The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning Part 38

Saint-holiness must have a covering above, for it cannot cover our nakedness; and all the songs of those that follow the Lamb make mention of his righteousness, even of his only. The Lamb is the light and sun of the city, the Lamb is the temple of it; in a word, he is all that is beautiful and glorious. Every saint hath put on the Lord Jesus, and is perfect through his comeliness. At least, if the holiness of spirits of just men made perfect be the glorious habit above; yet all the beauty and glory of it is from Christ Jesus, whose image it is, and the Spirit whose work it is. It shall be still true, all-all our righteousness, as ours, is filthy; and all holiness, as it hath a relation to us, cannot please G.o.d. It must be spotted before his pure eyes; but only it is accepted and clean, as it is Christ's and the Spirit's, as it is his own garment put upon us, and his own comeliness making us perfect. It is not so much the inherent cleanness of the Saints' robes that maketh them beautiful in his eyes, as this, that they are washed in the blood of the Lamb, Rev. vii. 14.

Now, from all this we would speak a word to two sorts of you. _First_, There is one great point of religion that is the princ.i.p.al and foundation of all other, even free justification by faith in Jesus, without our own righteousness; and the most part stumble here in the entry. It is the greatest obstruction of souls coming to Christ Jesus, even the ignorant and blind conceit and fancy that almost every man hath of himself and his own performances; the world will not make many believe the half of the evil of themselves that is spoken in the word. If you have a general conviction of sinfulness and misery, yet you think to help it. If you sin, you use to make amends, run to your prayers and repentance to give G.o.d a recompence, and satisfy your own consciences. Speak now, is not this the way you think to be saved? I shall do what I can, pray and mourn for sin; and what I am not able to do, G.o.d must forgive; you will do all you are able or can, and G.o.d's mercy must come in to supply the want of your righteousness. But this is to put a new piece of cloth in an old garment, to make the rent worse. Many of you have no other ground of confidence in the world, nothing to answer the challenge of conscience or satisfy justice, but this,-I repent, I am sorry, I mourn, I shall amend, I resolve never to do the like again. Now, then, from this ground we would declare unto you, in the Lord's name, you are yet unclean, both in persons and actions unjustified, because you have no other covering but your own duties and performances: and let these be examined, and weighed in the balance of the sanctuary, and they will be found light. All your righteousness, saith the Lord, is filthiness; you are unclean, you cannot deny, both by birth and education,-you have often defiled yourselves with sins, you must confess. Now, I ask you, How will you cover that uncleanness and nakedness? How will you hide it from G.o.d's eyes and your own consciences? You know no way but this,-I will pray, I will repent and amend. So then you cover yourself with prayer, with sorrow and tears, and a resolution of amending. This, then, is all your covering and ornament,-something done by you, as many will make the wings of two good works stretch themselves out so far as to cover and hide a mult.i.tude of offences between them. Therefore I declare, in the Lord Jesus his name, unto you, whose conscience must go along in the acknowledgment and owning of your case, that you have covered yourselves with your own righteousness, that you have taken as filthy rags to cover your nakedness and sin with, as your sins are, and so you have made an addition to your uncleanness, you are more unclean by your prayers and repentance than before; and so G.o.d is of more pure eyes than to look graciously on such as you are. You have gone about to establish your own righteousness, and have not known the righteousness of G.o.d, and so you have come short of it; you are yet persons in a state of enmity,-G.o.d is your judge, you are rebels.

It concerns you much to heed this well, to judge of your own actions and persons as G.o.d judgeth of them; for if G.o.d shall judge one way, and you judge another way, you may be far mistaken in the end. If you have so good an opinion of yourselves and your duties, that you can plead interest in G.o.d for them, and absolve yourselves from such grounds; and if G.o.d have not the same judgment, but rather think as evil of your prayers as of your cursing, and abhor the thing that satisfieth you, will it not be dreadful in the end? For his judgment shall stand, and you will succ.u.mb in judgment, since you crossed G.o.d's mind. Therefore we would have you solidly drink in this principle of religion;-that man is so unclean, and G.o.d so abhorreth him, that whatever he doth or can do, it cannot make him righteous; that no good action can make him acceptable, and take away the uncleanness of the evil actions; and that any sinful action taketh away all the cleanness of the good actions. Once believe this,-if I should sweat out my life in serving G.o.d, and never rise off my knees, if I should give my body to the fire for the truth, if I should melt away in tears for sin, all this is but filthy rags, and I can never be accepted of G.o.d for all that, but the matter of my condemnation groweth,-if I justify myself my own mouth proves me perverse: G.o.d needeth no more but my good deeds to condemn me for, in all justice: and therefore it is a thing impossible,-I will never put forth a hand, or open a mouth upon that account any more. I will serve G.o.d, because it is my duty, but life I will not expect by my service; when I have done all, it is wholly mercy that I am accepted, my good works shall never come in remembrance; I resolve to be found, not having my own righteousness. I will appear among the unG.o.dly sinners, as one that hath no righteousness, that I may be justified only by faith in Jesus Christ. I say, drink in this truth, and let it settle in your hearts, and then we would hear numbers cry, "O what shall I do to be saved?"

Now, _Secondly_, As for you who have fled unto Christ's righteousness only, and have cast away your own as dung and dross, as filthy rags; as you have done right in the point of justification, judge so likewise after it. We would exhort you to judge so of your best actions that are the fruits of the Spirit, judge so of them as you have a hand in them.

