Sermon 2 - Take away all iniquity - Hosea 14:2
Use 3. Thirdly, this is for consolation. Though one should want all other means, yet whatsoever their misery be, if they can take words, and can pray well, they shall speed well, Isa. 38:3. If the misery be for sin, confess it, and ask pardon for it, and they shall have it, 'and be cleansed from all unrighteousness,' 1 John 1:9. Words fetch the comfort to us, though it be the 'blood of Christ only that hath paid the debt,' Isa. 53:5.
THE SECOND SERMON
Take with you words, and turn to the Lord; say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.—HOS. 14:2.
AS we lost ourselves in the first Adam, so the mercy of God, in the covenant of grace, found out a way to restore us again by the 'second
Adam,' 1 Cor. 15:47, Jesus Christ, in whom all the promises are 'yea and amen; yesterday and to-day, and the same for ever,' Heb. 13:8.
And as the wisdom of God did freely find out this way at first, comforting our first parents with it in paradise; so this bowels of incomprehensible love of his hath so gone on from time,* in all ages of the church, comforting and raising up the dejected spirits of his church, from time to time, and awakening them out of their drowsiness and sleepy condition. And many times, the greater sinners he dealt with, the greater mercies and tender bowels of compassion were opened unto them, in many sweet and gracious promises tendering forgiveness, and inviting to repentance; as here in this chapter, and whole prophecy, is shewed. What tribe so wicked, so full of idolatry and rebellion, as Ephraim? and yet here
Ephraim and Israel are taught a lesson of repentance. As the tender nurse feeds her child, and puts meat in its mouth, so here the Lord puts words in the mouth of this rebellious people.
'Take with you words, and turn unto the Lord.'
Obj. What need God words, he knows our hearts before we speak unto him?
Ans. It is true: God needs no words, but we do, to stir up our hearts and affections; and because he will have us take shame unto ourselves, having given us our tongues as an instrument of glorifying him, he will have our 'glory,' Ps. 16:9; 57:8, used in our petitions and thanksgivings. And therefore, in regard of ourselves, he will, as was said, have us take words unto ourselves, for exciting of the graces of God in us by words, blowing up of the affections, and for manifestation of the hidden man of the heart. God will be glorified by the outward, as well as by the inward man.
'And turn to the Lord.' He repeats the exhortation of returning, to shew that words must not be empty, but such as are joined with a purpose of turning to God. For otherwise, to turn to him with a purpose to live in any sin, is the extremity of profane impudence. To come to ask a pardon of the king, with a resolution to live still in rebellion against him, what is this but mockery, as if one should come with a dagg* to shoot him? Such is our case, when we come to ask forgiveness, with a purpose to offend. It is the extremity of profaneness, to come to ask a pardon, to the intent that we may sin still. Therefore he repeats it again, 'Take unto you words, and turn to the Lord.' The form is— 'Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously,' or 'do good to us:'
'so will we render the calves of our lips;' wherein we have, 1. A petition: (1.) To take away all iniquity; (2.) To receive them graciously.
2. A re-stipulation, or promise of thankfulness back again to the Lord, 'So will we render the calves of our lips.' So that we may observe, hence—
What God will grant us. He will have us ask of him. 'Yet for all these things I will be sought unto of the house of Israel,' Ezek. 20:31, saith
God; because he will have us acknowledge our homage and dependence upon him. Therefore we must ask what he hath purposed to give. 'Take away all iniquity,' &c., where there is an implication of a confession of their sins and great iniquities. 'Take away iniquity,' and 'Take away all iniquity,' that is, our manifold guilt. So, before petition, there must be a free and full confession, as was shewed before.
Now, this confession here is made to God, and to God only, saith Austin in this case. Because it is a point in controversy, it is good to hear what the ancients say. There are a curious sort of men, who are busy to search into other men's lives, and are careless in amending their own. Saith he, 'What have I to do with men to hear me confess, when I have offended God? We must confess to God, and to God only.' But in some cases there may be public and private confession to men. Public, in public offences, for the satisfaction of the church, and the glory of God; for preventing of scandal. Private, to ministers, for the quieting of conscience. But this is only in some cases. Men go not to the chirurgeon, as the papists would have it, for every little prick of their finger. No; but yet in some cases it is good to open the matter to a minister, 'who hath the tongue of the learned,' Isa. 1:4.
