clear this truth, we shall,
Firstly, Show what it is to serve the Lord.
Secondly, Show what it is to do it deliberately, resolutely, and willingly.
Thirdly, We shall inquire, why we are obliged to serve the Lord willingly, deliberately, and resolutely.
Fourthly, In answer to an
objection that may be moved from the doctrine of faith in Christ, as we
have formerly preached it, we shall endeavour to show, what place there
is for such service in the second covenant, and what necessity of it
even to believers.
Firstly,
We are to begin with the first of these: and, that we may open unto you
this head, we shall comprise that account we are to offer of the
Lord’s service in a few remarks.
And,
1.
Though, by the service of God, the scripture means many things, and
uses the expression in several senses, yet there are three things
principally and mainly called the service of God in the word:
1st. There is the solemn service of God in the duties of his worship; so we may understand our Lord’s words to the tempter,
Matt. 4:10, ‘Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.’
2nd. There is the ordinary service of God in the course of our walk with him: Of this it is the apostle speaks,
Heb. 12:28, ‘Let us have grace to serve the Lord with reverence and godly fear.’ And
3rd.
There is the extraordinary service of God, in some notable duties,
called for of some persons, in some special seasons; and from their
compliance with those duties, they are called the servants of the Lord:
and thus Moses, Rev. 15:3, is called the servant of God,
in a way of eminency. They who got the victory, are said to ‘sing
the song of Moses, the servant of the Lord, and the song of the
Lamb.’ All these three significations are here intended, at least
none of them can be secluded. We must serve the Lord in the duties of
his worship, in the whole course of our walk, endeavouring to do always
the things that please him; and when called to extraordinary duties, we
must not decline them.
2. There are three things requisite to fit a man to serve the Lord, or to
do anything that can justly challenge that name.
Men are not naturally fit for the Lord’s service; and
they far mistake it, who think that they may, just when they please,
put their hand to the Lord’s work, and do it right. Nay, before
ever we can do anything that God will own as service, we must,
1st. Give up with our old
masters. We are all by nature the servants of Satan and sin; ‘For
their servants we are to whom we obey, whether of sin unto death, or of
obedience unto righteousness,’ Rom. 6:16. And no less sure it is, that
we all naturally serve and obey divers lusts: but now we must renounce
these, before we serve the Lord: for we are assured, that there is no
serving two masters. The Lord will not halve it with sin, Matt. 6:24, ‘No man can serve two
masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else
he will hold to the one, and despise the other; ye cannot serve God and
mammon.’ And, I assure you, this is no easy matter to get a
sinner and his old master fairly parted; no less than the mighty power
of God can do it. Sometimes there may be outcasts, but matters are
quickly made up betwixt them, and all agreed again, until God himself
effectually persuade to a separation.
2nd. There must be a fair
engaging to Christ as our Master. We must accept of him for our Lord. A
master will not allow one to come in, and put to his hand to his
service, unless he first covenant and engage to own him for his lord;
and this is no easy matter, to bring a sinner, who is naturally an
enemy, to come this length. To call Christ Lord, is something more than
to resolve, under a conviction, to live better, and serve the Lord:
nay, it is somewhat more than, under some work on the affections, to go
to a corner, and make or write a personal covenant. I fear, personal
covenanting, however good and justifiable in itself, yet is far
mistaken, and much abused by some; while it is made a ground of hope by
some, who never understood what conversion meant, never were humbled,
and taken off their own bottom, and engaged to the Lord by the power of
his grace. If any man think this an easy matter, to call Christ Lord,
he has never yet done it to purpose. I am sure, the great apostle
thought it no easy matter, but a thing so far above the line of nature,
that the work of the Holy Ghost is required to bring us to it, 1 Cor. 12:3, ‘Wherefore I give you
to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God, calleth Jesus
accursed; and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the
Holy Ghost.’
3rd. Before any can serve God,
he must have a heart suited to the word. The carnal man is not subject
to the law of God, but opposite to every duty. Before the fruit be
good, the tree must be good. It is one of the many mad attempts that a
deceitful heart, and deceitful devil, put people upon, under
convictions, to serve the Lord in newness of life with old hearts: but
they who have learned of Christ, Matt. 7:17, that the tree must first be
made good before the fruit can be so, will know other things. First we
must be created in Christ, and then we may walk in good works, Eph. 2:10. Now, not one piece of service that is acceptable can any perform, without these three prerequisites.
3.
That ye may understand what it is to serve the Lord, we shall offer you
this remark, that, before any piece of work performed by us can justly
challenge this honourable name of service done to the Lord, it must
have these six qualifications:
1st. It must be a thing
commanded, otherwise it is serving our own fancy, and not the Lord. The
master’s precept is the measure of the servant’s obedience.
We never find the Lord approving any for doing what he did not command
them; nay, we find him, even when he has forbid things, rather
challenging the doers, because they did what he commanded not, than
because they did what he forbade, Jer. 7:31, ‘They have built the
high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to
burn their sons and daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not,
neither came it into my heart.’ And to the same purpose is Jer. 19:5. ‘Who hath required this
at your hand?’ will one day be the entertainment of such services
as are done without a command. And there is one command that puts them
all to the door, Deut. 12:32, ‘What thing soever I command you, observe to do it; thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.’
2nd. There must be a regard had to the authority of the command in the doing. If men shall, upon sinistrous [
sinister
] motives, as very oft they may, do the things that are commanded, God
will not reckon this for service done to him: men who cannot pry into
the hearts of the doers, may; but such deceits take not with God. It is
not obedience, that is not done because commanded. It is frequently
repeated in the erection of the tabernacle, that everything was done
‘as the Lord commanded Moses,’ Exod. 16:34, and 24:4, &c., and that to intimate, that Moses in every step had his eye upon the command; and so should we, in everything, eye the command.