"All our righteousness." Mark, Isaiah, a holy prophet, joineth himself in with the mult.i.tude. And the truth is, the more holiness, the more humility and self-abasing; for what is holiness, I pray you, but self-denial, the abasing of the creature, and exalting of Christ Jesus? This is the cross that the saints must all bear, "Deny yourself, and follow me." Grace doth not swell men above others; it is gifts, such as knowledge, that puffeth up; charity or love puffeth not up. Men are naturally high-minded, for pride was the first sin of Adam, and grace cometh to level men, to make the high mountains valleys for Christ's chariot; it maketh men stoop low to enter the door of the kingdom. Therefore, if you have attained any measure beyond others, if you would prove it real grace and holiness, do not exalt yourselves above others, be not high-minded, come down and sit among the unG.o.dly, among the unclean, and let not grace given diminish the low estimation of yourself in yourself. There is a growing that is but a fancy, and men's conceit; when men grow above ordinances, above other Christians, and can see none or few Christians but themselves, such a growth is not real. It is but fancy, it is but swelling and wind, and must be p.r.i.c.ked to let it out. A holy prophet came in among an unclean people; he did not say, "Stand by, I am holier than thou." Such a man as can find no Christian about him, even though to the judgment of all others, they seek G.o.d more than he, such a man hath not real solid grace,-his holiness is profane holiness, and proud holiness; for true holiness is humble holiness, and in honour preferreth others.

There is a great fault among those who have fled to Christ's righteousness in justification, that they use to come full from duties, as a stomach from a honeycomb. Ofttimes we make our liberty and access to G.o.d the ground of our acceptation; and according to the ebbings and flowings of our inherent righteousness, so doth the faith and confidence of justification ebb and flow. Christians, this ought not to be; in so doing, you make your own righteousness your righteousness before G.o.d; for when the unsatisfaction in the point of duty maketh you question your interest so often, is not the satisfaction of your minds in duties made the ground of your pleading interest? Give you liberty and access, you can believe anything; remove it, and you can believe nothing. Certainly this is a sandy foundation,-you ought to build nothing on performances, you should be as vile in your own eyes, and think your nakedness as open, when you come nearest G.o.d, when you have most liveliness, as when he hideth his face, and duty withereth. Will filthy rags be your ornament? No, Christians. Be more acquainted with the unspotted righteousness of the immaculate Lamb of G.o.d, and find as great necessity of covering your cleanest duties with it, as your foulest faults, and thus shall you be kept still humble and vile in your own eyes, and have continual employment for Christ Jesus. Your best estate should not puff you up, and your worst estate should not cast you down; therefore be much in the search of the filthiness of your holy actions. This were a spiritual study, a n.o.ble discovery to unbowel your duties, to divide them, and to give unto G.o.d what is G.o.d's, and take unto yourselves what is your own. The discovery of filthiness in them needeth not hinder his praise; and the discovery of grace in them needeth not mar your shame. G.o.d hath most glory when we have most shame; these two grow in just proportion,-so much is taken from G.o.d as is given to the creature.

_Thirdly_, We would also press you from this ground to long much to be clothed upon with immortality, to put off the filthy rags of time and earth-righteousness, and to be clothed upon with the white robes of the righteousness of the saints. As you would dwell near the fountain here, and be still was.h.i.+ng your garments, and offering all your sacrifices in him who sanctifieth all, so would you pant and thirst for this spotless garment of glory. Glory is nothing but perfect holiness, holiness washen and made clean in the Lamb's blood. Your rags are for the prison and for sojourning; when you come to your Father's house, your raiment shall be changed. Therefore, Christians, every one of you aspire higher. Sit not down in attainments; forget what is behind, and press forward. Let perfect holiness be in your eye and purpose, sit not behind it. All our time-duties have much filthiness,-long for the pure stream that waters the city above. Grace is not in its native place, it is corrupted and mixed here: heaven is the own element of it, and there is grace without mixture.

Undervalue all your performances, till you be above, where that which is in part shall be done away, where no unclean thing entereth.

_Fourthly_, This likewise holdeth out to you a continual necessity of was.h.i.+ng. You must take up house beside the fountain opened in the house of David; and never look on any piece of inherent righteousness, but see a necessity of dipping it in the Lamb's blood. And therefore should you pray always in Christ's name, that the prayer which, of itself, would be cast as dung on our face, may have a sweet savour from him. Cover your holiness with Christ's righteousness, and make mention of it only.

Sermon XVII.

Isaiah lxiv. 6.-"And we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away."

Here they join the punishment with the deserving cause, their uncleanness and their iniquities, and so take it upon them, and subscribe to the righteousness of G.o.d's dealing.

We would say this much in general-_First_, n.o.body needeth to quarrel G.o.d for his dealing. He will always be justified when he is judged. If the Lord deal more sharply with you than with others, you may judge there is a difference between your condition and theirs, as well as in the Lord's dispensation, even as this people do, ver. 5, 6. It is a strange saying, Lam. iii. 33. The Lord "doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men." That is, as we conceive, the Lord hath not such pleasure in trampling on men, as he might do on the dust of his feet. Though he be absolute sovereign Lord of the creature, and men be but as the dust of his feet, and he may do with his own what he pleaseth, and none ask, what dost thou? yet the Lord useth not to walk according to his own absoluteness,-he hath another ordinary rule whereby he worketh, a rule of justice and equity. Especially in the punis.h.i.+ng of men, he useth not to afflict men for his pleasure, as tyrants use to destroy their people. The Lord exerciseth his sovereignty another way, and if he be absolute and unlimited in any thing, it is in showing mercy on men. But in judgment, there may be still some reason gotten for it in the creature beside the will of G.o.d; so that, to speak with reverence of his majesty, strokes are often drawn out of his hands. He getteth so much provocation ere he strike, and holdeth off so long,-threateneth, and giveth warning thus before strokes, as if it were against his will to lay on, as if his heart were broken with us.