But the sin is toward God, against him, he only being able to forgive sins, as the Pharisees confessed: 'None can forgive sins but God,'
Mark 2:7. The papists, therefore, herein are worse than the Pharisees.
The petition is, 'Take away iniquity,' and 'all iniquity.' Why all?
First. Because where there is any true goodness in the heart, that hatred which carries the bent of the soul against one sin, is alike against all, as I shewed; and the devil carries thousands to hell by this partial obedience, because he knows at any time where to have such. God and a purpose to sin will not stand together, nor dwell in a heart that allows itself in any sin, be it never so small. He saith, Take
away all, because the Spirit of God works in a man renewed, such a disposition of sincerity to hate all alike.
Secondly, he saith, 'Take away all iniquity,' because the heart, which desires to be at peace with God, desires also to be like God, who hates all sin. Therefore, saith the sanctified soul, forgive all sin. Take all away, that I may have nothing in me displeasing unto thee. I desire to join with the Lord; to hate what he hateth, and as he hateth; to carry a perfect hatred to the whole kind. 'Take away all iniquity.'
Hatred is not satisfied, but with the utter abolishing of the thing hated. Therefore it hath this extent here. 'Take away all sin,' both the guilt and the reign of every sin, that none may rule in me; nay, by little and little, purge out all. 'Take away iniquity,' and the train of all which it draws after it—judgments. 'Take away iniquity,' that is, forgive the sin, and overcome the power of it by sanctifying grace, and remit the judgments attending it.
'Take it away.' That is, take away the guilt of it utterly by pardon, and the remainders thereof by sanctifying grace, so as the Spirit may rule, and be all in all in us. They see sin is an offensive thing, and therefore they say, 'Take it away,' as an offensive, odious thing, and as a burden. For howsoever it be sweet as honey in the committing it, afterwards, when the conscience is thoroughly awaked, it is most offensive and bitter. So as in this case, a sinner would gladly run from his own conscience, and from himself; run anywhere from the tormenting and racking thoughts of conscience awaked, and withal hates the place where it was committed, and the company with whom, yea, the thoughts of them. As Absalom hated Tamar after he had lien with her, so a sinner awaked from sin hates what he formerly loved. As good men love the circumstances of anything which puts them in mind of any good they have done, loving both place and person. So it is with a sinner. When his conscience is awaked, he hates all things which puts him in mind of his sins.
Therefore, 'Take it away,' forgive it, cast it into the bottom of the sea, blot it out of thy remembrance, cover it, impute it not; all which phrases shew a taking away.
Therefore, I beseech you, let us examine ourselves hereby, whether our desire of forgiveness be sound or not. If we desire sin should be taken away, we cannot think of it with comfort. For in that many think with delight of their old sins, what do they else, but repeat them over again and again? But where the heart is soundly touched with a saving sense of sin, O then he cries, 'Take it away;' take it out of my conscience, that it cause not despair there; and out of thy remembrance, that no advantage be taken against me for it. 'Take it away.' But it is no otherwise taken away than by satisfying of divine justice. How much are we beholden to Christ, therefore, who hath borne and taken away our sins, and as the scape-goat, gone away with the burden of all into the wilderness of oblivion. Blessed be God, and the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the world! We can never bless God too much, nor sufficiently, for Christ. 'Blessed be
God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,' Eph. 1:3. Now we may think of sin without shame and despair. O blessed state, when a man can think of his former odious, and filthy, loathsome sins, and yet not despair! Because, when he believes in Christ, the blood of Christ purgeth all away, takes away all sin. He hath taken them away.
