-- Grand Direct. VI. Of Subjection to God as our Sovereign King. What it is? How to bring the soul i
endless happiness. 5. What you deny him, or steal from him, you give to the devil, the world, and the flesh. And do they better deserve it?
6. You are his own in title, whether you will or not; and he will fulfil his will upon you. Your consent and resignation is necessary to your good, to ease you of your cares, and secure you from present and eternal misery.
Grand Direct. VI.
'Remember that God is your Sovereign King, to rule and judge you: and that it is your rectitude and happiness to obey and please him. Labour therefore to bring your souls and bodies into the most absolute subjection to him, and to make it your delight and business sincerely and exactly to obey his will.'
Having resigned yourselves absolutely to God, as your owner, you are next to submit yourselves absolutely to God, as your governor or king. How much of our religion consisteth in this, you may see in the nature of the thing, in the design of the law and Word of God, in the doctrine and example of Jesus Christ, in the description of the last judgment, and in the common consent of all the world. Though love is the highest work of man, yet is it so far from discharging us from our subjection and obedience, that it constraineth us to it most powerfully and most sweetly, and must itself be judged of by these effects. "If ye love me, keep my commandments. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me. If any man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayingsu." "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my
Father's commandments, and abide in his love. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." "If ye know these things, happy
are ye if ye do themy." "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments, and his commandments are not grievous." "He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandment, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him, ought himself also to walk, even as he walked. If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doth righteousness is born of hima." "Whosoever abideth in him, sinneth not: whosoever sinneth, hath not seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin, is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight." "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the cityc."
I set together these testimonies of the Scripture, that the stream of Divine authority may carry you to a lively sense of the necessity of obedience.
I shall here first tell you what this full subjection is, and then I shall direct you how to attain it.
I. As in God there is first his relation of our King, and then his actual government of us, by his laws and judgment: so in us, there is first
our relation of subjects to God, and then our actual obedience. We are subjects by divine obligation, before we consent (as rebels are): but our consent or self-obligation is necessary to our voluntary obedience, and acceptation with God. Subjection is our stated obligation to obedience. This subjection and habit of obedience, is then right and full, 1. When the sense of God's authority over us, is practical, and not notional only. 2. And when it is deep rooted and fixed, and become as a nature to us: as a man's intention of his end is, that hath a long journey to go, which carrieth him on to the last step: or as a child's subjection to his parents, or a servant's to his master, which is the habit or principle of his daily course of life. 3.
When it is lively, and ready to put the soul upon obedience. 4. When it is constant, keeping the soul in a continual attendance upon the will of God. 5. When it hath universal respect to all his commandments. 6. When it is resolute, powerful, and victorious against temptations to disobedience. 7. When it is superlative, respecting God as our supreme King, and owning no authority against him, nor any but what is subordinate to him. 8. When it is voluntary, pleasant, cheerful, and delectable to us to obey him to the utmost of our power.
II. To bring the soul to this full subjection and obedience to God, is so difficult, and yet so reasonable, so necessary, and so excellently good, that we should not think any diligence too great, by which it is to be attained. The Directions that I shall give you, are, some of them to habituate the mind to an obediential frame, and some of them also, practically to further the exercise of obedience in particular acts.
Direct. I. 'Remember the unquestionable, plenary title that God hath, to the government of you, and of all the world.'—The sense of this will awe the soul, and help to subject it to him, and to silence all
rebellious motions. Should not God rule the creatures which he hath made? Should not Christ rule the souls which he hath purchased?
Should not the Holy Ghost rule the souls which he hath regenerated and quickened?
Direct. II. 'Remember that God is perfectly fit for the government of you, and all the world.'—You can desire nothing reasonably in a governor, which is not in him. He hath perfect wisdom, to know what is best: he hath perfect goodness, and therefore will be most regardful of his subjects' good, and will put no evil into his laws. He is almighty, to protect his subjects, and see to the execution of his laws. He is most just, and therefore can do no wrong, but all his laws and judgments are equal and impartial. He is infinitely perfect and self-sufficient, and never needed a lie, or a deceit, or unrighteous means to rule the world; nor to oppress his subjects to attain his ends. He is our very end, and interest, and felicity; and therefore hath no interest opposite to our good, which should cause him to destroy the innocent. He is our dearest Friend and Father, and loveth us better than we love ourselves; and therefore we have reason confidently to trust him, and cheerfully and gladly to obey him, as one that ruleth us in order to our own felicity.
