But I must not now open nor dilate on these things, lest I should tire
is that pot of manna, that cruse of oil, that bottomless ocean, which
never fails his people. There is in Christ an all-sufficiency for all
creatures at all times, in all places.
The great Cham is said to have a tree full of pearls hanging by
clusters; but what is the great Cham's tree to Christ, our tree of life,
who has all variety and plenty of fruit upon him. The happinesses
which come to believers by Christ are so many, that they cannot be
numbered; so great, that they cannot be measured; so copious,
that they cannot be defined; so precious, that they cannot be
valued; all which speaks out the fullness and all-sufficiency of Christ.
There is in Christ, a fullness of abundance, and a fullness of
redundancy, as well as a fullness of sufficiency.
There is in Christ,
1. The fullness of the Spirit.
2. The fullness of grace.
3. The fullness of the image of God.
4. The fullness of the Godhead.
5. The fullness of glory.
But I must not now open nor dilate on these things, lest I should tire
both myself and the reader.
Plutarch, in the life of Phocion, tells us of a certain gentlewoman of
Ionia, who showed the wife of Phocion all the rich jewels and
precious stones she had. She answered her again, All my riches and
jewels is my husband Phocion. So may a penitent sinner say of his
blessed Savior—Christ is all my jewels, my riches, my treasures, my
pleasures, etc.; his sufficiency is all these, and more than these, to
me.
The Spanish ambassador, coming to see the treasury of St. Mark in
Venice, which is cried up throughout the world, fell a-groping to find
whether it had any bottom, and being asked why, answered, In this
among other things, my great Master's treasure differs from yours,
in that his has no bottom, as I find yours to have,—alluding to the
mines in Mexico and Potosi. But what are the Spaniard's treasures to
Christ's treasures? A man may, without much groping, find the
bottom of all earthly treasures—but who can find the bottom of
Christ's treasures? Should all created excellencies meet in one
glorified bosom, yet they could not enable that glorious God-like
creature to sound the bottom of those riches and treasures which are
in Christ, Ephes. 3:8; all which speaks out Christ's all-sufficiency;
and thus much for the second thing.
(3.) Thirdly, If you would be godly early, then you must know early,
That there is a marvelous willingness and readiness in
Christ to embrace, to entertain, to welcome returning
sinners, and to show mercy and favor to them.
The young prodigal did but think of returning to his father, and he
ran and met him, and instead of kicking or killing him, his father
kissed him and embraced him, his affections enkindled within him,
and his compassions flowed out freely to him, Luke 15:20-22. "Ho!
everyone who thirsts—come to the waters; and he who has no money
—come, buy and eat, yes, come, buy wine and milk without money
and without price," Isaiah 55:1. Nazianzen says: Oh, God gives more
willingly than others sell; if you will but accept, that is all the price;
though you have no merits, though you have nothing in yourselves to
encourage you, yet will you accept? If you will, all is freely yours; the
waters shall be yours to cleanse you, and the milk yours to nourish
you, and the bread yours to strengthen you, and the wine yours to
comfort you. Here poor sinners are called three times to come:
Come, says Christ, come, come, to show how marvelous ready and
willing he is that poor sinners should taste of gospel delicacies.
So in John 7:37, "Jesus stood and cried, If any man thirsts, let him
come to me and drink." So in Rev. 22:17, "Let him who is athirst
come, and whoever will, let him take the water of life freely." So in
Rev. 3:20, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hears
my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with
him, and he with me." So in that Luke 14:21, "The master of the
house said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of
the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt,
and the blind." Here is no man of quality, of dignity, of worldly pomp
or glory, or of any self-sufficiency, that is invited to the feast—but a
company of poor, ragged, deformed, slighted, neglected,
impoverished, wounded sinners; these are invited to feast with
Christ.
Concerning this willingness of Christ, I shall speak more when I
come to deal with old sinners in the close of this discourse, and to
that I refer you for further and fuller satisfaction concerning the
great readiness and willingness of Jesus Christ to entertain returning
sinners.
(4.) Fourthly, If you would be godly early, then you must know early,
That Jesus Christ is designed, sealed, and appointed by
the Father to the office of a Mediator.
"Labor not for the food which perishes—but for that doos which
endures to everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you;
for him has God the Father sealed." God the Father has made
Christ's commission authentical, as men do theirs by their seal. It is a
metaphor, a simile taken from those who give commissions under
hand and seal. God the Father has given it under his hand and seal,
that Jesus Christ is the only person that he has appointed and sealed,
allowed and confirmed, to the office of our redemption. If Jesus
Christ was ever so able to save, and ever so willing and ready to save
poor sinners—yet if he were not appointed, designed, and sealed, for
that work, the awakened sinner would never look out after him, nor
desire union with him, nor interest in him; and therefore it is of very
great consequence to know that God the Father has sent and sealed
Christ to be a Savior to his people.
"Him has God the Father sealed." Sealed by way of destination and
sealed by way of qualification, sealed by his doctrine, sealed by his
miracles, sealed by his baptism, sealed by his resurrection—but
above all, sealed by his glorious unction. "The Spirit of the Sovereign
LORD is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good
news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to
proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the
prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of
vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for
those who grieve in Zion-- to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a
garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called
oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his
splendor." Isaiah 61:1-3, Luke 4:18. Neither saints nor angels are
sealed and anointed to the great work of redemption—but the Lord
Jesus is. You should always look upon the Lord Jesus as sealed and
anointed to the office of a Mediator, and accordingly plead with him.