You see here, in the first place, they pray for the taking away of their iniquity. For, take away this, and all other mercies follow after, because this only is it which stops the current of God's favours, which removed, the current of his mercies run amain. As when the clouds are gone, the sun shines out; so let our sins be removed, and God's favour immediately shines upon us. Therefore, first 'Take away all iniquity,' and then we shall see nothing but thy fatherly face in Christ. You see what the care of God's children is, to seek mercy and favour in the first place; as David, 'Have mercy on me, O Lord!' Ps.
51:1. This he begs first of all. Whereas God had threatened other terrible judgments, as that the sword should never depart from his house, &c., yet he neglects all, as it were, and begs only for mercy, 'to take away iniquity.' For a sinner is never in such a blessed condition as he should be in, until he prize and desire mercy above all; because, though we be in misery, until then, with sinful Ephraim, Hos. 7:14, we howl upon our beds for corn and wine, preferring earthly, sensual
things before all. But that soul and conscience which is acquainted with God, and the odiousness of sin, that soul God intends to speak peace unto in the end, desires pardon of sin and mercy above all. For it knows that God is goodness itself, and that, when the interposing clouds are vanished, God cannot shew himself otherwise than in goodness, grace, and mercy. 'Take away all iniquity.'
Quest. Before I go further, let me answer one question. Ought we not to think of our former sins? Shall God take them away altogether out of the soul?
Ans. Oh no! Take them away out of the conscience, O Lord, that it do not accuse for them; but not out of the memory. It is good that sin be remembered, to humble us, to make us more thankful, pitiful, and tender-hearted unto others, to abase us and keep us low all the days of our life, and to make us deal gently and mercifully with others, being sensible of our own frailties. As they are naught in the conscience, so they are good to the memory. Therefore, let us think often of this, what the chief desire of our souls to God should be for— mercy, to have sin taken away. In all the articles of our creed, that of chiefest comfort is, that of 'remission of sins.'* Wherefore are all the other articles of Christ, his birth, death, and crucifying, but that he might get the church? and that the privileges thereof might be,
'forgiveness of sins, resurrection of the body, and life everlasting;' but forgiveness of sins is in the first place.
Quest. But may some say, How shall I know whether or no my sins be, forgiven?
1. By something that goes before.
2. By something which follows after.
Ans. There is somewhat which goes before, viz.:— First, an humble and hearty confession, as, 'If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness,' 1 John 1:9. Therefore, whether I feel it or not, if I have heartily, fully, and freely confessed, my sins are forgiven. God in wisdom and mercy may suspend the feeling thereof, for our humiliation, and for being over-bold with Satan's baits; yet I ought to believe it. For I make God a liar else, if I confess heartily, and acknowledge my debt, to think that he hath not cancelled the bond.
Secondly, sin is certainly pardoned, when a man finds strength against it; for where God forgives, he gives strength withal: as to the man whom he healed of the palsy, 'Thy sins are forgiven thee; take up thy bed and walk,' Mat. 9:2, 6. When a man hath strength to return to God, to run the way of his commandments, and to go on in a Christian course, his sins are forgiven, because he hath a spirit of faith to go on and lead him forward still. Those who find no strength of grace, may question forgiveness of sins. For God, where he takes away sin, and pardons it, as we see here in this text, after prayer made to take away iniquity, he 'doth good to us.'
The third evidence is, some peace of conscience; though not much, perhaps, yet so much as supports us from despair, as, 'Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord
Jesus Christ,' Rom. 5:1; that is, being acquitted from our sins by faith, we have peace with God; so much peace, as makes us go boldly to him. So that one may know his bonds are cancelled, and his sins forgiven, when with some boldness he dare look God in the face in Jesus Christ. A Judas, an Ahithophel, a Saul, because they are in the guilt of their sins, cannot confess comfortably, and go to God, which, when with some boldness we can do, it is a sign that peace is made for us.