Direct. III. 'Remember how unable and unfit you are to be governors of yourselves.'—So blind and ignorant; so biassed by a corrupted will; so turbulent are your passions; so incessant and powerful is the temptation of your sense and appetite; and so unable are you to protect and reward yourselves, that methinks you should fear nothing in this world more, than to be given up to "your own heart's lusts, to walk in your own (seducing) counsels." The brutish appetite and sense, hath got such dominion over the reason of carnal, unrenewed men, that for such to be governed by themselves, is for a man to be governed by a swine, or the rider to be ruled by the horse.
Direct. IV. 'Remember how great a matter God maketh of his kingly prerogatives, and of man's obedience.'—The whole tenor of the Scripture will tell you this. His precepts, his promises, his threatenings, his vehement exhortations, his sharp reproofs, the sending of his Son and Spirit, the example of Christ and all the saints, the reward prepared for the obedient, and the punishment for the disobedient;—all tell you aloud, that God is far from being indifferent whether you obey his laws or not. It will teach you to regard that, which you find is so regarded of God.
Direct. V. 'Consider well of the excellency of full obedience, and the present benefits which it bringeth to yourselves and others.'—Our full subjection and obedience to God, is to the world and the soul, as health is to the body. When all the humours keep their due temperament, proportions, and place, and every part of the body is placed and used according to the intent of nature, then all is at ease within us: our food is pleasant; our sleep is sweet; our labour is easy: and our vivacity maketh life a pleasure to us: we are useful in our places, and helpful to others that are sick and weak. So is it with the soul that is fully obedient: God giveth him a reward, before the full reward: he findeth that obedience is a reward to itself; and that it is very pleasant to do good; God owneth him, and conscience speaketh peace and comfort to him: his mercies are sweet to him: his burdens and his works are easy: he hath easier access to God than others. Yea, the world shall find, that there is no way to its right order, unity, peace, and happiness, but by a full subjection and obedience to God.
Direct. VI. 'Remember the sad effects of disobedience, even at present, both in the soul and in the world.'—When we rebel against God, it is the confusion, ruin, and death of the soul, and of the world.
When we disobey him, it is the sickness or disordering of the soul, and will make us groan: till our bones are set in joint again, we shall
have no ease: God will be displeased, and hide his face: conscience will be unquiet: the soul will lose its peace and joy: its former mercies will grow less sweet: its former rest will turn to weariness: its duty will be unpleasant,: its burden heavy. Who would not fear such a state as this?
Direct. VII. 'Consider, that when God doth not govern you, you are ruled by the flesh, the world, and the devil.'—And what right or fitness they have to govern you, and what is their work, and final reward, methinks you should easily discern. "If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die." "And if ye sow to the flesh, of the flesh ye shall reap corruptionf." It will strike you with horror, if in the hour of temptation, you would but think: 'I am now going to disobey God, and to obey the flesh, the world, or the devil, and to prefer their will before his will.'
Direct. VIII. 'Turn your eye upon the rebellious nations of the earth, and upon the state of the most malignant and ungodly men; and consider, that such madness and misery as you discern in them, every wilful disobedience to God doth tend to, and partaketh of in its degree.'—To see a swinish drunkard in his vomit; to hear a raging bedlam curse and swear; or a malignant wretch blaspheme and scorn at a holy life: to hear how foolishly they talk against God; and see how maliciously they hate his servants, one would think should turn one's stomach against all sin for ever. To think what beasts or incarnate devils many of the ungodly are. To think what confusion and inhumanity possess most of those nations that know not God, one would think should make the least degree of sin seem odious to us, when the dominion and ripeness of it are so odious.