_Secondly_, If men knew themselves and their own sinfulness, they would not challenge G.o.d with unrighteousness, but put their mouth in the dust, and keep silence. And it is from this ground, that this people do not charge G.o.d. Sin is of such infinite desert and demerit, because against infinite majesty, that G.o.d cannot go beyond it in punishment; and therefore Jeremiah, when he is wading out of the deep waters of sore temptation and sad discouragement, pitcheth and casteth anchor at this solid ground, "It is of the Lord's mercy that we are not consumed," Lam.

iii. 22. What! do I mean thus to charge G.o.d, as if he dealt rigorously?

No, no: It is his mercy that a remnant is left,-our strokes are not pure justice, our cup is mixed, mercy is the greatest part. Whatever is behind utter destruction, whatever is below the desert of sin, which is h.e.l.l and d.a.m.nation, all this must be reckoned up to mercy. That I am yet alive, and so may have hope, this is mercy, "For why should a living man complain?"

ver. 39. That a rod is come to awake us out of security, this is mercy, for we might have slept to death. And this wholesome counsel got Job of his friends,-to stay his murmuring and grudging at G.o.d's dispensations, Job. xi. 6. Why dost thou complain, Job? Know but thy sins, and there shall be no room for complaint. Look but unto G.o.d's secrets of wisdom, and his law, and see it is double to what you have known,-your obligation is infinitely more than you thought upon, and then how great and numberless must iniquities be? "Know, therefore," saith Zophar, "G.o.d exacteth of thee less than thine iniquities deserve." G.o.d exacteth not according to law, he craveth not according to the obligation, but bids write down fifty in his bill of affliction, when an hundred are written in our bill of deserving.

So then, complain not,-it is mercy that life is saved. Are you men, and living men? Wonder at this, and wonder not that you are not wealthy, are not honourable, seeing you are sinners: all that came on Jerusalem maketh not Ezra think G.o.d out of bounds, chap. ix. 13. As we are less than the least of G.o.d's mercies, and all our goodness deserveth none of them, so is the least sin greater than the greatest of all his judgments, and deserveth still more. Nay, if there were no more but original corruption common to men, and the filthiness that accompanieth men's good actions, yet is G.o.d righteous in punis.h.i.+ng severely, and this people acknowledge it so. You use to inquire what sin hath such a man done, when so terrible judgments come on? Nay, inquire no more;-he is a sinner, and it is mercy there is not more, and it is strange mercy that it is not so with you also. You use to speak foolishly when G.o.d's hand is upon you: I hope I have my punishment here, I hope to suffer here for my sins. Poor souls, if G.o.d make you suffer for sins, it will be another matter. Though now your punishment be above your strength and patience, yet it is below your sin.

As sin hath all evil in it, so must h.e.l.l have all punishment in it. The torment of the gravel, racking with the stone, and such like, are but play to h.e.l.l,-these are but drops of that ocean that you must drink out, and you shall go out of one h.e.l.l into a worse; eternity is the measure of its continuance, and the degrees of itself are answerable to its duration.

There is much impatience even among G.o.d's children under the rod, you vex and torment yourselves, and do well to be angry. Any piece of thwarting dispensation, that goes cross to your humour and inclination, imbitters your spirit against G.o.d and maketh you go cross to his providence; how often do your hearts say, Why am I thus? What aileth the Lord at me? But, Christians, learn to study your own deservings, and stop your mouth with that, that you may not speak against heaven. If you knew sin well, you would not wonder at judgments, you would rather wonder that you are out of h.e.l.l. Know what right G.o.d hath over you, and how little use he maketh of it against you. When you repine at a little, shall it not be righteousness with G.o.d to exact more, and let you know your deserving better? He that thinketh it rigour in G.o.d to exact fifty, it is justice that G.o.d crave an hundred. If the law require forty stripes, and he give but one, will you not rather commend and proclaim his clemency, than speak of his cruelty?

Wonder that G.o.d hath spared us so long. Sin is come to great maturity. As pride is said to blossom and bud into a rod, so all sins are blossomed and budded into the very harvest, that the sickle may be put in. If we should have cities desolate, and our land consumed, if we should take up Jeremiah's lamentation, and our case be made parallel to theirs, we have then been punished less than our iniquities deserved.

There are some G.o.dless people so black mouthed as to speak against heaven when G.o.d correcteth them, they follow the counsel of Job's wife, curse G.o.d and die. If G.o.d but touch them a little in that which is dearest unto them, they kick against the p.r.i.c.ks, and run hard heads with G.o.d. As we have known some foolish women, when their only child hath been removed, blaspheme, saying, What can G.o.d do more to me?-let him do what he can. O madness and wickedness of men! Cannot G.o.d do more when he casteth them into h.e.l.l? Thou shalt acknowledge that it is more. Some have left off to seek G.o.d and turned profane, because of the Lord's correction but you should know that all that is here is but arles.(309) If G.o.d had done his worst, you might think yourselves out of his common, nay, but he hath yet more to do, the full sum is to be paid. It were therefore wisdom yet to make supplication to thy judge.

But, _Thirdly_, Sins and iniquities have a great influence in the decay of nations and persons, and change of their outward condition, when it is joined with the wind of G.o.d's displeasure. The calamity of this people is set down in excellent terms, alluding to a tree in the fall of the leaf.

We, saith he, were once in our land as a green tree busked round about with leaves and fruit; our church and state was in a flouris.h.i.+ng condition, at least nothing was wanting to make outward splendour and glory. We were immovable in our own land, as David said in his prosperity, "I shall never be moved," so did we dream of eternity in earthly Canaan.