Fourth. Again, where sin is pardoned, our hearts will be much enlarged with love to God; as Christ said to the woman, 'Her sins, which are many, are forgiven her, because she loved much,' Luke
7:47. Therefore, when we find our hearts inflamed with love to God, we may know that God hath shined upon our souls in the pardon of sin; and proportionably to our measure of love is our assurance of
pardon. Therefore we should labour for a greater measure thereof, that our hearts may be the more inflamed in the love of God. It is impossible that the soul should at all love God angry, offended, and unappeased; nay, such a soul wisheth that there were no God at all, for the very thoughts thereof terrify him.
Fifthly. Again, where sin is forgiven, it frames the soul suitably, to be gentle, merciful, and to pardon others. For, usually, those who have peaceable consciences themselves are peaceable unto others; and those who have forgiveness of sins, can also forgive others. Those who have found mercy have merciful hearts, shewing that they have found mercy with God. And, on the contrary, he that is a cruel, merciless man, it is a sign that his heart was never warmed nor melted with the sense of God's mercy in Christ. Therefore, 'as the elect of God,' saith the apostle, 'put on bowels of compassion,' 1 Peter
3:8, as you will make it good that you are the elect of God, members of Christ, and God's children.
Therefore, let us labour for the forgiveness of our sins, that God would remove and subdue the power of them, take them away, and the judgments due to them, or else we are but miserable men, though we enjoyed all the pleasures of the world, which to a worldly man are but like the liberty of the tower* to a condemned traitor, who though he have all wants supplied with all possible attendance, yet when he thinks of his estate, it makes his heart cold, damps his courage, and makes him think the poorest car-man or tankard-bearer, at liberty, happier than he, who would not change estates with him. So it is with a man that hath not sued out his pardon, nor is at peace with God.
He hath no comfort, so long as he knows his sins are on the file,† that God in heaven is not at peace with him, who can arm all the creatures against him to be revenged of him. In which case, who shall be umpire betwixt God and us, if we take not up the controversy betwixt him and our souls? Therefore, it being so miserable a case to want assurance of the forgiveness of sins, it should make us be never an hour quiet till we have gotten it, seeing the uncertainty of this life, wherein there is but a step betwixt hell, damnation, and us.
Therefore sue unto God, ply him with broken and humble hearts, that he would pardon all the sins of our youth and after-age, known and unknown, that he would pardon all whatsoever. 'Take away all iniquity.'
'And do good to us.' For so it is in the original, but it is all one, 'Receive us graciously, and do good to us.' All the goodness we have from God, it is out of his grace, from his free grace and goodness. All grace, every little thing from God is grace. As we say of favours received of great persons, this is his grace, his favour; so this is a respect which is put upon all things which we receive from God, when we are in covenant, all is gracious. Take we the words as they are, the more plain, in the original. 'Take good, and do good to us:' take good out of thy treasure of goodness, and do good to us, bestow upon us thy own good. First, 'take away our iniquities,' and then take good out of thy bounty, 'and do good to us.' Whence we see—
Doct. That God's mercy to his children is complete and full.
For he takes away ill, and doth good. Men may pardon, but withal they think that they have done wondrous bountifully when they have pardoned. But God goes further. He takes away ill, and doth good; takes good out of his fountain, and doth good to us.
Use. Therefore, let us make this use of it, to be encouraged, when we have the first blessing of all, forgiveness of sins, to go to him for more and more, and gather upon God further and further still. For because he is a fountain of goodness that can never be drawn dry, he is wondrously pleased with this. We cannot honour him more than by making use of his mercy in the forgiveness of sins; and of his goodness, in going to him for it; and having interested ourselves in his goodness, go to him for more. Lord, thou hast begun: make an end; thou hast forgiven my sins; I want this and that good; together with the pardon of my sins, do me good. 'Receive us graciously,' or,
'do us good.' Now, good is the loadstone of the soul, the attractive that draws it. Therefore, after forgiveness of sins, he saith, 'do good.'
The petition is easy, God will soon grant it. For nothing else interposeth betwixt God and us, and makes two, but sin, which being removed, he is all goodness and mercy. 'All his ways are mercy and truth,' Ps. 25:10. Yea, even his sharpest ways are mercy, all mercy.
When sin is forgiven, there is goodness in all, in the greatest cross and affliction. 'Do good to us.'