3rd. Every duty, that it may be
service to God,must be done in the name of Christ, God will accept of
no service but what is offered on this altar, Col. 3:17, ‘And whatsoever ye do
in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to
God, and the Father by him.’ In the name of Jesus is, (1.) By the
command of Jesus, Matt. 12:21. Nothing, I am sure, can be
done in his name, that has not the warrant of his command. (2.) In the
name of Christ is in the strength received from Christ, Luke 10:17. It was the name of Christ, that is the power of Christ, that cured the lame man,
Acts 4:10
; and it must be this that must enable us to duty. (3.) In the name of
Christ, is in a dependence upon him for the acceptance of our service;
for all our sacrifices must be offered upon this altar, which
sanctifieth the gifts that are put on it. (4.) In the name of Christ,
is to the glory of Christ. Nor will any service be accepted, that runs
not in this channel.
4th. Every piece of service,
that God will own as such, must be done in faith: ‘For without
faith it is impossible to please God; for whatever is not of faith is
sin.’ Now, faith looks at the promise as its only security, both
for throughbearing, acceptance, and reward.
5th. Service must be done in the
manner that is required. It is not enough that the thing be done, but
it must be done in the manner that is commanded; for even this comes in
as a part of the command, Psa. 119:4, ‘Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.’
6th. Service must be done in the
proper time. God has filled up our time with work, and every duty has
its own time, and we must do everything in its season.
‘Everything is beautiful in its season;’ and ‘Today,
if ye will hear his voice.’ If the command be, today, obedience
tomorrow will not answer it. If any of these be wanting, then God will
own no duty as service done to him.
4.
To add no more, we offer this one remark, for clearing what is meant by
the Lord’s service; and that is, that one may be called a servant
of the Lord, or claim this title, it is not enough to do some one piece
of commanded duty; nay, nor is it enough to multiply duties.
But,
1st. There must be an equal
respect unto all God’s commands: ‘Then shall I not be
ashamed when I have respect unto all thy commands,’ says the
Psalmist, Psa. 119:6. The heart must be reconciled to all, and count them to be right concerning all things.
2nd. There must be fixed bensail [
inclination ] of will towards a compliance with them all. A servant must have it to say, with the apostle,
Heb.13:18, that he is ‘in all things willing to live honestly.’ And,
3rd.
There must be a constant and permanent endeavour to comply with them.
We must ‘show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope
unto the end,’ Heb. 6:11. And surely, if these few
things were duly weighed, most who have hitherto looked upon themselves
as good servants, would begin to be jealous of themselves, as mistaken
in this matter.
Secondly, We are next to show you what this deliberation, resolution, and willingness is, which ought to accompany an engagement in the
Lord’s service.
As for the
1. First of them, deliberation, we shall open its nature in the few following
observations, in as far as it respects our present purpose.
That what we do in matters of great moment, ought to be done
deliberately, is what none will deny; and therefore none can question
the necessity of acting deliberately, when we engage ourselves to the
service of God. Only some may be at a stand concerning the meaning of
it, which we shall endeavour to open.
1st. When we say that men should
engage in the service of the Lord deliberately, we do not mean, that
they should take a long, or indeed any time, to consider, before they
do engage in the service of God, whether they shall do it or not. This
is only requisite in cases where it is hard to discern what is
advisable, and where duty doth not oblige to do anything presently,
without loss of time. Here all things are quite otherwise: we are born
under an obligation to serve the Lord; and the reasonableness, as well
as advantage of it, are so obvious that to be ignorant of them is to be
culpably blind. Nor,
2nd. Doth this deliberation
import any doubt or hesitation, whether we may do better elsewhere;
this were wicked and highly faulty. But,
3rd. To engage in the
Lord’s service deliberately, is to engage upon knowledge of that
service which we devote ourselves to. It is the sin, the folly of many,
especially when some way convinced of sin, and the bitter issue of its
service, that presently they resolve they will serve the Lord; but in
the meantime they know not what it is to serve the Lord, either as to
matter or manner. Most part think, that to serve the Lord is only to
perform some of the external duties of religion, and that without
respect to any of those circumstances we have mentioned. But all ought
to know who are in case to serve the Lord, what service he requires,
what way he will have it done; and all the particulars mentioned
formerly, when treating of the first general head, for explication of
this truth.
4th. That one may be justly said
to have been deliberate in this undertaking; it is necessary that he
know so much of his obligation, both by duty and interest, to undertake
this service, that nothing that may afterwards fall in his way may be
able to make him think he has acted cross, either to duty or interest,
in the undertaking, or that he might have employed himself to more
advantage otherwise.
5th. A man that engages
deliberately, will look to all the disadvantages, real or seeming, that
attend this undertaking, and know when he engages, that the advantage
will outweigh the disadvantages. And,
6th. A man that engages
deliberately, will know that what he engages in is practicable, and how
it may be done. Upon the whole, to engage in the Lord’s service
deliberately is to do it, after we are acquaint with the nature of the
work, and have so much knowledge of the advantage and practicableness
of the undertaking, that nothing that falls in or may occur afterward,
may be able either to make us repent our undertaking, or quit it as
impracticable. Some know not the service they bind themselves to, and
therefore engage rashly; and when they come to understand it, they find
it not suited to their expectation, and therefore they quit it. Some
know not the advantage of it, and therefore when the service of sin
seems to bid fairer, they rue their bargain; others look not at some
seeming disadvantages that attend the service of the Lord, and
therefore they begin upon sight of them to wish they had not engaged in
it: the Psalmist came near to this, Psa. 73:13. And, in a word, some bind
themselves without ever thinking what strength the work requires, and
where it is to be got; and after experience tells them it requires more
than they have, they are fair to quit it; but deliberation prevents all
these. And thus much for deliberation.