Ah, Lord! it is your office, as you are a sealed and an anointed Savior
and Redeemer—to subdue my sins, to change my nature, to sanctify
my heart, to reform my life, and to save my soul; and therefore do it
for your name's sake, oh do it for your office' sake, do it for your
glory's sake!
"You are anointed with the oil of gladness above your fellows," Psalm
45:7, Heb. 1:9. You have a larger effusion of the Spirit upon you than
others; you are anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power after an
extraordinary measure and manner; you are endued with all heroic
gifts and excellencies, plentifully, abundantly, transcendently; you
are sealed and predestinated; you are invested into this office of
Mediatorship under the Father's hand and seal: and therefore where
should I go for salvation, for remission, for redemption, for grace, for
glory—but to you?
(5.) Fifthly, If you would be godly early, then you must know early,
that there is no way to salvation but by Jesus Christ.
"Neither is there salvation in any other" (speaking of Christ), "for
there is no other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we
must be saved," Acts 4:12. If ever you are saved, you must be saved
by him, and him only; you must not look for another Savior, nor you
must not look for a co-Savior; you must be saved wholly by Christ
and only by Christ, or you shall never be saved; you must cry out, as
Lambert did when he was in the fire, and lifted up his hands, and
fingers'-ends flaming, "None but Christ, none but Christ!"
When Augustus Caesar desired the senate to join two consuls with
him for the better government of the state, the senate answered, that
they held it as a diminution of his dignity, and a disparagement of
their own judgment, to join any with so incomparable a man as
Augustus. Ah! friends, it is a diminution of Christ's dignity,
sufficiency, and glory, in the business of your salvation, to join
anything with the Lord Jesus; and it is the greatest disparagement in
the world to your own judgments, knowledge, prudence, and
wisdom, to yoke any with Christ in the work of redemption, in the
business of salvation.
Augustine says, that Marcellina hung Christ's picture and the picture
of Pythagoras together; many there are, not only in Rome—but in
England (yes, I am afraid in London), who join Christ and their
works together, Christ and their prayers together, Christ and their
teachers together, Christ and their mournings together, Christ and
their hearings together, Christ and their alms together.
Ah, what a poor, what a weak, what an impotent, what an insufficient
Savior do these men make Jesus Christ to be! Except these men
come off from these things, and come up only to Jesus Christ, in the
great business of salvation, they will as certainly and as eternally
perish, notwithstanding their hearing, knowing, and talking much of
Christ—as those who never heard of Jesus Christ.
In the Old Testament, God commands them not to wear a garment of
divers sorts, as of woollen and linen together, "neither shall a
garment mingled of linen and woollen come upon you," Deut.22:11.
This law was figurative, and shows us that in the case of our
justification, acceptance, and salvation—we are not to join our works,
our services, with the righteousness of Christ. God abhors a linsey-
woolsey righteousness. And as by the letter of this law, in the
Hebrews' account, one thread of wool in a linen garment, or one
linen thread in a woollen garment, made it unlawful, so the least
manner of mixture in the business of justification makes all null and
void. "And if by grace, then it is no more of works, otherwise grace is
no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace,
otherwise work is no more work." He who shall mix his
righteousness with Christ's, he who shall mix his puddle with Christ's
purple blood, his rags with Christ's royal robes, his copper with
Christ's gold, his water with Christ's wine, etc., is in the ready way to
perish forever.
On earth kings love no consorts; power is impatient of participation.
Christ will be Alexander or Nemo, nobody; he will be all in all in the
business of justification, or he will be nothing at all. We must say of
Christ, as it was once said of Caesar, He may have a companion, etc.
—but he must not have a competitor, 1 Cor. 1:30, Romans 5:19-20.
Let us say of Christ, as the heathen once said of his petty gods, so
long as he had his Jupiter as his friend, he regarded them not. So, so
long as we have our Jesus as our friend, and his righteousness and
blood as ours, we shall despise all other things, and abhor the
bringing of anything into competition with him. A real Christian
cares not for anything that has not something of Christ in it. He who
holds not wholly with Christ, does very shamefully neglect Christ,
says Gregory Nazianzen. (Eph. 3:9-10, Psalm 61:15-16, 19,
compared.)
There is no other name, no other nature, no other blood, no other
merits, no other person to be justified and saved by—but Jesus
Christ. You may run from creature to creature, and from duty to
duty, and from ordinance to ordinance, and when you have wearied
and tired out yourselves in seeking ease and rest, satisfaction and
remission, justification and salvation, in one way and another, you
will be forced after all to come to Christ, and to cry out, Ah! none but
Christ, none but Christ! Isaiah 55:2, Rom.10:3. Ah! none to Christ,
none to Christ; no works to Christ; no duties, no services to Christ;
no prayers, no tears to Christ; no righteousness, no holiness to
Christ. Well! friends, remember this, that all the tears in the world
cannot wipe off meritoriously one sin, nor all the grace and holiness
that is in angels and men buy out the pardon of the least
transgression. All remission is only by the blood of Christ.