The soul, we see, desires good, and needs good. It is a transcendent word here, and must be understood according to the taste of God's people, of a sanctified soul. 'Do good.' Especially do spiritual good to us. Together with the forgiveness of sins, give us the righteousness of Jesus Christ, sanctifying grace, such good as may make us good first.
For the desire must be such as the person is, who makes it. Wicked men, as it is said of Balaam, have good gifts, without the good God; but we must not be so pleased with gifts, unless we be good ourselves, and see God making us good. 'Can an evil tree bring forth good fruit?' Mat. 7:18. Therefore, the apostle calls the regenerate person 'God's workmanship,' &c., Eph. 2:10. We are God's good work, and then we do good works; being made good, good comes from us. 'Do good to us.'
It is an acknowledgment of their own emptiness, 'Do good to us.' We are blind in our own understandings, enlighten us. We are perplexed, set us right. We are dull, quicken us. We are empty, fill us. We are dark, shine upon us. We are ready to go out of the way, establish us.
Every way do good to us suitable to our wants. The best that we can bring to thee is emptiness. Therefore do thou good to us; fill us with thy fulness. Do good to us every way, whereby thou usest to convey spiritual things to thy servants' souls. Give us first thy grace, thy
Spirit, which is the spring of all good things; for the Spirit of God is a Spirit of direction, of strength, of comfort, and all. Therefore he who hath the Spirit of God hath the spring of all. That is begged in the first place. And then give us good magistrates, to rule us well, and good ministers, who are the dispensers of grace, instruments of our salvation, the conduit pipes whereby thou derivest and conveyest good to us. When thou hast made us good, continue the means of
salvation for our good every way. The church, when she saith, 'Do good to us,' hath a large desire. Here be seeds of wondrous large things in these two short petitions, 'Take away all iniquity,' and 'do good to us.' A bono Deo, &c. From the good God nothing can come but what is good. Therefore do good to us in all spiritual things. The prophet David aims at this excellent good, saying that other men are for corn, wine, and oil, and say, 'Who will shew us any good? But,
Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us,' Ps. 4:6, 7.
Thy lovingkindness is better than life, therefore do good to us. When thou hast forgiven our sins, shine graciously upon us in Jesus Christ.
And it extends its limits likewise to outward prosperity, this desire of doing good. Let us have happy days! Sweeten our pilgrimage here!
Let our profession of religion be comfortable! Do not lay more crosses upon us than thou wilt give us strength to bear! Do good to us every way! But mark the wisdom of the Holy Ghost in dictating of this prayer to them. He speaks in general, 'Do good to us;' not to do this or that good, but he leaves it to the wisdom of God, as they here frame their hearts unto the will of God. 'Do good to us,' spiritual.
That needs no limitation, because we cannot more honour God than to depend upon him for all spiritual good things. Thou art wiser, and knowest what is good for us better than we ourselves. Beggars ought to be no choosers. Therefore 'do good to us,' for the particulars we leave them to thy wisdom. Oh, beloved, it is a happy and blessed privilege to be under the conduct of so wise and all-sufficient a God, who is good, and as he is good, knows best what is good for us. We would have riches, liberty, and health; aye, but it may be it is not good for us. 'Do good to us.' Thou, Lord, knowest what is best. Do in thine own wisdom what is best.
Use. Which should teach us not to limit the Holy One of Israel in our desires of any outward thing whatsoever. Especially desire forgiveness and spiritual good things, leaving the rest to his wise disposing. Yet notwithstanding, out of the sense of pain and grief, we may pray either for the mitigation or removing of a cross, if God be so pleased. Because he hath put in us self-love, not sinful, but love of
preserving our nature, therefore he permits us, if it may stand with his good pleasure, to desire the good of our outward man, as, Lord, give us bodily health, for we cannot else be instruments of serving thee. With reservation of God's good pleasure, we may desire such and such things, conditionally, that when we see God will have it otherwise, we rest contented, sit down quietly, knowing that whatsoever health, sickness, or crosses he sends, it comes from his goodness and love, and shall turn to our good at length. If we love
God, all shall work for good.