2.
We must engage in the service of God resolutely;
that is,
1st. We must lay our account
with difficulties, not indeed from the service itself, for the
Lord’s ‘yoke is easy, and his burden light;’ but from
our own corruption and enemies, that oppose us in the undertaking.
Every one that puts his hand to the Lord’s work, must lay his
account with fighting, as well as working: he must be like the builders
upon the wall of Jerusalem, Neh. 4:17, work with one hand, and hold a weapon with the other.
2nd. To engage resolutely, is to
resolve not to quit the work upon account of difficulties, or say with
the sluggard, ‘There is a lion in the way, and I shall be slain
in the streets;’ but to hazard all, and so surmount these
difficulties, or die in the quarrel.
3rd. To engage resolutely in the
Lord’s service, is to do it upon a conviction, that we are not at
liberty, upon the account of any real or seeming difficulty, to quit
it; but that of necessity, we must not only engage, but in the
Lord’s strength we must, in spite of all difficulties, persevere
to the end. But now,
3.
This is not all; but further, we must engage willingly in God’s service.
Some do serve, but the want of this spoils all. Now this willingness,
1st. Excludes constraint. We
must not, like the slave that’s bound, engage in the work for
fear of the whip. Some multiply performances, others seriously, as they
think, under awakenings of conscience, or sickness, resolve to serve
the Lord; aye, but it is only fear, either of hell, or the lashes of
conscience, that obliges them to it, cross their inclination: take
these out of the way, and they would not serve the Lord.
2nd. Willingness excludes
selfish regards, such as only eye the advantageous consequences of
God’s service. Some serve the Lord, like Jehu, because they see
it makes at present for their interest; but if it were not so, they
would act otherwise; and some, out of hopes to get heaven for their
service, do the same. But this will not do: this is indeed a kind of
constraint; for, could the service and its consequences be parted, the
service would not be chosen.
3rd. Willingness imports a
liking of the service, as well as the consequences, a suitableness in
the will to the service,which makes even the service itself the object
of our choice, and makes it, even when the consequences are not eyed,
appear agreeable and pleasing; and this can never be where the heart is
not renewed; for ‘the carnal mind is enmity against God, is not
subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be,’ Rom. 8:7. And, therefore, till a day of
God’s power change the heart of man, and create him in Christ
Jesus to good works, there is no possibility of engaging willingly in
the service of God, Psa. 110:3.
Thirdly, We are now come to offer some reasons why we should engage in the service of God, deliberately, resolutely, and of choice.
Of many we name a few:
1. It is suitable to the
rational creature; for we debase ourselves, and act not like rational
men, if we act not resolutely, deliberately, and willingly, in a matter
especially of so great moment. Not to act deliberately speaks us
foolish; not to act resolutely, speaks us weak; and not to act
willingly, speaks us slaves.
2. The nature and honour of God
make such service necessary. That service which is unbecoming a
rational nature, cannot surely be acceptable to God, who is the highest
reason. What is reproachful to the nature of man to perform, must
surely be so to the nature of God to accept. If man cannot act
indeliberately, irresolutely, or unwillingly, without reproaching his
nature, surely the holy God cannot accept of what is so done, without
reproaching his own: and if it be dishonourable for man to perform such
service, as is not the fruit of deliberation, choice, and resolution,
surely it is also dishonourable for God to accept it.
3. The nature of the service requires it; for it is called,
Rom. 12:1,
‘Our reasonable service.’ It is so by way of eminence: and
surely without those three properties mentioned, it cannot deserve that
name.
4. Unless it be done thus, we
are not like to continue in it: and this will be both dishonourable,
and disadvantageous. What is rashly undertaken, is usually quickly
given over; what is irresolutely engaged in, is easily hindered; and
what is the fruit of constraint, cannot be permanent: and this spoils
all; for unless it be continued in, we lose what we have wrought, and
all the length we have gone will not be remembered, Ezek. 18:24, ‘When the righteous
turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doth
according to all the abominations that the wicked man doth, shall he
live? All his righteousness that he hath done, shall not be mentioned;
in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath
sinned, in them sh all he die.’
Fourthly,
The only thing remaining, is to show, what place now, under the gospel
dispensation, is left for this service; and that in answer to a common
objection that is made against it,
upon supposition of admitting the doctrine of faith, some may
say, ‘If we believe, what ye not long ago taught, that we are
justified only by faith, then what need of serving the Lord? What need
of holiness? If the obedience of another must be our righteousness
before God, we may spare our pains; there is no need that we
obey.’
This objection is old indeed, and I may say it is new also.
It is one of the many artifices that the enemies of the grace of God
have made use of for discrediting the justification of sinners before
God, by the imputed righteousness of Christ; and at this day, it is
mightily urged by Papists, Socinians, and especially Arminians, who
swarm in these lands; and therefore, before we come to answer it, we
have two or three things to say in reference to it. And,
1. We do indeed confess, that
any doctrine that has not a favourable aspect upon holiness, is to be
suspected; and we do profess ourselves willing that our doctrines shall
be tried by their influence upon holiness: and further, we do solemnly
protest, that as soon as the charge laid against the doctrine of faith
shall be fairly proven, we shall abandon it. But,
2. We are not resolved to quit
it because some men, whose lives and pens smell not over much of
holiness, are pleased to allege that it favours not holiness.
3. We must say, it seems very
hard to allege that Calvin’s doctrine of justification is an
enemy to holiness, while the opposers and enemies of this doctrine, at
the same time, nickname the maintainers of it, Puritans, Precisians,
and I know not what, because they will not take so great a latitude in
their practice as themselves; nay, frequently, because they cannot get
their walk condemned, they pass a judgment upon their hearts, and usurp
God’s prerogative, calling them hypocrites.