Direct. IX. 'Mark what obedience is expected by men: and what influence government hath upon the state and affairs of the world,
and what the world would be without it.'—And sure this will make you think honourably and delightfully of the government of God.
What would a nation be without government, but like a company of thieves and lawless murderers? or like the pikes in a pond, that first eat up the other fish, and then devour one another: the greater living upon the less. Bears and wolves would live more quietly together, than ungoverned men, (except those few that are truly subject to the government of God.) Government maintaineth every man in his propriety; and keepeth lust and madness from breaking out; and keepeth peace and order in the world. What would a family be without government? Children and servants are kept by it in their proper place and work. Think then how necessary and excellent is the universal government of God.
Direct. X. 'Think well of the endless rewards and punishments, by which God will procure obedience to his laws, or vindicate the honour of his government, on the disobedient.'—That the world may see that he giveth sufficient motives for all that he requireth, he will reward the obedient with everlasting blessedness, and punish the rebels with endless misery. You shall not say that he bids you work for nothing. Though you can give him nothing but his own, and therefore can merit nothing of him, in point of commutative justice; yet, as he is a Governor and a Father, he will put so wide a difference between the obedient and the rebellious, that one shall be judged to everlasting joy, with a "Well done, good and faithful servant," and the other, to "everlasting punishment." Is there not enough in heaven, in a life of endless joys with God, to make obedience lovely to you, and to make sin loathsome? Is there not enough in hell, to deter you from disobedience, and drive you unto God? God will rule whether you will or not. Consent to be obedient, or he will punish you without asking your consent.
The Directions for the nearer exciting of your Obedience; and confirming your full Subjection, are these:
Direct. I. 'Keep still the face of your souls upon God, and in the sense of his greatness, and of his continual presence, and of his particular providence.'—And this will keep you in an obediential frame. You will easily then perceive, that so great a God cannot be disobeyed, without great iniquity and guilt. And, that a God that is continually with you, must be continually regarded. And, that a God that exactly observeth and mindeth the thoughts and words of every man, should by every man be exactly minded and observed. This will help you to understand the meaning of the tempter, when you perceive that every temptation is an urging of you to offend, for nothing, so great a God, that is just then observing what you do.
Direct. II. 'Always remember whither you are going; that you are preparing for everlasting rest and joy, and must pass through the righteous judgment of the Lord: and that Christ is your guide and governor, but to bring you safely home, as the Captain of your salvation: and that sin is a rejecting of his help, and of your happiness.'—Think not that God doth rule you as a tyrant, to your hurt or ruin, to make his own advantage of you; or by needless laws, that have no respect to your good and safety; but think of him, as one that is conducting you to eternal life, and would now guide you by his counsel, and afterwards take you to his glory. Think that he is leading you to the world of light, and life, and love, and joy, where there are rivers of pleasure, and fulness of delight for evermore, that you may see his face, and feel his love, among a world of blessed spirits; and not be weeping and gnashing the teeth, with impious, impenitent souls. And is not such a government as this desirable? It is but like the government of a physician, to save his patient's life. Or like your government of your children, which is necessary to their good, that
cannot feed or rule themselves. Or like a pilot's governing the ship, which is conveying you to possess a kingdom; if the mariners obey him, they may safely arrive at the desired port; but if they disobey him, they are all cast away and perish. And should such a government as this is, seem grievous to you? or should it not be most acceptable, and accurately obeyed?
Direct. III. 'Still think, what dangers, difficulties, and enemies you must pass through to this rest, and that all your safety dependeth upon the conduct and assistance of your guide.'—And this will bring over self-love to command your strict obedience. You are to pass through the army of your enemies; and will you here disobey the Captain of your salvation? or would you have him leave you to yourselves? Your disease is mortal, and none but Jesus Christ can cure it; and if he cure it not, you are lost for ever. No pain of gout or stone is comparable to your everlasting pain! and yet will you not be obedient to your physician? Think, when a temptation comes, 'If there were a narrow bridge over the deepest gulf or river, and all my friends and happiness lay on the further side, and I must needs go over whether I will or not; if Christ would take me by the hand and lead me over, would I be tempted to refuse his help, or to lose his hand? or if he should offer to lose me, and leave me to myself, should
I not tremble, and cry out as Peter, "Lord, save me," or as the disciples, "Save, Master, we perish?" And should I not then hold him fast, and most accurately obey him, when he is leading me to life eternal, that I may escape the gulf of endless misery?'