But now Lord, we are like a tree in the fall of the leaf, sin hath obstructed the influence of heaven, hath drawn away the sap of thy presence from among us, so that we did fade as a leaf before its fall, we were prepared so by our sins for judgment,-visible draughts and prognostics of it were to be read upon the condition and frame of all spirits and people, and then did our iniquities raise the storm of thy indignation, and that, like a whirlwind, hath blown the withering leaves off the tree, hath driven us out of our own land, and scattered us among strangers. Sin and uncleanness and the filthiness of our righteousness prepared us for the storm, made us light matter that could resist no judgment, made us matter combustible, and then iniquities, and sin rising up to iniquities, coming to such a degree, hath accomplished the judgment, put fire among us, made us as the birk in Yule even.(310)

_First_, It is familiar in the Scripture that people in a prosperous condition are compared unto a green tree flouris.h.i.+ng, Psal. x.x.xvii. 35.

The wicked's prospering is like a green bay tree spreading himself in power, spreading out his arms, as it were, over more lands to conquer them, over more people, to subject them. And this is often the temptation of the G.o.dly, and so doth the Lord himself witness of this people, Jer.

xi. 16, "I have called thy name a green olive tree, fair and of goodly fruit." This was once their name, though it be now changed. Now they are called a fading withering tree without both leaves and fruit. Now their place doth not so much as know them, they are removed as in a moment, Psal. x.x.xvii. 36. And this comparison giveth us to understand something of the nature of human glory and pomp. The fairest and most beautiful excellency in the world, the prosperity of nations and people, is but like the glory of a tree in the spring or summer. Yea, the Scripture useth to undervalue it more than so and the voice commandeth to cry, (Isa. xl. 6, 7, 8,) "All flesh is gra.s.s and the goodliness thereof as the flower of the field: the one withereth, and the other fadeth, because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it." A tree hath some stability in it, but the flower of the field is but of a month or a week's standing, nay, of one day's standing, for in the morning the gra.s.s is green, and the sun scorcheth it ere night, so that one sun's course shall see it both growing green and fading. So is the goodliness, the very perfection, the quintessence, so to speak, and the abstract of creatures' perfections. Outward accommodation in a world is as fading a thing as the flower is, as smoke is, it is so vanis.h.i.+ng that it bides but a puff of his breath to blow it to nothing.

Job hath a strange expression, "Thou lookest upon me, and I am not," Job vii. 8. The Lord needeth no more but stare on the most durable creature, and look it not only out of countenance, but also look it into its first nothing-look it out of glory, out of being; and therefore you should not trust in those uncertain things, that can take wings and leave you. When you have accommodation outwardly to your mind do not build your nest in it; these leaves of prosperity will not cover you always, there is a time when they will fall. Nations have their winter and their summer, persons have them likewise, as these must change in nature, so must they do in their lot. Heaven only is one day, one spring perpetually blossoming and bringing forth fruit. There is the tree of life that bringeth forth fruit every month, that hath both spring and harvest all the year over.

Christians, sit not down under the green tree of worldly prosperity, if you do, the leaves will come down about you, the gourd you trust in may be eaten up in a night, your winter will come on so as you shall forget the former days as if they had never been. We desire you to be armed for changes; are not matters in the kingdom still going about? All things are subject to revolution and change, and every year hath its own summer and winter, so hath it pleased the Lord to set the one over against the other, that man might find nothing after him, Eccl. vii. 14. Therefore we would have you cast your accounts so as the former days of darkness may return, and the land be covered with mourning clothes.

But would you know what is the original of the creatures' vanity, what is the moth that eats up the glory and goodliness of creatures' enjoyments?

Here it is-sin and iniquities. It was sin that first subjected the creation to vanity, Rom. viii. 19, 20. This inferior world was to have been a durable house for an immortal soul, but sin made man mortal, and the world corruptible, and from this proceed all the tempests and disorders that seem to be in the creation. It is this still-it is sin that raiseth the storm of the Lord's wrath, which bloweth away the withered leaves of men's enjoyments. Sin drieth up all the sap and sweetness of the creature comforts,-it maketh the leaves of the tree wither, drives the sap away to the root, hindereth the influence of G.o.d's blessing to come through the veins of worldly prosperity. For what is the virtue and sap of creatures? It is even G.o.d's blessing, and therefore the bread nourisheth not, but the word and command of G.o.d, Matt. iv. 4. That is a right unto the creatures by Jesus Christ, when possession of them is entered into by prayer and thanksgiving, for all right is sanctified by these, and it is the iniquities of men that separate between G.o.d and them, Isa. lix. 2. And when G.o.d is separated and divided from enjoyments, they must needs be empty sh.e.l.ls and husks, no kernel in them, for G.o.d "filleth all in all,"

is all in all, and remove him, and you have nothing-your meat and drink is no blessing, your table is a snare, your pleasures and laughter have sadness in them. At least they are like the vanis.h.i.+ng blaze of thorns under a pot, and therefore, when G.o.d is angry for sin, men's beauty consumeth as before the moth, Psalm x.x.xix. 11. When G.o.d beginneth to show himself terrible, because of sin, poor man, though of late spreading his boughs out, yet all falleth, and like ice melteth as before the sun, which just now seemed as solid as stone. O but David was sensible of this and could speak from much experience, Psal. x.x.xii. 3, 4. The anger of the Lord did eat him up, and dried his moisture. It might be read in his countenance,-all the world could not content him, all the showers of creatures' dropping fatness could not keep sap in him. G.o.d's displeasure scorcheth so, nay, is within him, that no hiding-place is to be found in the world, no shadow of a rock among all the creatures in such a weary land. Moses and the people knew this well, Psal. xc. 5-9. The Lord's displeasure carried them away, as a flood coming down carrieth all headlong with it, it scorched them and made them wither as gra.s.s. When G.o.d setteth iniquities before him, and that which is the soul's secret, beginneth to imprint it in visible characters on the rod, and writeth his sin on his punishment, then no wonder that days be spent in vanity and grief, since they are pa.s.sed over in his wrath, Job xiii. 25. Then doth a soul loathe its dainty meat, and then doth the ox low over his fodder.

