Sermon 15 - The ways of the Lord are right, the just shall walk in them - Hosea 14:9
contrariety there is between sin and the Spirit of God. As no man can know thoroughly what sickness is but he that hath been sick; for the physician doth not know sickness so well as the patient who feels it; so it is with a holy man, sanctified with the Holy Ghost. Tell him of sin, he feels it, and the noisomeness of it, the opposition of it to his comfort and communion with God. Only the spiritual enlightened man can tell what repentance, sin, sorrow for sin, and the spiritual health of the soul is. Therefore it is said here, 'Who is wise? and who is prudent? and he shall understand these things.'
THE FIFTEENTH SERMON
Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the Lord are right, the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein.—HOS. 14:9.
AT length, by divine assistance, we are come unto the conclusion of this short chapter, wherein the Holy Ghost, from God, hath shewed such bowels of mercy and tender compassion unto miserable sinners, encouraging them to return unto the Lord by many and several arguments, being formerly insisted upon. Our last work was to shew you what wisdom and prudence was, the difference of them, and how that none, without these endowments, are able to know and make use of divine truths and mysteries of religion. 'Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them?'
&c.
We came then to shew, that there must be prudence and wisdom, before we can understand divine truths; there must be an illumination within. It is not sufficient to have the light of the Scripture outwardly, but there must be a light of the eye to see; there must be wisdom and prudence gathered from the Scriptures. Now, wisdom and prudence, if they be divine, as here is meant, it is not a discreet managing of outward affairs of our personal condition, but an ordering of our course to heavenward. Wherefore a man may know whether he be wise and prudent by his relishing of divine truths, for otherwise he is not wise and prudent in these things which are the main.
Now, having shewed that only the wise and prudent can conceive and make a right use of these great things delivered, he comes to shew and defend the equity of God's ways, how crooked soever they seem to flesh and blood. These things ought to be hearkened unto, because they are the ways of God.
'The ways of the Lord are right.'
By ways here, he understandeth the whole law and gospel, the whole word of God; which he calleth right, not only because,
1. They are righteous in themselves; but, 2. Because they reform whatsoever is amiss in us, and rectify us; and 3. Work whatsoever is needful for our good and salvation.
Now more particularly, God's ways are, 1. Those ways wherein he walks to us; or,
2. The ways that he prescribes us to walk in; and, 3. Our ways, as they are conformable to his.
Any of these are the ways of God; of all which more hereafter.
1. The ways wherein he walks to us, because many of them are untraceable, as unsearchable to us, are not here meant; as those of election, predestination and reprobation; the reasons whereof, if we take them comparatively, cannot be searched out. Why God should take one and not another, it is an unsearchable way. But take a man single, out of comparison, the ways of God will appear to be right, even in that harsh decree which many men stumble so much at. For none are ever brought in the execution of that decree to be damned, but you shall see 'the ways of the Lord right,' who a long time together offers them a great deal of mercy, which they refusing, and resisting the Holy Ghost, taking wilfully contrary courses, work out their own damnation. So that at length the issue of those unsearchable ways will appear to be right in every particular; howsoever the comparative reason at the first, why God singles out one man and not another, will not appear.
2. As for the ways of his providence, in governing the world, and ruling of his church, this is the way of God which is right; all which ways, though we cannot in all particulars see in this world, yet in heaven, in the light of glory, we shall see what cannot now be seen in the light of grace and nature. For there be mysteries in providence.
Who can tell the reason why, of men equally good, one should be sorely afflicted, and the other should go to heaven without any affliction in a smooth way? None can give a reason of it; but we must subscribe to the hidden wisdom of God, whose ways are unsearchable in his providence. Yet are they most right, though they be above our conceit. If we could conceive all God's ways, then they were not God's ways; for in his ways to us, he will so carry them, as he will shew himself to be above and beyond our shallow conceits.
But the ways especially here meant, are the ways which he prescribes us to walk in; and they are, 1. What we must believe; and then,
2. What we must do. There is, First, obedience of faith, and then obedience of life.
These are God's ways prescribed in the word, and only in the word.
3. Now our ways, when they join with God's ways, that is, when our life, purposes and desires of the inner-man, in our speeches, carriage, and conversation, agree with God's ways, then in some sort they are God's ways, 'the just shall walk in them.' They shall walk in these ways, that is, in those ways which God prescribeth. As for those ways wherein God walks to us, we have not so much to do here to consider them. But by walking in the ways which he prescribes, we shall feel that his ways to us will be nothing but mercy and truth.