Direct. IV. 'Remember still, how bad, and blind, and backward, and deceitful, and weak you are yourselves, and therefore what need you have of the greatest watchfulness, lest you should disobey your pilot, and lose your guide, before you are aware.'—O what a heart have we to watch! A lazy heart, that will be loitering or sitting down, when we
should be following our Lord. A foolish heart, that will let him go, while we play with every play-fellow in our way. A cowardly heart, that will steal away, or draw back in danger, when it should follow our general. A treacherous heart, that will give us the slip, and deceive us, when we seemed surest of it. A purblind heart, that even when it followeth Christ, our guide, is hardly kept from missing the bridge, and falling into the gulf of misery. Think well of these, and you will obey your governor.
Direct. V. 'Forget not the fruits of your former obedience and disobedience;'—if you would be kept in an obedient frame.
Remember, that obedience hath been sweetest afterward: and that you never yet found cause to repent or be ashamed of it. Remember, that the fruit of sin was bitter, and that when your eyes were opened, and you saw your shame, you would fain have fled from the face of God; and that then it appeared another thing to you, than it seemed in the committing. Remember what groans, and heart's grief it hath cost you: and into what fears it brought you of the wrath of God: and how long it was before your broken bones were healed: and what it cost both Christ and you. And this will make the very name and first approach of sin, to cast you into a preventing fear. A beast that hath once fallen into a gulf or quick-sand, will hardly be driven into the same again. A fish that was once stricken and escaped the hook, will fear and fly from it the next time. A bird that hath once escaped the snare, or the talons of the hawk, is afterwards afraid of the sight or noise of such a thing. Remember where you fell, and what it cost you, and what you escaped which it might have cost you, and you will obey more accurately hereafter.
Direct. VI. 'Remember, that this is your day of trial, and what depends upon your accurate obedience.'—God will not crown untried servants. Satan is purposely suffered to tempt you, to try whether
you will be true to God or not. All the hope that his malice hath of undoing you for ever, consisteth in his hope to make you disobedient to God. Methinks these consderations should awaken you to the most watchful and diligent obedience. If you were told beforehand, that a thief or cut-purse had undertaken to rob you, and would use all his cunning and industry to do it, you would then watch more carefully than at another time. If you were, in a race to run for your lives, you would not go then in your ordinary pace. Doth God tell you before, that he will try your obedience by temptation, and as you stand or fall, you shall speed for ever; and will not this keep you watchful and obedient?
Direct VII. 'Avoid those tempting and deluding objects, which are still enticing your hearts from your obedience; and avoid that diverting crowd and noise of company or worldly business, which drowns the voice of God's commands.'—If God call you into a life of great temptations, he can bring you safely through them all: but if you rush into it wilfully, you may soon find your own disability to resist. It is dangerous to be under strong and importunate temptations, lest the stream should bear us down: but especially to be long under them, lest we be weary of resisting. They that are long solicited do too often yield at last: it is hard to be always in a clear, and ready, and resolute frame: few men have their wits, much less their graces, always at hand, in a readiness to use. And if the thief come when you are dropped asleep, you may be robbed before you can awake. The constant drawings of temptations do oft-times abate the habit of obedience, and diminish our hatred of sin and holy resolutions, by slow, insensible degrees, before we yield to commit the act. And the mind that will be kept in full subjection, must not be so diverted in a crowd of distracting company or business, as to have no time to think on the motives of his obedience. This withdrawing of the fuel may put out the fire.