Meat is laid before him, and he cannot touch it, because of the terrors of the Almighty, and that which before he would not once touch, would not enter into terms of communing with, as the Lord's threatenings, he must now sit down and eat them up as his meat, how sorrowful soever, Job vi.

4-7.

But, _secondly_, when sin hath prepared a man for judgment, then, if iniquity be added to sin, this raiseth the storm, and kindleth the fire to consume the combustible matter. When sin hath given many blows, by preparatory corrections at the root of a man's pleasure and credit, it will at length bring on a fatal stroke that shall drive the tree to the ground. There are some preparatory judgments, and some consummatory, some wither the leaf, and some blow it quite off, some make men like the harvest, ripe to put the sickle of judgment into it. The corruption of a land, the universality of it, and formality in wors.h.i.+pping of G.o.d, ripeneth a land for the harvest of judgment,-exposeth it to any storm,-leaveth it open to the Lord's wrath, so that there is nothing to hold his hand and keep off the stroke, but when the wind ariseth, and iniquities have made it tempestuous, then who may stand? It will sweep away nations and people as a flood, and make their place not to know them, so that there shall be neither leaf nor branch left. There is often a great calm with great provocations, and iniquities cry, "Peace, peace!"

But when once the cry of it is gone up to heaven, and hath engaged G.o.d's anger against a people or person, then it raiseth a whirlwind that taketh all away. Now, all this belongeth to you,-we told you the acknowledgment of sin was yours already, and a wonder it is, that the complaint is not ours also. Always this ought to be an admonition and example to us, on whom the ends of the world are fallen. Therefore we would declare this unto you, that sin and iniquities have judgment in the tail. Now you sit at peace, every one in his own dwelling, and spread forth your branches, but is there not much uncleanness among you? We would have you trouble your carnal peace and security, trouble your ease with thoughts of this.

And we have ground to give this warning, because, if there were no more but the iniquity of our holy things-the formality of our service-the commonness of spirit in wors.h.i.+p, this might be enough to raise the storm.

You know not for what reasons to be afraid of judgment. Look but on original corruption, look on the defilement of your religious actions, and then find ground sufficient of fading away. Though now you sit still, and seem to be so settled, as you would never be moved, you dream of an eternity here-you cleave in your hearts to your houses and lands-you stick as fast to the world, and will not part with it, as a leaf to a tree, yet behold the wind of the Lord may arise, that shall drive you away; take your soul from these things, and then whose shall they be? If you will not fear temporal judgments, yet I pray you fear eternal-fear h.e.l.l. May not the Lord shake you off this tree of time, and take you out of the land of the living, to receive your portion? There is not only an universal deadness of spirit on the land, but a profane spirit,-iniquities, abominable sins, abound. Every congregation is overgrown with scandals,(311) and for you, none may more justly complain. We are all unclean, sin is not in corners but men declare their sin as Sodom, sin is come to the maturity-defection and apostacy(312) is the temper of all spirits, and, above all, the general contempt and slighting of this glorious gospel, is the iniquity of Scotland,(313) so that we wonder that the withered leaves yet stick to, that the storm is not yet raised, and we blown away. Now, you are like stones-your hearts as adamants, and cannot be moved with his threatening, the voice of the Lord's word doth not once move you. You sin and are not afraid, nay, but when G.o.d's anger shall join with iniquity, and the voice of his rod and displeasure roar, this shall make the mountains to tremble, the rocks to move, and how much more shall it drive away a leaf? You seem now mountains, but when G.o.d shall plead, you shall be like the chaff driven to and fro. O how easy a matter shall it be to G.o.d to blow a man out of his dwelling place! Sin hath prepared you for it, he needeth no more but blow by his Spirit, or look upon you, and you will not be. You who are now lofty and proud, and maintain yourselves against the word, when you come to reckon with G.o.d, and he entereth into judgment, you shall not stand-you will consume as before the moth; your hearts will fail you-"who may abide the day of his coming?" It will be so terrible, and so much the more terrible, that you never dreamed of it. If the example of this people will not move you, do but cast your eyes on Ireland,(314) who all do fade as a leaf, and their iniquities have taken them away out of their own land. Shall not the seeing of the eye, nor the hearing of the ear teach you? What security do you promise to yourselves? Have not we sinned as much as they? Were not they his people as well as we? Certainly, since G.o.d waiteth longer on you, the stroke must be the greater: provoked patience must turn fury. If you would then prevent this people's complaint, go about such a serious acknowledgment of your sins. "Search your ways, and turn again to the Lord." And let not every man sit down in a general notion of sin, but unbowel it until you see uncleanness, go up to the fountain head, original corruption, go down to all the streams, even the iniquity of holy things. Let every man be particular in the search of his own provocations personal, and every one be public in the general sins of the land, that you may confess out of knowledge and sense, "We are all unclean," &c.

Sermon XVIII.

Isaiah lxiv. 7.-"And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold on thee," &c.

They go on in the confession of their sins. Many a man hath soon done with that a general notion of sin is the highest advancement in repentance that many attain to. You may see here sin and judgment mixed in thorough other(315) in their complaint. They do not so fix their eyes upon their desolate estate of captivity, as to forget their provocations. Many a man would spend more affection, and be more pathetic in the expression of his misery, when it is pungent, nor he can do when he speaketh of his sins. We would observe, from the nature of this confession, something to be a pattern of your repentance. And it is this. When the Spirit convinceth, and men are serious in repentance, then the soul is more searching, more universal, more particular in acknowledgment of sins. These are characters of the Spirit's work.