(6.) Sixthly and lastly, If you would be godly early, then you must
know early, that the heart of Jesus Christ is as much set
upon sinners now that he is in heaven, as ever it was when
he was upon earth.
Christ is no less loving, less mindful, less desirous of sinners' eternal
welfare now he is heaven in a far country—than he was when he lived
on earth. Witness his continuing the ministry of reconciliation
among poor sinners in all ages; witness the constant treaties, that by
his ambassadors and Spirit he still has with poor sinners, about the
things of their peace, the things of eternity; witness his continual
knockings, his continual callings upon poor sinners by his word, rod,
Spirit—to open, to repent, to lay hold on mercy, and to be at peace
with him; witness his continual wooing of poor sinners in the face of
all neglects and put-offs, in the face of all delays and denials, in the
face of all harsh entertainment and churlish answers, in the face of
all gainsayings and carnal reasonings, in the face of all the scorn and
contempt that wretched sinners put upon him, and witness that plain
word, "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today, and forever,"
Heb. 13:8. Christ is the same afore time, in time, and after time, he is
unchangeable in his essence, in his promises, and in his affections: "I
am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, says the Lord,
who is, and who was, and who is to come," Rev. 1:8, 11; 21:6; 22:13.
The phrase is taken from the Greek letters, whereof Alpha is the first
and Omega is the last. The first and last letter of the Greek alphabet
is a description of me, says Christ, who am before all and after all,
who am above all and in all, who am unchangeable in myself, and
in my thoughts and good will to poor sinners. Therefore do not,
poor souls, entertain any hard thoughts concerning Jesus Christ, as if
he was less mindful, less pitiful, and less merciful to poor souls now
that he is in heaven, than he was when his abode was in this world.
And thus I have gone over those six things that you must know
concerning Christ early, if ever you be godly early. When Pope Leo
lay upon his death-bed, Cardinal Bembus citing a text of Scripture to
comfort him, he replied, "Away with these baubles concerning
Christ!" But I hope better things of you, and do desire that you will
say of all things below this knowledge of Christ that I have opened to
you, as that devout pilgrim, who, traveling to Jerusalem, and by the
way visiting many brave cities, with their rare monuments, and
meeting with many friendly entertainments, would often say, I must
not stay here, this is not Jerusalem. Ah! so do you, young men and
women, in the midst of all your worldly delights and contents, cry
out, Oh! we must not stay here, this is not Jerusalem, this is not that
knowledge of Christ that I must have, if ever I am happy here and
blessed hereafter.
Duty (4).Fourthly and lastly, If you would be godly early, then you
must acquaint yourselves with those who are godly early.
Direction (1). First, If you would be gracious in the spring and
morning of your youth, then you must begin early to be much in
with those who are much in with Christ, who lie near his
heart and know much of his mind. "He who walks with wise
men shall be wise—but a companion of fools shall be destroyed," or,
as the Hebrew has it, shall be broken in pieces, as when an army is
broken and routed by an enemy. Walking with the wise, he shall be
wise, for so the original has it. It is not talking with the wise—but
walking with the wise, which will make you wise; it is not your
commending and praising of the wise—but your walking with the
wise, which will make you wise; it is not your taking a few turns with
the wise which will make you wise—but your walking with the wise
which will make you wise. There is no getting much good by those
who are godly—but by making them your ordinary and constant
companions.
Ah, friends! you should do as Joseph in Egypt, of whom the Scripture
says, Psalm 105:22 (according to the Hebrew phrase), that he tied
the princes of Pharaoh's court about his heart. If ever you would gain
by the saints, you must bind them upon your souls, you must labor to
have very near, close, and intimate communion with them.
The Jews have a proverb, that two dry sticks put to a green one will
kindle it. The best way to be in a flame God-ward, Christ-ward,
heavenward, and holiness-ward, is to be among the dry sticks, the
kindle-coals, the saints; for as live coals kindle those who are dead,
so lively Christians will heat and enliven those who are dead God-
wards, Christ-wards, heaven-wards, and holiness-wards. "As iron
sharpens iron, so does the face of a man his friend," Proverbs 27:17.
Men's wits, parts, and gifts, and industry, commonly grow more
strong, vigorous, and quick, by friendly conference and communion.
And as he who comes where sweet spices and ointments are stirring,
carries away a sweet savor with him, so he who converses with those
who are godly shall carry away that goodness and sweetness with
him which shall render him sweet, desirable, and delectable to
others. Polemon, whom Augustine speaks of, who was all for wine
and play, etc., became a brave man when he came acquainted with
the philosopher's school. So many young men, that have been all for
wine and women, for playing and toying, for vanity and folly, have
become brave men, precious men, by the company, counsel, and
example of those who were gracious.
Doctor Taylor, the martyr, rejoiced that ever he came into prison,
because he came there to have acquaintance with that angel of God,
John Bradford, as he calls him: so, doubtless, many young people
there be that have much cause to rejoice, and forever to bless the
Lord, that ever they came acquainted with such and such who fear
the Lord, and who walk in his ways, for the good that they have
received by them.