Direct. VIII. 'If you are unavoidably cast upon strong temptation take the alarm; and put on all the armour of God, and call up your souls to watchfulness and resolution, remembering that you are now among your enemies, and must resist as for your lives.'—Take every temptation in its naked, proper sense, as coming from the devil, and tending to your own damnation, by enticing your hearts from your subjection unto God: suppose you saw the devil himself in his instruments, offering you the bait of preferment, or honour, or riches, or fleshly lusts, or sports, or of delightful meats or drinks, to tempt you to excess; and suppose you heard him say to you plainly,
'Take this for thy salvation: sell me for this thy God, and thy soul, and thy everlasting hopes; commit this sin, that thou mayst fall under the judgment of God, and be tormented in hell with me for ever. Do this to please thy flesh, that thou mayst displease thy God, and grieve thy Saviour: I cannot draw thee to hell, but by drawing thee to sin: and I cannot make thee to sin against thy will; nor undo thee, but by thy own consent and doing: therefore, I pray thee, consent and do it thyself, and let me have thy company in torments.'
This is the naked meaning of every temptation: suppose, therefore, you saw and heard all this, with what detestation then would you reject it? With what horror would you fly from the most enticing bait? If a robber would entice you out of your way and company, with flattering words, that you might fall into the hands of his companions, if you knew all his meaning and design beforehand, would you be enticed after him? Watch, therefore, and resolve when you know beforehand the design of the devil, and what he intendeth in every temptation.
Direct. IX. 'Be most suspicious, fearful, and watchful about that, which your flesh doth most desire, or finds the greatest pleasure in.'—Not that you should deny your bodies all delight in the mercies of God: if the body have none, the mind will have the less: mercy
must be differenced from punishment; and must be valued and relished as mercy: mere natural pleasing of the senses is in itself no moral good or evil. A holy improvement of lawful pleasure is a daily duty: inordinate pleasure is a sin: all is inordinate which tendeth more to corrupt the soul, by enticing it to sin, and turning it from God, than to fit and dispose it for God and his service, and preserve it from sinning. But still remember, it is not for sorrow, but delight that draweth away the soul from God, and is the flesh's, interest which it sets up against him. Many have sinned in sorrow and discontents: but none ever sinned for sorrows and discontents: their discontents and sorrows are not taken up and loved for themselves; but are the effects of their love to some pleasure and content, which are denied them, or taken from them. Therefore though all your bodily pleasures are not sin; yet seeing nothing but the pleasures of the flesh and carnal mind are the end of sinners, and the devil's great and chiefest bait, and this only, causeth men's perdition, you have great reason to be most afraid of that which is most pleasing to your flesh, and to the mind as it is corrupt and carnal: escape the delusions of fleshly pleasure, and you escape damnation: you have far more cause to be afraid of prosperity than of adversity; of riches than of poverty; of honour than of obscurity and contempt; of men's praises and applause than of their dispraises, slanders, and reproach; of preferment and greatness than of a low and mean condition; of a delicious than of less tempting meats and drinks; of curious, costly, than of mean, and cheap, and plain attire. Let those that have hired out their reason to the service of their fleshly lusts, and have delivered the crown and sceptre to their appetites, think otherwise.
No wonder if they that have sold the birthright of their intellects to their senses, for a mess of pottage, for a whore, or a high place, or a domineering power over others, or a belly-full of pleasant meats or liquors, do deride all this, and think it but a melancholy conceit, more suitable to a hermit or anchorite than to men of society and
business in the world. As heaven is the portion of serious believers and mortified saints alone, so it shall be proper to them alone, to understand the doctrine and example of their Saviour, and practically to know what it is to deny themselves, and forsake all they have, and take up their cross and follow Christ, and by the Spirit to mortify the deeds of the body. Such know that millions part with God for pleasures, but none for griefs; and that hell will be stored with those that preferred wealth, and honour, and sports, and gluttony, drink, and filthy lusts, before the holiness and happiness of believers; but none will be damned for preferring poverty, and disgrace, and abstinence, hunger, and thirst, and chastity, before them. It must be something that seemeth good, that must entice men from the chiefest good: apparent evil is no fit bait for the devil's hook. Men will not displease God, to be displeased themselves; nor choose present sorrow instead of everlasting joys: but for the "pleasures of sin for a season" many will despise the endless pleasures.