_First_, The Spirit discovereth unto men, not only sin, but the loathsomeness of sin, its heinous nature, how offensive it is to G.o.d's holy eye. Many of you know abundance of evil deeds, and call them sins, but you have never taken up sin's ugly face, never seen it in the gla.s.s of the holy law, uncleanness itself, because you do not abhor yourselves.

Poor and low thoughts of G.o.d make mean and shallow thoughts of sin. You should be as Job, vile, chap. xl. 4, and abhor yourselves in dust and ashes, chap. xlii. 6. As G.o.d's holiness grew great in your eyes, sins uncleanness would grow proportionably, Isa. vi. 3, 5. And here your repentance halteth in the very entry.

But, _secondly_, The Spirit discovereth not only the uncleanness of men's natures, and leadeth them up to original corruption, but the Spirit also leadeth men along all the streams, not only those that break out, but those which go under ground, and have a more secret and subtile conveyance. It concludeth not only open breaches of the command under filthiness, but also all a man's own righteousness, though never so refined, it concludeth it also a defiled garment, so that the soul can look no where but see sin and uncleanness in its ornaments and duties. And thus it appeareth before G.o.d without such a covering, openeth up its soul, hideth not sin with the covering of duties, but seeth a necessity of another covering for all. Now, therefore, let the most part of you conclude, that you have never yet gotten your eyes open to see sin or confess it, because when you sit down to count your sins, there are many things that you call not sin,-you use not to reckon your praying and repentance among sins. Nay, because you have so much confidence in your repentance and confession, you have never repented. You must see a necessity of a covering of Christ's righteousness above all, faith in Jesus must cover repentance and itself both, with the glorious object of it. But, alas! how soon are many at an end of confession! some particular gross actions may come in remembrance, but no more. Sum up all your confessions, they have never yet pitched on the thousandth part of your guiltiness, no, not in kinds, let be in number.

But, _thirdly_, The spirit convinceth spiritually and particularly both, it convinceth of spiritual sins, as we last said, of the iniquity of holy things, and especially of the most substantial duties, faith and prayer, John xvi. 8, 9. There are not many of you have come this length, to see your want of prayer. No, your own words do witness against you, for you use to say, I pray day and night, I believe in G.o.d with all my heart. Now therefore, out of your own mouth shall you be condemned. When the Spirit convinceth you of sin, you will see no faith, no prayer at the first opening of the eyes. But I add, there is no true confession but it is particular: the Spirit useth not to bewilder men's spirits in a general notion only, and a wide field of unknown sins. And such are many of your convictions. You mourn for sin, as you say, and yet you cannot condescend on a particular that burdeneth your conscience; you grant you have many sins, but sit down to count them, and there is a short count of them. Now, do you not reflect back upon former humiliations in public, and former acknowledgments of sins in private? Do you not yet return upon your own hearts to lay home this sad challenge, I have never repented, I do not yet repent? Must not all your solemn approaches be iniquity and abomination, while your souls are not afflicted for sin, while you can see so few sins?

The fasting days of Scotland will be numbered in the roll of the greatest provocations, because there is no real and spiritual conviction of sin among us, custom hath now taken away the solemnity, and there remaineth nothing but the very name. Is this the fast that the Lord chooseth? No, believe it, this shall add to your provocation, and rather hasten lingering judgment than keep it off. We would beseech you this day, pray for pardon of former abused fasts. If you had no more to mourn for, this might spend the day and our spirits both, and exhaust all our present supplications-even the wall of part.i.tion that stands between G.o.d and Scotland, which all our former solemn humiliations hath built up, a great deal higher than other sins could reach.

"There is none that calleth upon thy name." Did not this people make many prayers (Isa. i. 15), before the captivity? And did they not cry, which noteth some fervency in it, and fast, a little before it in Jeremiah's time, (chap. xi. 11, and xiv. 12,) and in the time of it, Ezek. vii. 18, Mic. iii. 4, Zech. vii. 3? How, then, is it that the prophet, now on the watch tower, looking round about him to take up the people's condition, and being led by the Spirit so far as to the case of the captives in Babel, can find no prayer, no calling? And was not Daniel so too? Dan. ix.

13. Lo, then, here is the construction that the Spirit of G.o.d putteth on many prayers and fastings in a land, "There is none calleth on thy name,"

there is none that prayeth faithfully and fervently, few to count upon that prayeth any. It may be there are many public prayers, but who prayeth in secret, and mourneth to G.o.d alone? There are many prayers, but the inscription is, "To the unknown G.o.d," to a nameless G.o.d; your praying is not a calling on his name, as a known G.o.d and revealed in the word.

This, then, we would say unto you, that there may be many prayers in your account, and none in G.o.d's. There are many prayers of men that G.o.d counteth no more of than the howling of a dog.

_First_, The cry of men's practices is often louder than their prayers, and goeth up to heaven, that the cry of prayer cannot be heard. When men's conversation is flat contrary to their supplications, supplication is no calling on his name, but charming rather. Sodom's abominations had a cry up to G.o.d, Gen. xviii. 21. So Abel's blood had a cry for vengeance, which Cain's prayers could not outcry. Thus the Lord would not hear many prayers, Isa. i. 15, because hands and practices were polluted. You that know no wors.h.i.+p of G.o.d, but in such a solemn duty, your religion is summed up and confined within the limits of temple wors.h.i.+p, family exercise, and prayer, certainly the rest of your conversation must speak more. G.o.d will not hear but such as wors.h.i.+p him and do his will, John iv. 23. Your prayer is a dark parable, if your conversation expone(316) it not. This I speak for this end, to put many of you out of your false ground of confidence.