4. We hope to show sufficient
reason for holiness, and to give it a very useful room, though we allow
it not that place which is due to the righteousness of the Lord Jesus
Christ.
What place will you say has it? Of what use is it? I answer by showing,
1st.
What place it has not:
and we say,
(1.) It is of no use in order to merit anything, either in
time or eternity, at the hand of God, it cannot merit or deserve the
least temporal blessing; far less can it deserve heaven, and those
glorious spiritual privileges that are there enjoyed: ‘What! Can
a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto
himself? Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous? Or
is it gain to him that thou makest thy ways perfect?’ Job 22:2,3. ‘If thou be righteous,
what givest thou him? Or what receiveth he of thine hand? Thy
wickedness may hurt a man as thou art, and thy righteousness may profit
the son of man,’ Job 35:7,8. Our goodness extends not to him, and therefore it becomes us when we have done all, to own that we are unprofitable servants.
(2.) Our service we do to the Lord, is not that upon the
account whereof we are justified before God. When we stand at the
tribunal of God, to be tried for our life, our plea must not be,
‘Lord, we have served thee according to thy law.’ This will
stand us in no stead, ‘for by the works of the law will no flesh
be justified,’ Gal. 2:16. Our service, if weighed in the balance of the sanctuary, will be found wanting.
(3.) Our service will not be so much as a part of that
righteousness, upon the account whereof we are to be justified before
God. Christ will not halve the matter so, either he will be our entire
righteousness, or not at all. He will not compound the matter, for so
we should have somewhat to boast of, and should not glory only in the
Lord.
(4.) Sincere service, by the gracious acceptation of God, is
not put in that same place, under the covenant of grace, which perfect
obedience had in the covenant of works. This is contrary to the whole
tenor of the scripture. But what need, will ye say, can there be of
this service, since it is not allowed to have any part in our
justification? We answer by showing,
2nd.
And positively, That it is of very great use, and there is an indispensable necessity of it;
and that,
(1.) Upon the account of the command of God. Now, this binds
still, and would have bound though there had been no reward annexed to
it; and this is still in force, for ‘this is the will of God,
even our sanctification,’ 1 Thess. 4:3.
(2.) It is indispensably necessary, in regard of the
believer’s voluntary engagement to it. When faith once gets a
view of Christ, it says to him, as Thomas did upon another occasion,
‘My Lord, and my God,’ and if once we call Christ Lord, we
thereby bind ourselves to be his servants.
(3.) It is necessary from the new nature, regeneration. Believers are ‘created in Christ Jesus to good works,’
Eph. 2:10.
They are born again; they are partakers of the divine nature. Now, our
Lord assures us, that a good tree cannot bring forth bad fruit. Know,
‘whosoever is born of God sinneth not,’ 1 John 5:18. It is as natural for the new man to be holy, as for the old man to be otherwise.
(4.) It is the necessary result of these principal graces of the new creature,
viz. love and gratitude. Hear the great apostle Paul,
2 Cor. 5:14,15,
‘The love of Christ constraineth us, because we thus judge, that
if one died for all, then were all dead; and that he died for all, that
they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto
him who died for them, and rose again.’
(5.) It is necessary that we serve the Lord, in order to
obtain the great ends which all believers do propose to themselves, as,
1. It is the way to glorify the Lord,
which is certainly the believer’s main end; and hereby certainly
is God glorified, if we bring forth much fruit. Hence that exhortation,
‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good
works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven,’ Matt. 5:16. Again,
2.
It is the way to be made meet for the enjoyment of God, which the
believer aims at as one of his principal and most noble designs. Now,
the more we abound in the service of God, the more meet we are for the
enjoyment of God, who is of purer eyes than to keep up communion with
those who are not holy. Justification is necessary to give us a right
unto the enjoyment of God, and communion with him. Sanctification is
necessary to make us meet for the actual enjoyment of it. Again, 3. To serve the Lord, to be holy, is the
way to perfect our natures, and to bring them to the highest pitch of
perfection they are capable of. This is our wisdom and understanding, Deut. 4:6, and consequently our glory and honour, to serve the Lord. Further,
4.
To serve the Lord, is the way to be useful to others. And this is one
of the believer’s great designs, and it is gained by this; for
this is profitable both for their conviction and conversion; nay, and
many other ways not now to be insisted upon.
(6.) It is necessary that believers serve the Lord, in regard
of the great provision that the Lord has made for them under the
gospel, in order to fit them for this service: there is an abundant
provision of grace to enable them to serve God acceptably, with
reverence and godly fear. Now, upon these accounts, ye may see how
necessary it is that we serve the Lord, though we are not to be
justified by our service. And not a few other no less considerable
grounds of obedience, under the New Testament dispensation, might be
mentioned, were it not that we hasten to the application which now
follows.
It now remains that we apply
this truth: and we shall, in the first place, draw some few general
inferences, for information from the words.
Is it so, that they who engage in the service of God, should do it of choice, resolutely, and deliberately? Then,
Firstly, It is not so easy a
thing to engage in the service of God, as some may think; to get the
will of man, that is obstinately set against God, brought to a
compliance with his will in all things, is very hard: ‘The carnal
mind is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.’And O
what a mighty difficulty is it, do ye think, to do this after a
deliberate view of all the difficulties of this service, and a
discovery of its opposition to corrupt nature? Such of you as think it
easy to engage in the service of the Lord, are yet to begin.
Secondly, No unregenerate man is
aright engaged in God’s service; for no unregenerate man, after a
deliberate view thereof, and the consequences of it, will engage, or
can engage in it; and therefore, Sirs, think upon it seriously, if ye
be not born again, ye are not yet servants of God.