Algerius, an Italian martyr, said he had rather be in prison with Cato,
than with Caesar in the senate house. Ah! young men, young men,
you were better be with the people of God, when they are in the
lowest and most contemptible condition, than with the great wicked
ones of the world, when they are in all their royalty and glory. In the
day of account you will find that they have made the best market,
who have rather chosen to keep company with Lazarus, though in his
rags, than they would with others keep company with Dives, though
in his purple robes.
Well! young men, remember this, clothes and company do
oftentimes tell tales, in a mute but significant language. Tell me
with whom you go, and I will tell you what you are, says the Spanish
proverb. Cicero, though a heathen, had rather to have no companion,
than a bad one. The Lord grant that this heathen, and others among
them, that were of the same mind with him, may never rise up in
judgment against any of you, into whose hands this treatise may fall.
And thus I have despatched those four things that you must be
acquainted with early, namely, the Scripture, your own hearts and
conditions, the Lord Jesus Christ, and those who fear him, if ever you
would be godly early.
Direction (2). Secondly, If you would be godly early, if you would
seek and serve the Lord in the spring and morning of your days,
Then you must shun the occasions of sin early. A man will
never begin to be godly, until he begins to decline those occasions
that have made him bad: 1 Thes. 5:22, "Abstain from all appearances
of evil."
You must shun and be shy of the very appearance of sin, of the very
shows and shadows of sin. The word eidos, which is ordinarily
rendered appearance, signifies kind, or sort; and so the meaning of
the apostle seems to be this, "Abstain from all sorts, or the whole
kind of evil;" from all that is truly so, be it ever so small.
The least sin is dangerous. Caesar was stabbed with needles, and
many have been eaten up by mice and lice.
The least spark may consume the greatest house, the least leak may
sink the greatest ship, the least sin is enough to undo your soul; and
therefore shun all the occasions that lead unto it.
Job made a covenant with his eyes, Job 31:1; Joseph would not be in
the room where his mistress was, Gen. 39:10; and David, when
himself, would not sit with vain people, Psalm 26:3-7. As long as
there is fuel in our hearts for a temptation, we cannot be secure; he
who has gunpowder about him, had need keep far enough off from
sparks; he who is either tender of his credit abroad, or comfort at
home, had need shun, and be shy of the very show and shadow of
sin; he who would neither wound conscience nor credit, God nor
gospel, had need hate "the garment spotted with the flesh," Jude 23.
In the law, God commanded his people, not only that they should
worship no idol—but that they should demolish all the monuments
of them, and that they should make no covenant nor affinity with
those who worshiped them, and all lest they should be drawn by
those occasions to commit idolatry with them. He who would not
taste of the forbidden fruit, must not so much as gaze on it; and he
who would not be bitten by the serpent, must not so much as parley
with the serpent.
It is very observable, that in the law, the Nazarite was not only
commanded to abstain from wine and strong drink—but also he
might not eat grapes, whether moist or dry, or anything that is made
of the vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk. But why not these
small things, in which there could be no danger of drunkenness?
Surely, lest by the contentment of these, he might be drawn to desire
the wine, and so be brought on to sin, to break his vow, and so make
work for hell, or for the physician of souls. God hereby forbidding the
most remote occasions, shows how wary and exactly careful men
should be to shun and avoid all occasions, provocations, and
appearances of evil; and indeed we had need to keep off from
slippery places who can hardly stand fast on dry ground.
He who ventures upon the occasion of sin and then prays, "Lord,
lead me not into temptation," is like him that thrusts his finger into
the fire, and then prays that it may not be burnt; or like him that is
resolved to quench the fire with oil, which, instead of quenching it, is
as fuel to feed it and increase it. It is a greater miracle not to fall,
being among strong temptations, than it is to raise up the dead; he
who would not be defiled, must not touch pitch; he who would not be
burnt, must not carry fire in his bosom; he who would not eat the
meat, must not meddle with the broth; he who would not fall into the
pit, must not dance upon the brink: "Keep far from a false matter,"
Exod. 23:7. He who will not fly from the occasions and allurements
of sin, though they may seem ever so pleasant to the eye, or sweet to
the taste—shall find them in the end more sharp than vinegar, more
bitter than wormwood, more deadly than poison.
There is a great truth in that saying of the son of Sirach, "He who
loves danger, shall perish therein; he who will not decline danger,
shall not be able to decline destruction."
Socrates speaks of two young men that flung away their belts when,
being in an idol temple, the lustrating water fell upon them,
detesting, says the historian, "the garment spotted by the flesh;" and
will you, O young men, play and toy with the occasions of sin? The
Lord forbid.
There are stories of several heathens that have shunned and avoided
the occasions of sin, and will you dare to venture upon the occasions
of sin?
Alexander would not see the woman after whom he might have
lusted.
Scipio Africanus, warring in Spain, took New Carthage by storm, at
which time a beautiful and noble virgin fled to him for support to
preserve her chastity. He being but twenty-four years old, and so in
the heat of youth, hearing of it, would not allow her to come into his
sight for fear of temptation—but caused her to be restored in safety
to her father.
Livia counseled her husband Augustus, not only not to do wrong—
but not to seem to do so, etc.