Direct. X. 'Meet every motion to disobedience with an army of holy graces, with wisdom, and fear, and hatred, and resolution, with love to God, with zeal and courage: and quench every spark that falls upon your hearts before it breaks out into a flame.'—When sin is little, and in its infancy, it is weak and easily resisted: it hath not then turned away the mind from God, nor quenched grace, and disabled it to do its office. But when it is grown strong, then grace grows weak and we want its help, and want the sense of the presence, and attributes, and truths of God, to rebuke it. O stay not till your hearts are gone out of hearing, and straggled from God beyond the observance of his calls. The habit of obedience will be dangerously abated, if you resist not quickly the acts of sin.
Direct. XI. 'Labour for the clearest understanding of the will of God, that doubtfulness about your duty do not make you flag in your
obedience, and doubtfulness about sin, do not weaken your detestation and resistance, and draw you to venture on it.'—When a man is sure what is his duty, it is a great help against all temptations that would take him off; and when he is sure that a thing is sinful, it makes it easier to resist. And therefore it is the devil's method to delude the understanding, and make men believe that duty is no duty, and sin is no sin; and then no wonder if duty be neglected, and sin committed: and therefore he raised up one false prophet or other to say to Ahab, 'Go, and prosper;' or to say, 'There is no hurt in this:' to dispute for sin, and to dispute against duty. And it is almost incredible, how much the devil hath got when he hath once made it a matter of controversy. Then every hypocrite hath a cloak for his sin, and a dose of opium for his conscience, when he can but say, 'It is a controversy; some are of one mind, and some of another: you are of that opinion, and I am of this.' Especially if there be wise and learned on both sides; and yet more, if there be religious men on both sides; and more yet, if he have an equal number on his side; and most of all, if he have the major vote (as error and sin have commonly in the world). If Ahab have but four hundred lying, flattering prophets to one Micaiah, he will think he may hate him, reproach him, and persecute him, without any scruple of conscience. If it be made a controversy, whether bread be bread, and wine be wine, when we see and taste it; some will think they may venture to subscribe or swear that they hold the negative, if their credit, or livings, or lives lie upon it; much more if they can say, It is the judgment of the Church! If it be once made a controversy, whether perjury be a sin, or whether a vow materially lawful bind, or whether it be lawful to equivocate, or lie with a mental reservation for the truth, or to do the greatest evil, or speak the falsest thing with a true and good intent and meaning, almost all the hypocrites in the country will be for the sinful part, if their fleshly interest require it; and will think themselves wronged, if they are accounted hypocrites, liars, or perjured, as long as it is but a
point of controversy among learned men. If it be once made a controversy, whether an excommunicated king become a private man and it be lawful to kill him, and whether the pope may absolve the subjects of temporal lords from their allegiance (notwithstanding all their oaths); and if such learned men as Suarez, Bellarmine,
Perron, &c., are for it (to say nothing of Santarellus, Mariana, &c.), you shall have a Clement, a Ravilliac, a Faux, yea, too great choice of instruments, that will be satisfied to strike the blow. If many hold it may, or must be done, some will be found too ready to do it, especially if an approved General Council (Lateran. sub Innoc. III. can. 3.) be for such Papal absolution. We have seen at home, how many will be emboldened to pull down Government, to sit in judgment on their King, and condemn him, and to destroy their brethren, if they can but say that such men think it lawful. If it were but a controversy once, whether drunkenness, whoredom, swearing, stealing, or any villany be a sin or not, it would be committed more commonly, and with much less regret of conscience. Yea, good men will be ready to think that modesty requireth them to be less censorious of those that commit it, because in controverted cases they must suspect their own understandings, and allow something to the judgment of dissenters: and so all the rules of love, and peace, and moderation, which are requisite in controversies that are about small and difficult points, the devil will make use of and apply them all to the patronage of the most odious sins, if he can but get them once to have some learned, wise, or religious defenders. And from our tenderness of the persons, we easily slide to an indulgent tenderness in censuring the sin itself: and good men themselves, by these means, are dangerously disabled to resist it, and prepared to commit it.
Direct. XII. 'Take heed lest the devil do either cast you into the sleep of carnal security, or into such doubts, and fears, and perplexing