Thirdly, We may draw this
conclusion from the doctrine, that God has no mind to cheat his
servants. All the plot of Satan and sin is to get people engaged before
they think; for if they think, they despair of carrying their point:
but God will have us deliberate. It is the peculiar glory of man, that
he is capable of considering what he doth before he do it, and that he
can weigh all the circumstances of actions; but profane sinners dare
not do so; they dare not go alone, and consider what were the motives
prompting them to what they did, what way they will make their account
to God, what they have to expect after this life is done. To think of
these things, and the like, would make them mad: but the godly man can
go alone, and look to his whole actions, and do it without fear; and
can look to all things past, present, and to come, without
discomposure; and then he chooses the service of God; he does it
deliberately: the Lord will have him to do so, and therefore he knows
he is not circumvented.
Fourthly, We may infer, that there is a vast odds [
difference
] betwixt the service of God, and the service of sin. We cannot become
God’s servants without acting like men, acting rationally,
deliberately, and resolutely: but, on the other hand, there is none can
engage, or continue in the service of sin, but he must lay aside the
exercise of reason, and act like a beast.
Did we not design brevity, we might improve this doctrine many other ways than for information, now discussed,
viz. for trial, reproof, convictions and caution. But we shall waive all these, and only insist upon exhortation.
Is it so, that we should not only engage in the service of
God, but that we should do it deliberately, resolutely, willingly?
Then, my friends, we entreat, and, in the fear of the Lord, exhort you
all this day to make choice of the Lord for your God and Master, and
cheerfully, resolutely, and deliberately, engage yourselves in his
service; and with the people of Israel, say, and hold by it, ‘We
will serve the Lord.’ This exhortation comprises the whole of our
commission from the eternal God to you. If we prevail not in this, we
gain nothing, nor can we do you any service, nor can ye do us any real
kindness. If we prevail not in this, then ye are for ever ruined, and
we have lost our labour as to you, your damnation is sure; the gospel
will aggravate your sin, accent your misery, and we shall be witnesses
against you: surely, therefore, it is of moment, and worthy of serious
consideration, what ye will answer, what ye resolve to do. Instead of
many motives I might use on this occasion, we shall answer some
questions that will readily cast up in the minds of such among you as
entertain any serious thoughts about the matter; and, in the answers to
them, we shall couch motives sufficient, if the Lord breathe upon them,
to persuade the most obstinate enemies; and, if the Lord breathe not,
nothing will be able to effectuate this.
There are six questions will readily employ the thoughts of such as are in earnest about this matter:
Firstly, Who is the Lord, that we should serve him?
Secondly, Will he accept of service at our hand?
Thirdly, Upon what terms will he admit of us?
Fourthly, What work will he employ us in?
Fifthly, Whom shall we be joined withal?
Sixthly,
What wages will he allow? These are the most material concerns of one
that means to list himself as a servant; if he get a satisfying answer
upon all these heads, he must engage. Now, of each of these in order;
and,
Firstly, Some of you will think, Who is the Lord that we should serve him?
We know him not; and we would fain be some way acquaint with him before we engage, at least we would know who he is.
For answer to this, we say, It is very reasonable that ye
know him, to whom ye submit yourselves, before ye do it; and would to
God this method had been still followed by you, and then I am sure
Satan had not this day had so many servants, nor Christ so many
enemies. We cannot pretend to tell what God is; for none can search out
the Almighty to perfection, but only we shall tell you, he has all the
qualifications of a master that a servant that is wise could wish.
1. He is great, whom we call you
to serve. Most kings on earth are but slaves; and to serve most of
them, is but to serve them who are slaves to the basest of lusts; but
‘the Lord is a great God, and a great King, even the King
eternal, immortal and invisible, the high and only Potentate, the
Prince of the kings of the earth.’ None may compare with him for
the excellency of his person. Thus saith the Lord, Isa. 44:8, ‘Is there a God besides
me? Yea, there is no God, I know not any.’ None is equal to him
in the magnificence of his habitation. ‘The heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool,’ saith the Lord, Isa. 66:1. None equal to him in wisdom,
he is the ‘only wise God.’ And as for power, who can
compare? For ‘What pleased the Lord, that hath he done in heaven,
and in earth, and in all high places.’ And, in a word, he is the
only Master, and all are his servants.
2. As he is great and honourable, so he is good. ‘The Lord is good and upright,’
Psa. 25:8,
and in other places of scripture innumerable. The goodness that a
servant would desire in a master lies in three things, and they are all
eminently in God; he is peerless in them all. 1st. He is a good Master, that puts his servants upon no work but what is suitable and reasonable.
2nd. Who bestows on them, when careful, vast largesses, or great proofs of his bounty. And,
3rd.
Who is indulgent, compassionate, and merciful to the failings of his
servants, when they do not willingly commit faults, nor obstinately
persist in them. And in all these three respects the Lord is matchless.
That his work is easy, we shall afterwards show at more
length; at present it is enough to tell that he who cannot lie or
mistake has told us that, ‘His yoke is easy, and his burden
light.’ And who knows not his bounty? Who feels not the effects
of it? His bounty is great above the heavens, and all share largely in
it; for whatever there is of goodness and mercy in the lot of any, that
is the fruit of his bounty. But besides the common effects of it, he
has particular favours he bestows upon such as are eminently faithful.
Look what marks of his respect, and what glorious tokens of his bounty,
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, David, and the rest got, and that
both in spirituals and temporals. Nor is his mercy less to them that
fear him, because of their infirmities. Though he has taken all
imaginable care to caution his people against sin, yet he will not
narrowly mark iniquity with them, nor enter into judgment.