Caesar would not search Pompey's cabinet, lest he should find new
matters of revenge.
Plato mounted upon his horse, and judging himself a little moved
with pride, did presently light from his horse, lest he should be
overtaken with loftiness in riding.
Theseus is said to cut off his golden locks, lest his enemies should
take advantage by taking hold of them.
Ah! young men, young men, shall the very heathens thus shun and
fly from the occasion of sin, and will not you? will not you who sit
under the sunshine of the gospel? These will in the great day of
account be sad and sore witnesses against those who dally and play
with the occasions of sin.
To prevent carnal worry, Christ sends his disciples to school, to the
irrational creatures (Matt. 6:26-32). And to prevent your closing with
the occasions of sin, let me send you to school to the like creatures,
that you may learn by them to shun and avoid the occasions of sin.
The Sepiae, a certain kind of fish, perceiving themselves in danger of
taking, by an instinct which they have, they do darken the water, and
so many times escape the net which is laid for them.
Geese, they say, when they fly over Taurus they keep stones in their
mouths, lest by goggling they should discover themselves to the
eagles, which are among the mountains waiting for them. Now, if all
these considerations put together will not work you to decline the
occasions of sin, I know not what will. There is a truth in that old
saying—
He who will no evil do,
Must do nothing belongs thereto.
The Israelites must have no leaven in their houses until the Passover
be done, lest they should be tempted to eat of it, Exod. 13.
Direction (3). Thirdly, If you would be godly early, then you must
remember the eye of God early.
If you would seek and serve the Lord in the spring and morning of
your days, then you must study God's omnipresence early. "Does
not he see my ways, and count all my steps?" "For his eyes are upon
the ways of man, and he sees all his goings. There is no darkness, nor
shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide
themselves," Psalm 139:2-14; Job 31:4, 21-22.
I have read that Paphnutius converted two famous young strumpets,
Thais and Ephron, from immorality, only with this argument, that
God sees all things in the dark, when the doors are fast, the
windows shut, and the curtains drawn. By this very argument
Solomon labors to take off his young men from carnal and sinful
courses: "And why will you, my son, be ravished with a strange
woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger? For the ways of man
are before the eyes of the Lord, and he ponders all his goings,"
Proverbs 5:20-21. You may deceive all the world, like that counterfeit
Alexander in Josephus his story—but Augustus will not be deceived;
he has quicker and sharper eyes.
Ah! young men, young men, you may deceive this man and that, and
as easily deceive yourselves—but you cannot deceive him, who is
totus oculus, all-eye. As the eyes of a well-drawn picture are
fastened upon you which way soever you turn, so are the eyes of the
Lord. I have read of one who, being tempted to adultery, said they
could not be private enough, and being carried from room to room,
answered, We are not yet private enough, God is here!
Ah, friends! His eyes, which are ten thousand times brighter than the
sun, compasses your words, your ways, your works, your thoughts,
your bed, your table, your bench. The Egyptian hieroglyphic for God
was an eye on a scepter, showing that he sees and rules all things,
Jer. 13:27, 29:23.
Ah, friends! All thoughts, words, hopes, and hearts, are naked,
opened, dissected and quartered before that God with whom you
have to do. God is very precise and exact in marking and observing
what is done by men, that he may render to every man according to
his works.
Ah! young men and women, the eye of God should be more to you
than all the world besides. Oh that the Scripture might be written
with the pen of a diamond upon your hearts. "Should you not fear
me? Should you not tremble in my presence?" Jer. 5:22. There is a
great truth in that saying of his, A great necessity of goodness is
from hence put into us, because we do all things before the eyes of a
judge that sees all things.
Direction (4). Fourthly, If you would be godly early, then you must
hearken to the voice of CONSCIENCE early, 2 Tim. 1:3.
A man will never begin to be godly until he begins to hearken to what
conscience speaks. So long as a man turns a deaf ear to conscience,
he is a safe prisoner to Satan, and a sure enemy to God, Psalm 58:4,
John 3:20-21. Ah! how godly might many have been had they but
begun early to hearken to conscience!
Ah! young men, do not dally with conscience, do not play, do not
trifle with conscience, do not stop your ears against conscience. He
who will not in his youth give conscience audience, shall at last be
forced to hear such lectures from conscience, as shall make his life a
very hell. A sleepy conscience is like a sleepy lion, when he awakes,
he roars and tears; so will conscience, Mark 9:22. Conscience isa
thousand witnesses for or against a man. He who has long turned the
deaf ear to conscience, shall at last find his conscience like
Prometheus' vulture, that lies ever a-gnawing. Judas found it so, and
Spira found it so, and Blair, a great councillor of Scotland, found it
so.
I have read of one John Hofmeister, who fell sick in his inn, as he
was traveling towards Auspurge in Germany, and grew to that horror
of conscience, that they had to bind him in his bed with chains,
where he cried out, that he was forever cast off by God, and that the
promises that were set before him would do him no good, and all
because he had wounded his conscience, and turned a deaf ear to
conscience.