'The ways of the Lord are right,' Ps. 145:17. Those ways that he prescribes to men to be believed and done, they are right and straight, that is, they are agreeable to the first rule of all. Right is the judgment and will of God. He is the first truth and the first good; the prime truth and good, which must rule all others, mensura mensurans, as they use to speak in schools; the measure that measures all other things. For all other things are only so far right, as they agree to the highest measure of all, which is God's appointment and will. So the ways of God are said to be right; because they agree to his word and will. They are holy and pure, as himself is just, pure, and holy.
'The ways of the Lord are right.'
Right, as they agree to that which is right and straight; and right likewise, because they lead directly to a right end. We know a right line is that which is the shortest between two terms. That which leads from point to point, is the shortest of all other lines. So God's ways are right and straight. There are no other ways which tend directly to happiness, without error, but God's ways; all other ways are crooked ways. So God's ways are right, as they look to God, and as they look unto all other inferior courses. They are right to examine all our ways
by, being the rule of them. And they are right, as they look to God's will, and are ruled by him.
'The ways of the Lord are right.'
Hence observe we in the first place, that the first thing we should look to in our conversation, must be to know this for a ground.
Obs. That man is not a prescriber of his own way, and that no creature's will is a rule.
We must embrace, therefore, no opinion of any man, or any course enjoined or prescribed by any man, further than it agrees with the first truth and the first right. God's ways are right; right as a standard, that is, a measure to measure all other measures by. So God's will and truth revealed is a right rule, and the measure of all other rules whatsoever. Directions therefore, which we have of things to be believed and done from men, must be no further regarded than as they agree with the first standard. Therefore they are mistaken, and desperately mistaken, that make any man's will a rule, unless it be subordinate to that which is higher, at which time it becometh all one with the higher rule. When a man subordinates his directions to God's, then God's and his are all one. Otherwise without this subordination, we make men gods, when we make their will a rule of our obedience. 'The ways of the Lord are right.' But of this only a touch by the way; the main point hence is.
Obs. The word of the Lord is every way perfect, and brings us to perfection.
As we may see at large proved, Ps. 19:7, &c., where whatsoever is good, comfortable, profitable or delightful, either for this life or the life to come, is all to be had from thence. And the wise man saith,
'Every word of God is pure,' &c., Prov. 30:5: a similitude taken from gold, which is fined till it be pure, as it is expressed in another place,
'The words of the Lord are pure words, as silver tried in a furnace of earth, and purified seven times,' Ps. 12:6. And so the apostle to
Timothy. 'All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for correction, for reproof, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works,' 2 Tim. 3:16.
Use 1. Since then the ways of God are so right, just, pure, and perfect, this is first for reproof of them that add hereunto; as our Romish adversaries, who do herein, by their traditions and additions, condemn God either of want of wisdom, love, and goodness, or of all.
So as all defects charged upon the word, are charged upon God himself, who did not better provide and foresee for his church what was good for it. But the wise man condemneth this their audacious boldness, where he saith, 'Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar,' Prov. 30:6. They bar reading of the Scriptures, or to read them in English especially, lest the people become heretics. They think it safe to read their own books and idle dreams, but reject the word of God, and then, as Jeremiah speaks, 'What wisdom is in them?' Jer. 8:9. Surely none at all; for the only wisdom is, to be governed by God's most holy word.
Use 2. Again, it is for instruction unto us, to rest and rely upon this so holy, right, pure, and perfect word. Since it is so sure and firm, we are to rest upon the promises, and tremble at the threatenings, though we see not present performance of them, because not one of them shall fail. For, saith Christ, 'Heaven and earth shall pass away, but one jot and tittle of the law shall not fail,' Matt. 5:28. What maketh so many judgments to overtake men, but their unbelief? what made their carcases to fall in the wilderness, so as they could not enter into the land of Canaan, but their unbelief? for, saith the text of them, 'They could not enter, because of unbelief,' Heb. 3:19.
Infidelity, and not believing God, is the root and cause of all our woe.