‘Little children, these things write I to you, that ye sin not:
but if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father,’ 1 John 2:1. The covenant of grace is not
behind with the covenant of works in forbidding sin and providing
against it: the whole of it was revealed, preached, and written, that
we sin not: but this is the peculiar glory of the gospel, that while
the law leaves sinners sinking under the curse, the gospel sends and
relieves them, and shows that there is ‘an Advocate with the
Father.’
3. The Lord is a faithful God;
what bargain he makes, he will keep. Has he promised you a great
reward? Ye may depend upon it: ‘He is not a man, that he should
lie, or the son of man that he should repent.’ If he make himself
known to you by the name of God Almighty, as he did to Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob, Exod. 6:3, to make them believe that
what he promised he was able to perform, I assure you, he will not fail
to make himself known to you also, as Jehovah God, that gives a being
to his promise; as he did to Moses, when he called him to see the
accomplishment of the promises made to Abraham, in the deliverance of
his people out of Egypt. But, being satisfied that the Master is worthy
beyond compare, the
Second, question will follow: Will he accept of us for servants?
A question truly not impertinent, after the former answer;
for it is no wonder though any that knows God, or knows himself, doubt
whether he shall be admitted a servant of the Lord; and that they never
saw any difficulty here, we fear not to tell them, that they serve an
ill master to this very day, even the god of this world, the spirit
that works in the children of disobedience. But to the question we say,
1. The Lord has taken some
servants, and owned them as such, even out of the race of fallen man.
We hear him speak of his servant Abraham, his servant Moses, and David;
and that is encouragement to thee: men they were, sinful men they were;
and even the father of the faithful, Abraham, was an idolater.
2. The Lord wants neither work
nor wages for you; the work he gives his servants is even to show forth
his glory; and this is enough to employ innumerable millions more than
have any being. And hence it is, that his servants many times find the
work too great for them, and therefore call in all the creatures to
praise the Lord. So we find the Psalmist calling upon fire, hail, snow,
vapours, &c. to praise the Lord, Psa. 148 ; and he concludes the book of Psalms thus: ‘Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord, praise ye the Lord,’
Psa. 150:6.
Nor is there any scarcity of wages: as he has work for you, so his
treasures are inexhaustible; there is no want of any good thing to them
that fear him, for in him dwells all fulness.
3. We have this more to say for
your encouragement, he will not cast out or reject you because ye are
sinners. Hear what such a one, a sinner, a great sinner, has to speak
to this purpose, 1 Tim. 1:12,13, ‘I thank Christ
Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful,
putting me into the ministry, who was before a blasphemer, and a
persecutor, and injurious.’ See a sinner made a servant, and one
of the first rank made a prime minister.
4. We have this further to answer, he calls you to his service; be then of good courage; arise, for the Master calls thee.
Matt. 11:29,
‘Take my yoke upon you,’ says our Lord: there is an
invitation. The encouragement follows, ‘And ye shall find rest to
your souls.’ And the reason is subjoined, ‘For my yoke is
easy, and my burden light.’
Thirdly, Ye may next inquire: Upon what terms?
I see he will admit but, maybe, the terms are too high. Nay,
this shall not hinder, if ye have a mind; for there is nothing more
engaging and reasonable than they are. And I shall shortly lay before
you these six particulars, as the terms whereon he will admit you:
1. Ye must renounce your old
masters. Ye cannot serve two masters; and therefore, if ye choose the
Lord, ye must abandon the gods whom your fathers served on the other
side of the flood, and the gods of the Canaanites, among whom ye dwell;
that is, in plain terms, ye must not serve Satan, ye must not serve
divers lusts, ye must not serve the world, ye must not serve men; all
other masters ye must forsake, for ‘ye cannot serve God and
mammon.’And sure this is no hard condition, but what every
servant must lay his account with; and none have reason to do it with
so much cheerfulness as they who quit sin.
2. Ye must be reconciled to him
upon the gospel terms. A master will not admit his enemy to his favour
as a servant: who would keep in his house one that has a formed design
to ruin him? Reasonable it is, then, to the highest degree, that before
ye be admitted to the family, ye lay down the enmity that your hearts
are naturally full of against God, and be reconciled upon the terms
prescribed in the gospel, which are comprised by the apostle to the
Philippians in two words, ‘Having no confidence in the
flesh,’ and ‘rejoicing in Jesus Christ;’ which are
indeed equivalent to the other two words made use of by our Lord,
‘Deny himself and follow me.’ ‘If any man will come
after me, let him deny himself, and follow me.’ For what he adds
about taking up the cross, is included in the latter words,
‘Follow me.’ And of the same force are the two first words
mentioned, Phil. 3:3, ‘We are the
circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, rejoice in Jesus Christ,
and have no confidence in the flesh.’ Here shortly are the gospel
terms as to acceptance with God, and justification before him; there
must be no confidence in the flesh, no expectation thence. But what is
that, the flesh, ye will say, on which we are not to rest, in which we
are to have no confidence? I will tell you some things called so by the
apostle, in the following verses of that third chapter to the
Philippians:
1st. He calls church privileges
so, external privileges: ‘Circumcised the eighth day;’ that
is to say, it is not enough that a man was baptised, that he got his
communion, that he is a hearer of preaching, and the like.
2nd. Church membership:
‘Of the stock of Israel.’ A man may be a Christian, and
sprung of godly progenitors, and go to ruin. There are many who may
cry, Father Abraham, may be of his seed, and yet go to the pit
themselves for all that. Again,
3rd. It is not enough to be a
member of the purest church on earth: this is flesh also. Paul was not
of one of the tribes that degenerate; but of ‘the tribe of
Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews.’ A man may not only be a
Christian, but a Protestant, not only a Protestant, but a Presbyterian;
but if he lean to either, he is no servant of God, were he in principle
never so staunch to both; it is flesh, and must not be trusted to.