Well! young men, if you will not early hearken to conscience, you
shall at last hear conscience saying to you, as the probationer disciple
said to Christ, "Master, I will follow you wherever you go," Mat.8:19;
so says conscience, Sinner, I have called upon you many a thousand
times, and told you, that I must by commission be your best friend,
or your worst enemy—but you would not hear. Therefore now I will
follow you where ever you go. Fast, and I will follow you, and fill you
with horrors and terrors. Feast, and I will follow you, and show you
such a handwriting upon the wall, as shall cause your countenance to
change, your thoughts to be troubled, the joints of your loins to be
loosed, and your knees dashed one against another, Dan. 5:5-6. Stay
at home, and I will follow you from bed to board. Go abroad, and I
will follow you into all places and companies, and you shall know
that it is an evil and a bitter thing, that you have so often and so long
neglected my calls, and disobeyed my voice, and walked contrary to
me. How you shall find a truth in that saying of Luther, one drop of
an evil conscience swallows up the whole sea of worldly joy.
Well! young men, there is a day coming wherein a good conscience
will be better than a good purse, for then the Judge will not be put off
with a suit of compliments or fair words, nor drawn aside with hope
of reward; and therefore, as you would be able to hold up your heads
in that day, make conscience of hearkening to the voice of conscience
in this your day.
Direction (5). Fifthly, If you would be godly early, then you must
know early wherein true happiness lies.
For a man will never begin to be godly until he begins to understand
wherein his happiness consists.
The philosophers, speaking of happiness, were divided into two
hundred and eighty-eight opinions, everyone intending something,
and yet resolving nothing. Therefore the man in Plutarch, hearing
them wrangle about man's summum bonium, chief good, one placing
it in this, and another in that, he went to the market and bought up
all that was good, hoping, among all, he should not miss of it—but he
did. Many look for happiness in sin, others look for it in the
creatures—but they must all say, It is not in us, Isaiah 56:12, Job
28:14: nothing can give what it has not. If the conduit pipe has no
water, it can give no water; if a man has no money, he can give no
money; if the creatures have no happiness, they can give no
happiness. Now this jewel, this pearl, happiness, is not to be found
in the bosom, in the bosom of creatures. In a word, because I must
hasten to a close, man's happiness lies,
First, In communion with God, as experience and Scripture
demonstrates. "Happy is that people who are in such a case (but give
me that word again), yes, happy is that people whose God is the
Lord," Psalm 144:15. A man whose soul is in communion with God
shall find more pleasure in a desert, in a dungeon, in a den, yes, in
death—than in the palace of a prince, than in all worldly delights and
contents, etc.
Secondly, In pardon of sin. "Blessed is he whose transgressions
are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin
the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit,"
Psalm 32:1-2. It is not, blessed is the honorable man—but blessed is
the pardoned man. It is not, blessed is the rich man—but blessed is
the pardoned man. It is not, blessed is the learned man—but blessed
is the pardoned man. It is not, blessed is the popular man—but
blessed is the pardoned man. It is not, blessed is the victorious man
—but blessed is the pardoned man. Do with me what you will, since
you have pardoned my sins, says Luther.
Thirdly, In a complete fruition and enjoyment of God, when
we shall be here no more. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they
shall see God," Mat. 5:8; "Now they see him but darkly—but in
heaven they shall see him face to face; they shall know as they are
known," 1 Cor. 13:12. But of these things I have spoken largely
elsewhere, and therefore shall satisfy myself with these hints.
Direction (6). Lastly, If you would be godly early, then you must
break your covenant with SIN early.
You must fall out with your lusts early; you must arm and fence
yourselves against sin early, Isaiah 28:15-18. A man never begins to
fall in with Christ until he begins to fall out with his sins. Until sin
and the soul be two, Christ and the soul cannot be one. Now, to work
your hearts to this, you should always look upon sin under these
notions:
Notion (1). First, If you would have the league dissolved between sin
and your souls early, then look upon sin under the notion of an
ENEMY. "Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims,
abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul," 1 Peter 2:11.
As the viper is killed by the young ones in her belly, so are poor
sinners betrayed and killed by their own lusts, that are nourished in
their bosoms.
Pittacus, a philosopher, challenged Phlyon the Athenian captain, to
single combat—carried a net privily, and so caught him, and
overcame him. So does sin with poor sinners—the dangerous,
pernicious, malignant nature of sin. You may see in the story of the
Italian, who first made his enemy deny God, and then stabbed him to
the heart, and so at once murdered both body and soul. Sin betrays
us into the hand of the devil—as Delilah did Samson into the hands
of the Philistines.
Sugared poisons go down pleasantly. Oh! but when they are down,
they gall and gnaw, and gripe the very heart-strings asunder; it is so
with sin. Ah! souls, have not you often found it so?
When Phocas the murderer thought to secure himself by building
high walls, he heard a voice from heaven telling him, that though he
built his bulwarks ever so high, yet sin within would soon undermine
all.
Ambrose reports of one Theotimus, that having a disease upon his
body, the physician told him, that except he abstained from
intemperance, drunkenness, uncleanness, he would lose his eyes; his
heart was so desperately set upon his sins, that he cries out, then,
farewell, sweet light! Ah, how did his lusts war both against body
and soul!
The "old man" is like a treacherous friend, and a friendly traitor.
Though it be a hard thing to fight with a man's lusts, yet you must
fight or die. If you are not the death of your sins, they will
prove the death of your souls.