It began with our first parents, and it cleaveth too close unto us, even unto this day. This cometh from our atheism and self-love; that if a mortal man promise or swear unto us, we believe him, and rest upon his word; but all that the great God can do unto us by promises, commandments, threatenings, allurements, and gracious examples,
will not make us give credit to his word, but rather believe Satan, and our own false and deceitful hearts. As, for instance, God hath promised, that 'if our sins were as red as scarlet, yet he will make them whiter than the snow,' Isa. 1:18; though they be never so strong for us, yet he hath promised 'to subdue them,' Micah 7:19. If our wants be never so great, yet if we will trust in God, he hath promised to relieve us, and hath said, 'that he will not fail us nor forsake us,'
Isa. 50:10; Heb. 13:5, if we cast our care upon him. So, for the threatenings, we must believe that there is never a one of them but they shall come to pass, as sure as the promises shall be made good.
If these thoughts were firmly settled in us, that 'the ways of the Lord are right,' and therefore must be all accomplished in their time, it would make us restless to fly from sin, and the punishments threatened, which all 'lie at the door,' Gen. 4:7, and will quickly be upon us, if they be not avoided by sound and hearty repentance.
Use 3. Lastly, if every commandment be right, sure, and just, then when God commandeth do it, though the apparent danger be never so great, and though it be never so contrary to flesh and blood, pleasure, profit, or preferment, yet know it is firm and sure, and that our happiness stands in doing it, our misery in disobeying it,—as we know it was with Adam. What a sudden change did his disobedience work in himself, all the world since being leavened with that miserable contagious fall of his! And for the whole world this is a general, we never want any good, but for want of love and obedience unto it. 'Great prosperity shall they have,' saith David, 'who love thy law, and no evil shall come unto them,' Ps. 119:165. And we never had nor shall have any hurt, but from our unbelief and disobedience to the holy, pure, and perfect word of God, which is attended with comfort and prosperity here, and endless glory hereafter.
'The ways of the Lord are right.'
In the next place, if the ways of the Lord be right and straight, so straight that they lead directly to the right end, then it is clear,
Obs. That the best way to come to a good and right end, is to take God's ways. For it is a right way, and the right way is always the shortest way. Therefore, when men take not God's ways, prescriptions, and courses, they go wide about, and seldom or never come to their intended end. God's way is the right way, and therefore brings a man to his right end. Sometimes men will have their turnings, their diverticula, and vagaries, but they find by experience that God's ways they are the right ways, so as they never attain to comfort and peace until they come again into those ways. God until then suffereth them to be snared and hampered, and to eat the fruit of their own ways, and then they see the difference of God's ways and theirs, and that God's ways are the best, and the straightest ways unto true happiness.
Indeed, God suffers sometimes men that will have their own ways to come quickly to them, as some men hasten to be rich, and God suffers them to be rich hastily: yet they are none of God's ways which they take, but climb up by fraud and deceit. Aye, but that is only a particular end which God suffereth them to attain by byeways; but what will be the upshot? Where will all these ways end at length?
Surely in hell. For when a man goes out of the right, and straight, and direct way, to be great in the world, he is like a man who goes out of his way, which is further about; who yet, when he is in that way, goes on through thick and thin, because he will gain some way. He goes on through thickets and hedges, fair and foul, where he gets many scratches, brushes and knocks. Doth any think in the world to attain his particular ends without* the direct ways of God? God may suffer him to attain his particular end, but with many flaws, knocks, and brushes upon his conscience, which many times he carrieth with him unto his grave; and finds it a great deal better, both to attain unto his particular ends by God's ways, and to have no more of anything in the world than he can have with a good conscience. For, though they be good men, ofttimes God suffers such men to have bruises in their conscience all their days, that they and others may know that the best way is the straight and right way, which at last will bring us best to our end.
Having thus made it good, 'that the ways of the Lord are right,' now, for conclusion of all, the prophet begins to shew the divers effects these right ways of God have in two sorts of people, the godly and wicked.