4th. To be of the strictest
party of the purest church, is not to trusted to; it is not enough that
ye are one of the strictest among the Presbyterians, even one whom the
world accounts a puritan. Paul was of the purest church then on earth,
and one of the purest and strictest party, ‘concerning the law a
Pharisee.’
5th. He not only was of the
strictest party, but he excelled most of them, ‘concerning zeal,
persecuting the church.’ It is not enough to be really of the
strictest party, and even to outrun most of the strictest in duty.
6th. He was not one that was
concerned only for religion, and the honour of his profession, but he
was blameless concerning the righteousness of the law. His religion led
him to respect all God’s commands; and his practice came so near
to his principles, that nobody could lay anything to his charge; great
attainments, but he counts them all flesh; and they are so, upon a
triple account: they are things most of them performed by man, who is
flesh: they are tainted all of them with sin, which is the work of the
flesh; they are done in subservience to a carnal design, opposite to
the spiritual design of the gospel; so that by flesh is to be
understood whatever is done by man, or whatever is tainted by
corruption, and that even after as well as before conversion; for the
apostle excludes from any share in his dependence for justification,
even attainments after conversion, while he says, ‘What things
were gain to me,’ that is, while a Pharisee, ‘those I
counted loss for Christ,’ and then he subjoins, ‘Yea,
doubtless, and I count all things but loss.’ The first
expression, ‘What things were gain,’ was too narrow,
because it comprehends only what he had before; and therefore he adds
this most comprehensive one to supply that, ‘all things;’
and that is the same with his own righteousness, which he would not be
found in, in the following verses. In one word, to have no confidence
in the flesh, is to trust in nothing that can be called our own,
because done by us, that can be called flesh, as tainted with sin, and
done by sinful man. It is not that we are not to prize church
privileges, nay, certainly it is a great advantage to partake of the
ordinances, to be of the purest church, and the strictest party, and
the most zealous of that party, and to be blameless, to be, as we said,
a Presbyterian, and the strictest, is duty, and our honour too: but yet
we are to have no confidence in this; but we are to ‘rejoice in
Christ Jesus.’ If conscience challenge,we are to flee to the
blood of Christ, and sprinkle conscience by that. If we be carried to
the bar of God, and there accused, all that is laid to our charge
Christ must answer for it. If the law require perfect obedience, Christ
has fulfilled all righteousness, and is made of God
‘righteousness to them that believe:’ and this is our joy.
If conscience accuse, and lay a great charge against us, Christ has
died; and this is our joy. If any be so bold as to condemn the
believer, God has justified him, while he raised Christ from the dead,
as being fully satisfied with what he paid on the account of sinners.
And, in a word, wherever we are straitened, there is still found ground
of sorrow in ourselves, but joy in the Lord Christ, ‘in whom
believing, we rejoice with joy unspeakable, and full of glory.’
Now, if ye mean to serve the Lord, ye must, upon the same terms, be
reconciled to him: ye must ‘have no confidence in the flesh; ye
must rejoice in Christ Jesus.’
3. He will admit you to be his
servants upon these terms, that ye comply with all his commands. Ye
must take up his cross, hate father and mother (that is, reject them
with disdain, when they come in competition with him). Ye must cut off
the right hand, pluck out the right eye. But ye will say, This is hard.
I answer, No master will admit a servant, but such as will obey him;
and that these things are not really hard, is plain, if we consider, 1st. That all these things he will have
us to part with, are prejudicial to us: if we must hate father and
mother, it is only when they come in betwixt Christ and us; and we are
bid cut off the right hand, pluck out the right eye, when they offend,
and offend so, that we must part with heaven if we keep them. 2nd. We are only bid do these things,
when the very doing of that which seems prejudicial to us, turns hugely
to our advantage; for if we part with anything for Christ, we are to
expect a vast income, even to a hundredfold in this life, and life
eternal after it. And, further, this will appear both reasonable and
easy. For,
4. A condition on which God will
admit us to serve him, is, that we do his work upon his own expense. If
we go in God’s way, we must go in the strength of the Lord. If we
need, we must come boldly to the throne of grace for grace; and, in a
word, if we mean to serve him acceptably, with reverence and godly
fear, we must have grace to do it, Heb. 12:28, ‘Wherefore we
receiving a kingdom that cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we
may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.’ We must
do all in the name of Christ, and that is, in his strength; for the
apostle elsewhere tells us, that he ‘could do all things through
Christ strengthening him.’And Christ tells also his disciples,
that they can do nothing without him; and sure I am, this is a very
fair condition, for it makes the hardest work easy; it is all one to
call a man with his present strength to a work easy to him, or to call
him to a work far above it, and increase his strength in proportion to
his work. And thus it is in this case; the strength of God’s
people is still kept equal to, if not above their work.
5. He will admit you to his
service, but ye must wear his livery, and that in general is holiness,
for ‘holiness becometh the Lord’s house for ever;’
but more particularly humility; we are bid ‘be clothed with
humility,’ 1 Pet. 5:5. The seraphs have wings to
cover their feet and their face, that is, a clothing of humility in a
sense of God’s glory, and their own imperfections; and we must
wear the same garb; we must not glory in ourselves, or our ornaments;
but ‘Let him that glories, glory in the Lord.’
6. He will admit you to his
service; but then ye must serve him for ever. He will have his servants
to be for him for ever, and not for another; and when all things are as
we would wish about his service, sure we have reason to say, that we
love our Master, and we love his service, and we will not part; but let
every one of us say, I and my seed, I and my house, and all that will
take my advice, shall serve the Lord for ever. Upon these terms the
Lord will accept you.
Fourthly, Will ye say, What work will he set us to?