The oracle told the Cyrrheans, they could not be happy, unless they
waged war night and day; no more can we, except we live and die
fighting against our lusts.
Ah! young men, can you look upon sin under the notion of an enemy,
and not break with it, and not arm against it?
Well! remember this, the pleasure and sweetness which follows
victory over sin, is a thousand times beyond that seeming sweetness
that is in sin; and as victory over sin is the sweetest victory, so it is
the greatest victory. There is no conquest as great as that which is
gotten over a man's own corruptions. "He who is slow to anger is
better than the mighty: and he who rules his spirit than he who takes
a city," Proverbs 16:32.
It is noble to overcome an enemy without—but it is more noble to
overcome an enemy within; it is honorable to overcome fiery flames
—but it is far more honorable to overcome fiery lusts.
When Valentinian the emperor was upon his dying-bed, among all
his victories only one COMFORTED him, and that was victory over
his worst enemy, namely, his own naughty heart.
Ah! young men, young men, your worst enemies are within you, and
all their plots, designs, and assaults are upon your souls, your most
noble part. They know if that citadel be won, all is their own, and you
are undone, and shall be their slaves forever; and therefore it stands
upon you to arm yourselves against these inbred enemies; and if you
engage Christ in the quarrel, you will carry the day; and when you
shall lie upon your dying-beds, you will then find that there is no
comfort to that which arises from the conquests of your own hearts,
your own lusts.
Notion (2). Secondly, If you would break covenant with sin, if you
would arm and fence yourselves against sin early, then look upon
sin as the soul's BONDS, Gal. 3:10, John 8:34.
For as bonds tie things together, so does sin tie the sinner and the
curse together. It binds the sinner and wrath together, it links the
sinner and hell together: "I perceive that you are in the gall of
bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity," Acts 8:23. Iniquity is a chain,
a bond. Now, bonds and chains gall the body, and so does sin the
soul; and as poor captives are held fast in their chains, so are sinners
in their sins; they cannot redeem themselves by price, nor by power,
2 Tim. 2:26.
Ah! young men, young men! no bondage like soul bondage, no
slavery like soul slavery. The Israelites' bondage under Pharaoh, and
the Christians' bondage under the Turks, is but the bondage of the
body, of the baser and ignoble part of man; but yours is soul
bondage, and soul slavery, which is the saddest and greatest of all.
Ah, friends! you should never look upon your sins but you should
look upon them as your bonds; yes, as the worst bonds that ever
were. All other chains are golden chains, chains of pearl, compared
to those chains of iron and brass, those chains of lust, with which you
are bound. Ah! who can thus look upon his chains, his sins, and not
loathe them, and not labor for freedom from them? Justinus the
emperor's motto was, liberty is invaluable. If civil liberty is, surely
spiritual liberty is much more. If you ask souls who were once in a
state of bondage—but are now Christ's free men, they will tell you so.
It was a good observation of Chrysostom, that Joseph was the free
man and his mistress was the servant, when she was at the beck of
her own lusts, when she tempted and he refused. Such as live most
above sin and temptation, are the greatest freemen; others, who live
under the power of their lusts, are but slaves, and in bonds, though
they dream and talk of freedom, Titus 3:3.
Notion (3). Thirdly, If you would break league with sin, and arm and
fence yourselves against it, then look always upon sin under the
notion of FIRE.
"And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire," Jude 23. Oh,
snatch them out of their sins, as you would snatch a child, a friend,
out of the fire, or as the angel snatched Lot out of Sodom—hastily,
and with a holy violence. Natural fire may burn the house, the goods,
the treasure, the servant, the child, the wife, the body; but this fire
burns the soul, it destroys and consumes that noble part which is
more worth than all the treasures of a thousand worlds. Every man
has a hand and a heart to quench the fire which burns his neighbor's
house—but few men have either hands or hearts to quench the fire
that burns their neighbor's souls; this is, and this shall be, for a
lamentation.
I have read of one who, upon the violence of any temptation to sin,
would lay his hand upon burning coals, and being not able to abide
it, would say to himself, 'Oh, how unable shall I be to endure the
pains of hell'—and this restrained him from evil. But what is the fire
of hell to the fire of sin? Now, to provoke you to look upon sin under
the notion of fire, consider with me the sundry resemblances
between material and immaterial fire, between corporeal common
fire and between this spiritual fire, sin. As,
[1.] First, Fire is terrible and dreadful. A ship on fire, a house
on fire, oh how dreadful is it! So sin set home upon the conscience is
exceeding terrible and dreadful. "My iniquity is greater than I can
bear." Sin or iniquity is often put for the punishment of sin, by a
metonymy of the cause for the effect; for sin is the natural parent of
punishment. "My iniquity," says Cain, "is so great, and lies so heavy,
so terrible and dreadful upon my conscience, that it cannot be
forgiven," Gen. 4:13, and thus he stabs two at once—the mercy of
God, and his own soul. So Judas, "I have sinned, in that I have
betrayed innocent blood; and he went and hanged himself," Mat.
27:3-5.