You have nothing but your prayers to trust unto, and for your conversation, you never go about it effectually to reform it, but go on in that which you pray against. We declare unto you the truth, your prayers are abomination, Prov. xxviii. 9. The wicked may have prayers, and therefore think not to please G.o.d and flatter him with your mouths, when your conversation is rebellion. Since you hear not him in his commands, G.o.d will not hear you in your pet.i.tions, Prov. i. 24, 28. You stopped your ear at his reproof, G.o.d will stop his ear at your request. If you will go to heaven by your own righteousness, I pray you follow more after it, make the garment more to cover your nakedness: the skirt of a duty is not sufficient.

_Secondly_, When iniquity is regarded in the heart, and idols set up in G.o.d's place, G.o.d will not own such a wors.h.i.+p, but sendeth a man to the idols he serveth, Psal. lxvi. 18; Ezek. xiv. 9, 4. Do you not often pray to G.o.d against a corruption, when your heart cleaveth unto it, and what your mouth saith, your heart contradicteth? Light and conscience often extort a confession of beloved sins, while the temper of the heart hath this language, Lord, grant not my request. And therefore, if there be a prayer for pardon of guilt, yet there is no thorough resolution to quit the sin; and as long as a soul is not resolved to quit the sin, there can be no ingenuous confession of it, and no prayer for removing the guilt can be heard. You cannot employ Christ in his office of mediators.h.i.+p as a Priest to intercede and offer sacrifice for sin, unless you as sincerely employ him as a Sanctifier and Redeemer; and therefore prayer that separateth Christ's offices, and calleth not on whole Christ, calleth not on his name, for his name is Lord Jesus Christ. How can the Lord be inquired of by such a one who cometh to mock him, putteth up an idol in the heart, and yet prayeth against it, or some other sin, while he is not resolved to quit it? Shall G.o.d be resolute to help, when we are not earnest in seeking it? No wonder G.o.d answer you according to the idol; no wonder you be given up to serve idols, and your sin grow upon you as a plague for your hypocrisy. When you engage your heart too much to any creature, and come to pray and inquire of the Lord in your necessity, shall it not be righteousness with him, to send you to your G.o.d? "When thou criest, let thy companies deliver thee," Isa. lvii. 13. O man, cry unto thy bosom-idol, and let it help thee, since thou trustest to it, and spendest thy heart upon it! Deut. x.x.xii. 37, 38, "Where is the G.o.d that drank the wine of your offerings, and did eat the fat of your sacrifices?"

Where is the creature that you have made your heart an altar to, to send up the flames of your choicest thoughts and affections to it? Let this rise up, and help you now, saith the Lord. Therefore we exhort you, if you would have your prayers a delight, be upright in the thing you seek, and see that you entertain no known sin, give it no heart-allowance.

_Thirdly_, There are many prayers not heard, not known, because the mouth out-crieth the heart. It is the sacrifice of the contrite heart that G.o.d despiseth not. The prayers of this people were such, (Isa. xxix. 13,)-they drew near with the mouth, but the heart was far away. It is wors.h.i.+p in spirit and truth that G.o.d loveth, John iv. 23. Since prayer is a communion of G.o.d with the creature, a meeting of one with G.o.d, and speaking face to face, G.o.d, who is a Spirit and immortal, must have a spirit to meet with, a soul to speak to him. Now, do you not find your hearts gadding abroad even in duty? Is it not most about your corns and lands in the time of solemn wors.h.i.+p? Therefore G.o.d getteth no more but a carcase to keep communion with: he may have as much fellows.h.i.+p with the stones of the wall, and timber of the house, as he can have with your ears and mouths, while you remove your hearts to attend other things. And I would say more,-if your mind be present, yet your heart is gone; sometimes, yea often, both are gone abroad. Sometimes the mind and thought stayeth, but the affection and heart is not with it, and so the mind's residence is not constant. Your thought may come in as a wayfaring man, but tarrieth not all night, dwelleth not. Now speak to it, even Christians, may not your prayers often have a contrary interpretation to what they pretend? You pray so coldrifely(317) and formally, as G.o.d will interpret, you have no mind to it: we ask as we seemed indifferent whether our pet.i.tion be granted or not. Should the Lord be affected with your pet.i.tions, when you yourselves are not affected much? Should his bowels of zeal sound within him, when yours are silent? It is fervent prayer availeth much, James v.

16. A heart sent out with the pet.i.tion, and gone up to heaven, cannot but bring back an answer. If prayer carry not the seal of the heart and soul in it, G.o.d cannot own it, or send it back with his seal of acceptation.

