2. Show when covenanting is not heart work.
2. Show when covenanting is not heart work.
We now proceed to show when covenanting is not heart-work, but a trifling business. — It is so,
2.1. When the soul is not divorced from sin. The heart is naturally glued to sin, and it is impossible that the heart can at once be both for the Lord and lusts, Matthew 6:24. The first marriage must be made void before a second can be made sure. They must have their covenant with their lusts broken, who will have their covenant with the Lord sure; Hosea 14:8, "Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols?" Living lusts and the living Lord will not both get the throne of the heart. In the day of espousals, when Christ gets the crown, lusts get the cross. Many will be in suit of the heart, and the heart for a time may be halting between two; but in a covenanting day with the Lord, all others must be discharged; Psalm 45:10, "Hearken, O daughter! and consider, and incline your ear; forget also your own people, and your father's house." Here some may inquire, How may a person know if their heart be divorced from sin?
Answer. That which makes the man and his lusts one, is the greedy grip which the heart takes of sin, it is the heart cleaving to its lusts: Jeremiah 8:5, "Why then is the people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? They hold fast deceit, they refuse to return." The heart and affections in sin are like the hot iron, where the iron and the fire are very close together. The man's lusts are to him like a leg or an arm which is knit to the body with joints and bands. Now, where the heart is divorced, it loathes that sin which before it loved. Though sin cleaves to the man, yet he cleaves not to it, Romans 7:17–22. Never was the captive more desirous to be loosed of his bands, than that soul to be free from sin. Like a weak honest virgin, though it cannot shake itself loose of its grips, yet it would be content if one would set it free. Solemn covenanting is trifling,
2.2. When the soul is not divorced from the law, Romans 8:4, "Wherefore, my brethren, you also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that you should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit to God." Legal professors do but trifle with the Lord, and never make heart-work of covenanting with him. They may bind themselves faster and faster to duties, but there is no engaging their heart to the Lord of duties; they are as they who would draw up with the handmaid instead of the mistress; and do but bind themselves to the work of spinning out their own rain out of their own affections. There is a generation who get some convictions of their misery by sin, the law comes and takes them by the throat, and then they cry, have patience with me, and I will pay you all. Hence, they bestir themselves, and fall a trading to gain something for Heaven and eternal life; they set about secret duties, attending public ordinances, and take the sacrament, and the effect of all is but to wreath their necks faster in the yoke of law-bondage, and to remove themselves farther from Christ. This is but trifling. — If it be inquired, how may one know if they be divorced from the law? you have the word, Galatians 2:19, "For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God." The law comes home to the soul with such force and power, that it cuts off all hopes of the soul's ever mending itself by its works; makes the soul see its utter emptiness and weakness; and hence it dies off, and lies at the foot of free grace, with that prayer in its month, Jeremiah 31:18, "You have chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn you me, and I shall be turned; for you are the Lord my God." Then Christ's blood is the soul's only refuge for guilt, Christ's Spirit for holiness; and the soul will have no peace but what comes from this blood; while many instead of this, lick themselves whole of their wounds by confession, mourning, prayer for pardon, and engaging not to do so anymore. But it is quite different from this, when, as above, the Spirit of Christ leads his divorced bride out of the house of her former husband to Jesus himself. — It is so,
2.3. When the soul comes not heartily and freely to the Lord in his covenant, Psalm 78:34–37. The Lord will not meet that soul. He cares not for persons giving the hand when they do not give him their hearts. Indeed, this is a covenant which speaks out the extreme naughtiness of men's hearts, by their coming into it grudgingly and per force. The sacrifice that is dragged to the altar, will not be accepted, it will run away from it again. It will be like the strong bough, which is forcibly bowed, which will soon fly back. When the Lord comes to a soul, he deals with the heart. He touches the heart, as he touched the hearts of Saul's companions, 1 Samuel 10:26; Jeremiah 31:3, "The Lord has appeared to me of old, saying, Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love: therefore, with loving-kindness have I drawn you." There is grace in the Lord's lips, heavenly rhetoric to catch a sinner's affections, Psalm 45:2. When the Spirit of the Lord pours in overcoming grace, then the man pours out his heart before him, Psalm 62:8. Thus the people become willing in the day of his power, Psalm 110:3. Here we may shortly state and consider two cases—
Case 1. What shall become of those, then, who are driven to the Lord by terror? I answer, Those who are only driven by terror, they will even leave him again when the terror is over, for terrors will break a heart of stone, but will not melt it. At the same time, terror may begin the work, which love will crown: Hosea 2:14, "Therefore, behold I will allure her and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her," When the Lord is to match with sinners, they are bold and perverse, they will not speak to him, until he has shot an arrow into their flesh, until he has made them prisoners of war; and then, when he has them in chains, he makes love to them. He first drives the sinner, and then he draws him like Noah's dove into the ark, Genesis 8:9. The Lord sets the avenger of blood in pursuit of the poor criminal, he with a heavy heart leaves his own city, and his old acquaintances, and flees for his bare life to the city of refuge, to which he has no inclination, but must do is a great thing. When be comes to the gates, and sees the beauty of the place, the excellencies and loveliness of the city charm him; then he says, This is my rest, here will I dwell.