As there is no fighting with a mighty fire, so there is no bearing up
when God sets home sin upon the conscience; a man will then choose
strangling or hanging, rather than living under such wounds and
lashes of conscience. Histories abound with instances of this nature;
but I must hasten to a close.
[2.] Secondly, Fire is most dangerous and pernicious when it
breaks forth of the chimney, or of the house; so it is with sin. Sin is
bad in the eye, worse in the tongue, worser in the heart—but worst of
all in the life. Fire, when out of its proper place, may do much hurt in
the house—but when it flames abroad, then it does most mischief to
others, 2 Sam. 12:9-15.
Sin in the heart may undo a man—but sin in the life may undo others
as well as a man's self. Set a guard upon the eye, a greater upon your
heart—but the greatest of all upon your life, Job 30:1, Proverbs 4:23,
Eph. 5:15.
Salvian relates how the heathen did reproach some Christians, who
by their lewd lives made the gospel of Christ to be a reproach.
"Where," said they, "is that good law which they believe? Where are
those rules of godliness which they do learn? They read the holy
Gospel—and yet are unclean; they hear the apostles' writings—and
yet are drunk; they follow Christ—and yet disobey Christ; they
profess a holy law—and yet lead impure lives."
But the lives of other Christians have been so holy, that the very
heathens observing them, have said, Surely this is a good God—
whose servants are so good.
It is noble when the life of a Christian is a commentary
upon Christ's life.
One speaking of the Scripture, says, they are words to be lived, and
practiced, not read only.
A heathen [Plutarch] advises us to live so circumspectly, as if our
enemies did always behold us. And said another [Epictetus], For
shame, either live as Stoics, or leave off the name of Stoics. Sirs, live
as Christians, or lay down the name of Christians.
[3.] Thirdly, Fire hardens, it makes the weak and limber clay to
become stiff and strong for the potter's use. So sin hardens: it
hardens the heart against the commands of God, the calls of Christ,
and the wrestlings of the Spirit. And as you see in Pharaoh, the Jews,
and most that are under the sound of the gospel, Jer. 5:3; Jer. 19:15;
Isaiah 9:13.
Ah! how many has this fire—sin—hardened in these days, by working
them to slight soul-softening means, and by drawing them to
entertain hardening thoughts of God, and to fall in with soul-
hardening company, and soul-hardening principles, and soul-
hardening examples of hardened and unsensible sinners, Jer. 2:25;
Jer. 18:12. One long since thus complained, that they did more
calmly pass by the injuries done to Christ, than those which are done
unto themselves. This age is full of such hardened unsensible souls.
[4.] Fourthly, Fire is a lively active element, so is sin. Ah! how
lively and active was this fire in Abraham, David, Job, Peter, Paul,
and other saints! Though Christ by his death has given it its mortal
wound, yet it lives, and is and will be active in the dearest saints.
Though sin and grace were not born together, neither shall they die
together; yet while believers live in this world, they must live
together.
One speaks of a fig-tree which grew in a stone-wall, and all means
were used to kill it. They cut off the branches and it grew again, they
cut down the body and it grew again, they cut it up by the root and
still it lived and grew, until they pulled down the stone-wall. Until
death shall pull down our stone-walls, sin will live, this fire will burn.
We may say of sin as some say of cats, that they have many lives; kill
them and they will live again, kill them again and they will live again;
so kill sin once and it will live again, kill it again and it will live again,
etc. Sin oftentimes is like that monster Hydra, cut off one head and
many will rise up in its place.
[5.] Fifthly, Fire is of a penetrating nature, it pierces and winds
itself into every corner and chink, and so does sin wind itself into our
thoughts, words, and works. It will wind itself into our
understandings to darken them, and into our judgments to pervert
them, and into our wills to poison them, and into our affections to
disorder them, and into our consciences to corrupt them, and into
our carriages [walk and conversation; conduct or actions] to debase
them. Sin will wind itself into every duty and every mercy, it will
wind itself into every one of our enjoyments and concernments.
Hannibal having overcome some Romans, put their armor on his
soldiers, and so by that policy, they being taken for Romans, won a
city. But what are Hannibal's wiles to sin's wiles or Satan's wiles? If
you have a mind to be acquainted with their wiles, look over my
treatise, called, "Precious Remedies against Satan's Devices."
[6,] Sixth and lastly, Fire is a devouring, a consuming
element, Psalm 21:9. It turns all fuel into ashes. It is a wolf that eats
up all. So sin is a fire that devours and consumes all; it turned Sodom
and Gomorrah into ashes; it has destroyed the Chaldean, Persian,
and Grecian kingdoms, and will at last destroy the Roman kingdom
also. This wolf ate up Samson's strength, Absalom's beauty,
Ahithophel's policy, and Herod's glory, etc. It has drowned one world
already, and will at last burn another, even this. Oh the hopes, the
hearts, the happiness, the joys, the comforts, the souls that this fire,
sin, has consumed and destroyed! etc.
Peter Camois, in his Draught of Eternity, tells us, that some devout
people caused those words of the prophet Isaiah to be written in
letters of gold upon their chimney-pieces: "Who among us shall
dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with
everlasting burnings?" Isaiah 33:14.
Ah! young men, young men, I desire that you may always look upon
sin under the notion of fire, yes, as such fire as lays the foundation