We cannot tell you all the particulars; and such as are
engaging in service do not expect this; but I will tell ye all ye can
desire about it.
1. It is easy work, in that forecited
Matt. 11:29,30,
‘Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly
in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy,
and my burden light.’ The service of sin is labour, and toil, and
a heavy load: Matt. 11:28, ‘Come unto me, all ye
that labour, and are heavy laden.’ The service of Christ is easy,
and in it his people find rest; a work that is a rest must be very
sweet, and such is the Lord’s work. Would to God we could make
you understand that sweet repose and blessed rest there is in the
service of God! O how engaging it would be!
2. It is a pleasant work:
‘Wisdom’s ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths
peace,’ Prov. 3:17; and in keeping God’s commands, as well
as for keeping them, there is great reward, Psa. 19:11.
3. It is honourable. All the works that the Lord commands, as well as these which he does, are honourable and glorious,
Psa. 111:3.
4. It is profitable. Godliness
is truly great gain: it is profitable for all things; it has the
promise of the life that now is, and that which is to come. If he call
us to any piece of service, all the profit comes still to our account.
If he call us to suffer, ‘then our light afflictions, that are
but for a moment, work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight
of glory,’ 2 Cor. 4:17. And in a word, the man ‘that is righteous is profitable to himself,’
Job 22:2. But,
Fifthly, Whom shall we have with us in this work?
This is a very considerable point, and of great concern,
because servants are not alone in the work, and very much of their
comfort depends upon their fellow servants. Now, as to this, all is
encouraging. For,
1. The glorious Mediator is not
ashamed to serve the Lord: ‘Behold my servant whom I uphold, mine
elect in whom my soul delighteth,’ Isa. 42:1.
2. Angels join in serving the Lord; hence the angel took occasion to prevent John’s worshipping of him,
Rev. 19:10, ‘See thou do it not: I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus.’
3. The saints, the excellent
ones of the earth, are joined in this work; all the general assembly
and church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. So that
we see, as the work is pleasing, so the society is very engaging.
Sixthly, But if we say, What reward may we look for?
I answer, though there were no reward, what is said is enough. But yet we say,
1. There is a reward,
Psa. 19:11. ‘And he that comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him,’
Heb. 11:6.
2. This is a sure reward,
Tit. 1:2, ‘In hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie promised before the world was.’
3. It is a durable reward; it is
eternal; and we receive a kingdom that cannot be shaken, who serve God
acceptably, with reverence and godly fear, Heb. 12.28.
4. So great a reward it is, that
‘Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, it has not entered into the
heart of man to conceive,’ 1 Cor. 2:9. ‘In keeping them there is great reward,’
Psa. 19:11.
Upon the whole, we conclude, that whatever ye can desire, ye have here
for your encouragement. A Master, great, good, and faithful, sufficient
security of acceptance, the terms reasonable, the work desirable, the
company incomparable, and the reward great and inviting.
But, may some say, we fear the preciseness of the way; ye
oblige us to an intolerable strictness and rigorousness in our walk. We
answer,
1. The way of God is indeed
strict, and we can make no allowance for you to indulge any lust, not
so much as to bow in the house of Rimmon.
2. If this affright you, truly
we must say, that all is not right, the heart is not changed; for when
once this is done, the difficulty is over here. But, O then I fear,
says the soul, that I shall not get a perverse heart kept in this sweet
way, which is indeed a way of peace and pleasantness. And therefore,
3. Ye must look to God, that he
may take away the heart of stone, and give you a heart to fear him; for
there is a necessity for it, that the tree be good, and then the fruit
will be so, and never till then. But,
4. It may be, the strictness you fear is not real, but imaginary; as,
1st.
It may be, ye imagine it will not allow you to be joyful; but this is a
fond vain delusion. Religion gives a man the most solid ground of joy:
it gives him allowance to rejoice, it directs how to make joy run in
the right channel, which makes it double; and then it superadds a
command, ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again, I say,
rejoice,’ Phil. 4:4.
2nd.
It may be, ye think it will not allow you the use of lawful comforts:
but this is a vast mistake; it will not allow you to abuse them, but it
bids you use them: ‘Eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine
with a merry heart, for God now accepteth thy works,’ says the
wise man, Eccl. 9:7.
3rd.
You suspect it will not allow you to be civil and well bred. This is a
shameless mistake: true religion makes men the most pleasant company in
the world; it makes them gentle, meek, affable, not soon angry, loath
to give offence, careful to please all men in all things lawful, fills
their hearts with love, and makes them edifying in their discourse.
But again, may ye say, I will never be able for this service, it is too great a work for me. I answer,
1. It is truly said, ye can do nothing. ‘Without me, (says Christ), ye can do nothing,’
John 15:5. Aye, but,
2. It is said to no purpose, unless ye say more,
viz. That the Lord cannot make you able; if ye be willing, the Lord will make you able.
3. God is able to strengthen you
with all might, according to the glorious working of his mighty power,
whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself, to perfect strength
in weakness, and to make the weak as David, and David as an angel of
God.
Now, upon the whole, to reassume my exhortation; my friends, in the bowels of our Lord Jesus, we obtest [
adjure
] you this day, comply with our exhortation, ‘Serve the Lord, and
choose him this day:’ and if not, tell me. All things are fair,
the service, the Master, the terms, the reward; and if ye have a mind
to serve, there is nothing can come in your offer like this. This is
what we seek, God is our witness; it is not yours but you. Through his
grace, were we sure to carry this, we would have it at any rate, and
nothing will please but this. And now, if ye refuse,we take God to
record against you, that ye have had a fair offer, and have sit [ ignored ] it.
Thus far for the first doctrine.
[ To be continued —
Part 3.]
[ Previous —
Part 1.]