Case 2. I often find, when I am to go to the Lord's table, a great backwardness to the duty. What should be done in this case? I answer, there is a great difference between a man's turning his back and running away from his friend, and a sickly man's coming slowly to him. And if I might be allowed so to speak, I should distinguish between a backward heart, and a backwardness upon the heart; Matthew 26:41, "Watch and pray, that you enter not into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." A backward heart is a foolish heart, and will make sad work of a communion; Proverbs 17:16, "Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing he has no heart to it?" I wish the Lord may turn this people from the Lord's table, until he has turned their hearts back to himself; or else, when they have put their hands to the plough, they will after all leave it, and injure religion more than if they had never meddled with it. But for others, our Master allows you to come as you are able, with your burden upon your back, and lay it down at his feet; Matthew 11:28, "Come unto me, all you that labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Psalm. 65:3, "Iniquities prevail against me; as for our transgressions, you shall purge them away." The great Physician knows very well his patient comes with heart and good will, though his sickness and indisposition makes him come with a slow pace. It is trifling,
2.4. When the soul comes to the Lord in his covenant for peace to their consciences, but not for victory over their lasts. Many come to the Lord, as a sick man to the physician, to cure him of his wounds, but not to live upon his charges; Psalm 78:34, "When he slew them, then they sought him; and they returned and inquired early after God." They have use for the blood, not for the water, which came from the side of Jesus. This is but half-work, not heart-work. Enemies to the spirit of holiness are enemies to Christ I never think it the best frame for a communion table when people sit down at the Lord's table chiefly for peace and comfort. A view of the King, a transforming sight which might strengthen the soul, to have this before our eyes sitting down at the feast, would certainly be most safe. To get a touch of the hem of Christ's garment, for stopping the issue of sin, will be beneficial indeed. It is so,
2.5. When the soul accepts conditional promises but does not accept and receive the Lord himself in absolute promises. This is to agree upon the less points of the covenant, and to neglect the main point, Hebrews 8:10. The great thing God offers in the gospel is Christ. He is a foolish man that would claim the benefit of the contract, while he neglects to marry the woman. It is a dreadful thing to turn the covenant of grace into a mere servile or mere social covenant, as passes between neighboring independent states. It is most properly a marriage-covenant, where the soul first takes the Lord himself, and then looks for the benefits accruing to it by the happy match. Natural men fancy a very easy covenant in, — "He who confesses his sins, shall find mercy. — Call en me, and I will answer thee. — What does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" — He will accept the will for the deed; not considering that all the promises are yes and amen in Christ; and suppose they could perform the condition of these promises, yet they could not have benefit by them while they have not the Lord Christ, dwelling, living, and reigning in them. — It is solemn trifling,
Lastly, when there is not an absolute resignation of the will to the will of the Lord. This is to have reserves in our covenanting with the Lord. Man's will is the great rebel against the Lord, and must, if we make sure work, be bound hand and foot in a covenanting day. There must be a double resignation,
2.5.1. To the preceptive will: Romans 6:17, "You have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered unto you." The soul must no more snarl with duty, but be content to take on the yoke of Christ's commands. And they who are not content to stand and receive the same commands from mount Zion, which were thundered into their hearts from mount Sinai before, their hearts are not for this work.
2.5.2. There most be resignation to the providential will of God. It has been long a question between the Lord and you, who shall be master of your process, who shall carve out your lot? Are you come to a point now? even to that point? Psalm 47:4. "He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom he loved." It is well, you are wise; for our own will, and nothing else, is our wreck.