_Fourthly_, Many prayers are not calling on G.o.d's name; and no wonder that when people pray, yet the Spirit says, "None calleth on thy name;" for prayer is made, as to an unknown G.o.d, and G.o.d is not taken up according to his "name," which are his glorious attributes, whereby he manifesteth himself in his word. To call on G.o.d's name, is so to pray to G.o.d as to take him up as he hath revealed himself. And what is the Lord's name? Hear himself speak to Moses, Exod. x.x.xiii. 19, and x.x.xiv. 6, 7, "The Lord, the Lord G.o.d, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth. Keeping mercy for thousands: forgiving iniquity, and transgression, and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty." Now, to call on this name is for the soul, in prayer, to have a suitable stamp on it: every attribute of G.o.d taking deep impression in the heart, and so G.o.d's name to be written on the very pet.i.tions; and shortly, we may say, the spirit should have the impression of G.o.d's greatness and majesty, of his goodness and mercy, of his terribleness and justice. This is the order in which G.o.d proclaimeth his name. In the entry, the supplicant should behold the glorious sovereignty and infinite distance between G.o.d and the creature, that he may have the stamp of reverence and abas.e.m.e.nt upon his spirit, and may speak out of the dust, as it becometh the dust of the balance and footstool to do to him who sitteth on the circle of the heaven as his throne. And this I must say, there is little religion and G.o.dliness among us, because every man is ignorant of G.o.d. Even G.o.d's children do more study themselves, and their condition, than G.o.d's greatness and absoluteness. Who searches G.o.d's infiniteness in his word and works till he behold a wonder, and be drowned in a mystery? O but the saints of old did take up G.o.d at a greater distance from the creatures; they waded far into this boundless ocean of G.o.d's Majesty, till they were over head and ears, and were forced to cry out, "Who can find out the Almighty to perfection?" All these are but parts of him, his back-parts. There is more real divinity and knowledge of G.o.d in one of Job's friends' discourses, one of David's prayers, than now in twenty sermons of gracious men, or many prayers or conferences of saints. But withal you must study his goodness and mercy, and this maketh up the most part of his name. The definition of G.o.d hath most of this, so that it may be said truly, that mercy is his delight. Mercy, as it were, swelleth over the rest: G.o.d were not accessible, unless mercy did temper it. Behold then greatness to humble, and goodness to make bold, that you may have access. As greatness should leave the stamp of reverence on your pet.i.tions, so should mercy and goodness imprint them with faith and confidence; and that the rather, because as Christ is said to be the Father's face, and the image of his person, (2 Cor. iv. 6. and Heb. i. 3,) so may he be called the Father's name, and so doth G.o.d himself call him, Exod. xxiii. 20, 21, The angel that went before them in the wilderness, whose voice they ought to obey, his "name is in him;" and this angel is Christ Jesus, Acts vii. 37, 38. So then Christ Jesus is G.o.d's name. G.o.d, as he revealeth himself in the word, is "G.o.d in Christ reconciling the world unto himself," 2 Cor. v. 19. And therefore, Christians, you ought to pray always in Christ's name, and this is to call on his name. Not only encourage yourselves to come to G.o.d, because of a mediator, because he is G.o.d in Christ, but also offer up all your prayers in the name of Jesus, that his name called on them may sanctify them, otherwise your affectionate prayers cannot be acceptable to G.o.d, for he loveth nothing but what cometh through the Son. Prayer must have an evil savour, when it is not put in the golden censer that this angel hath to offer up incense with the prayers of the saints. And likewise you would know G.o.d's justice and wrath, that you may serve in fear and trembling: and when trembling is joined with the rejoicing of faith, this is acceptable service. You ought to fear to offend his holiness, while you are before him. Let G.o.d's terribleness have a deep impression on your spirit, both to make sin bitter, and to make mercy more sweet. Thus should prayer ascend with the seal of G.o.d's attributes, and then it is a calling on his name. Now, is there any calling on his name among us? Who maketh it his study to take up G.o.d in his glorious names?

Therefore you call not on a known G.o.d, and cannot name him. Now, all of you take this rule to judge your prayers by. Think you not that you make many prayers? You both think it and say it, as you use to say, I pray both day and night. Nay, but count after this rule, and there will be found few prayers in Scotland, albeit you reckon up both private and public. Once sc.r.a.pe out of the count the prayers of the profane and scandalous, whose practice defileth their prayers; and again, blot out the prayers of men's tongues and mouths when hearts are absent, and again, set aside the formal, dwyning,(318) coldrife, indifferent supplications of saints, and the prayers that carry no seal of G.o.d's name and attributes on them, prayers made to an unknown G.o.d, and will you find many behind? No, certainly,-any of you may take up the complaint in behalf of the land, "There is none that calleth on thy name," or few to count upon. You may say so of yourselves, if you judge thus,-I have almost never prayed, G.o.d hath never heard my voice; and you may say so of the land. This would be a well-spent day, if this were but our exercise, to find out the sins of our duties in former humiliations; if the Spirit did so convince you as to blot out of the roll of fasts all the former. If you come this length, as to be convinced solidly that you have never yet prayed and mourned for sin,-I have lived thus long, and been babbling all this while, I have never once spoken to G.o.d, but wors.h.i.+pped I know not what, fancied a G.o.d like myself, that would be as soon pleased with me as I was with myself,-if the Lord wrought thus on your hearts, to put you off your own righteousness, you should have more advantage in this, than in all your sabbaths and fasts. .h.i.therto.

Although the Lord's hand be upon them, and they "fade as a leaf," and are driven into another land, yet none calleth on his name. This maketh the complaint more lamentable, and no doubt is looked upon as a dreadful sign and token of G.o.d's displeasure, and of sorer strokes. Daniel, an eye witness, confirmeth this foretold truth, chap. ix. 13, "All this is come upon us, yet have we not made our prayers to the Lord our G.o.d." Well may the Lord make a supposition and doubt of it, Lev. xxvi. 40, 41. After so many plagues are come on, seven added to seven, and again seven times more, and yet they will not be humbled, and when it is even at the door next to utter destruction and consumption, he addeth, "If then their uncirc.u.mcised hearts be humbled, and they take with the punishment of sin," &c. We need ask no reason of this, for "bray a fool in a mortar, his folly will not depart from him," Prov. xxvii. 22. Poor foolish man is a foolish man, folly is born with him, folly is his name, and so is he. He hath not so much wisdom as to "hear the voice of the rod, and him that appointeth it." Poor Ephraim is an undaunted heifer. Nature is a "bullock unaccustomed with the yoke," and so it is chastised more and more, Jer.

x.x.xi. 18. Man is like an untamed beast, as the horse, or as the mule.