I. The just shall walk in them:
II. That the transgressors shall fall therein.
I. The just shall walk in them. Who be the just men here spoken of?
Such are just men who give to every one their due; that give God his due in the first place, and man in the second place, whereby it is framed. 'The just shall walk in them;' that is, they shall proceed and go on in them till they be come to the end of their race, the salvation of their souls. And, more particularly, (1.) Just men first, are such, who have respect unto all God's commandments, Ps. 119:6. Though in their disposition they find some more hard to them than others, yet they do not allow themselves to break any, but strive so much the more earnestly and constantly to observe them, as they find their natures opposite to them. Now hypocrites, howsoever they do many things in show, yet, like Herod and Judas, their hearts run in a wrong channel; they allow themselves to live in, and like of some sin. The young man in the gospel had not a respect unto all God's commandments, though
Christ loved his amiable parts, Mat. 10:21. To this purpose James saith, 'Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all,' James 2:10. That is, he who alloweth himself in any one sin, he is guilty of all. Ask Judas, Is murder good? He would have said, no: but he was covetous, and allowed himself in it, and so drew upon him the guilt of all the rest. God is he who forbids sinning against them all. He who forbids one, forbids all; and being rightly turned to God, the same authority makes us leave all. It is not sin, but the allowance of it, that makes an hypocrite.
(2.) Again, they do things to a good end, the glory of God, and the good of man. For want hereof, the alms, prayers, and fasting of the scribes and Pharisees (because they did nothing out of love to God or man, but for vainglory and carnal respects), are condemned of Christ. So some are brought in at the last day, saying, 'Lord, Lord, have we not in thy name prophesied, and in thy name cast out devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works,' Mat. 7:22; and yet Christ professeth not to know them, but calleth them 'workers of iniquity.' They had gifts and calling, and delivered true doctrine, &c.
But here was their failing, 'They prophesied in his name, but not for his name.' Their actions were good in themselves, and for others, but the end of them was naught, and therefore both they and their works are condemned. Yet this is not so to be understood, but that God's children have some thoughts of vainglory, which accompanieth and creepeth into their best actions; but they do acknowledge this for a sin, confess it, and desire the Lord to pardon and subdue it, and then it shall never be laid to their charge. Because having of infirmities is not contrary to sincerity, but allowing of them, and living in them; in which case the Lord is more pleased with our humiliation for our sin, than the motions to vainglory did offend him.
(3.) Thirdly, a desire to grow in grace, and to become better and better, is a sign of uprightness. Christian righteousness, as it sees still need, so it still desires more grace and less sin; because he who hath a true heart, seeth both the want and worth of grace, and feeleth his want. A man feels not the want of faith, humility, and love, till he have it in some sort, as it is said, Philip. 3:15, 'As many as are perfect are thus minded,' to wit, so many as are upright: all is one.
(4.) Lastly, this just uprightness is known by love of the brethren. 'By this we know we are translated from death to life, because we love the brethren,' 1 John 3:14. Contrary to which is that disposition which envieth at all things which suits not with their humours: as James speaketh of those who prefer men, and have their persons in admiration, in regard of outward things, despising inferiors, James
2:2.
Use 1. If therefore we will ever be counted righteous persons, let us keep these rules set down here, have a respect to all God's commandments, do all things to the glory of God, desire to grow in grace, and love the brethren.
2. And so it is also for consolation unto such who are thus qualified; for unto them belongeth all the promises of this life, and of that to come. They are in a blessed estate, for 'all things, are theirs,' 1 Cor.
3:21, because they are Christ's. Therefore it is their bounden duty, having an upright heart, to rejoice in God, as the prophet speaks:
'Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous, for praise is comely for the upright,' Ps. 33:1; 52:9. None have cause to rejoice but upright men.
1. Because they of all others have title and right to joy. 2. Because they have command to do it, seeing heaven is theirs. All the promises are theirs, and they are heirs of all things. It is a comely service, and the work of heaven.
Obj. Against this some object. Oh, but I find many sins, passions, and infirmities in myself; how then can I joy in God?
Ans. To this we answer briefly, that the passions and infirmities of God's servants are not contrary to Christian uprightness and righteousness; for St James saith, that 'Elias was a man subject to like passions and infirmities as we are,' James 5:17, yet he was a righteous man, though a man subject to the like passions as we are.
Therefore the passions of Christians are not contrary to Christian, but to legal, righteousness. But 'we are not under the law, but under grace,' Rom. 6:15. The first covenant of works bids us have no sin; the other covenant bids us allow no sin. Thus much is for that question, What is meant by just men? It remains now that we should further inquire into that mystery, how it is that just men walk in the ways of God, and prosper therein, when yet wicked men, called
'transgressors,' fall therein. But this being a mystery, by your patience we will take time to unfold what we have to speak hereof the next time, if God be so pleased.