'Take away our iniquity, and do us good.' We should make this petition for the church and ourselves. Pardon our sins, and do good to us, to our persons, to the state, to the times wherein we live, to the church at home and abroad, do good to all.
And we may observe this from the order, and know what good we have. It comes from God in love, when it comes after forgiveness of sins. How then, may we take comfort of all the good things we have enjoyed, having seen many good days, enjoyed many good blessings, in health, wealth, good magistracy, ministry, peace, plenty, and the like! If all this goodness of God lead us to God, and draw us nearer to him, 'after forgiveness of sins,' grounded on the former evidences I spake of, then they come in love. But never let us think to have true comfort with a blessing, or any good thing we enjoy, till we have assurance of God's love and mercy in the forgiveness of sins, lest God strip us naked of all the good things we have, and make us as naked as Dives in hell, who had not anything that was good to refresh his body or soul. So that all good things we enjoy here without this, will only aggravate our condemnation. Let us observe, therefore, how all our good things are joined with spiritual good (whether we ourselves are made better by them or not), having our sins pardoned. I beseech you, let us renew our requests for forgiveness of sins every day, making our accounts even with God, desiring grace to set our souls in a holy and sanctified frame with God, that ourselves may be good, our conversation good, and that then he would 'do good to us' all other ways, and sanctify all other things. This is the method of God's
Spirit in setting us right onwards in our heavenly journey, first to have forgiveness of sins, then sanctification, to be better ourselves, and then to look for peaceable and comfortable days in this world, if God see it good. What can be more? 'Take away all iniquity, and do us good,' all manner of good.
Therefore, since all good comes from God, the first and chief good, let us labour to have communion with him by all sanctified means, that so he may take away our ill, and do us every way good to our souls, bodies, conditions. Oh, what a blessed thing is it for a Christian to keep a strict and near communion with the fountain of goodness, who can do more for us than all the world besides! When we are sick on our deathbeds, or when conscience is thoroughly awaked, then to speak peace comfortably to us in this great extremity, is more worth than all this world. Therefore let us labour to keep communion with God, that he may speak peace to our souls when nothing else can.
I beseech you, therefore, let us take heed how we break or walk loosely with God, seeing we can have no further comfort of any good thing we enjoy, than we are careful to keep and maintain our peace and communion with him at all times. And when we run into arrearages with God, then be sure we lie not in sin, but say, 'Take away all iniquity, and do good to us,' labouring to be in such an estate as God may give us his Holy Spirit, both to make us good and to sanctify unto us all other good. There be good things which are good of themselves, and which make all other things good. Thus, by communion with God, we ourselves are made good, and all other things likewise are made good to us, all his ways being mercy and truth unto those who fear him. Therefore resign we ourselves and all that we have unto his wisdom and disposing, because ofttimes there is good where we imagine the worst of evils to be, as it is sometimes good to have a vein opened to be purged. The physician thinks so, when yet the patient, impatient of reason's issue, thinks not so. But as the physician is wiser than the patient, to know what is best for
him, so God is wiser than man, to know what is good for him, who intends us no hurt when he purgeth us by affliction.
All our care, therefore, should be to annihilate ourselves, to come with empty, poor souls to God, 'Do good to us.' In which case it is no matter what our ill be, if he do us good, who hath both pardon and rich grace to remove the evil of sin, and convey all grace unto us out of his rich treasury.
'So will we render the calves of our lips.'
Here is the re-stipulation or promise. They return back again to God, for there is no friendship maintained without rendering. When God hath entered into covenant with us, then there is a kind of friendship knit up betwixt him and us, he becoming our friend. We must not, therefore, be like graves, to swallow up all, and return nothing, for then the intercourse betwixt God and us is cut off. Therefore the same Spirit which teacheth them to pray, and to 'take to them words,' teacheth them likewise to take unto them words of praise, that there may be a rendering according to receiving, without which we are worse than the poorest creature that is, which rendereth according to its receipt. The earth, when it is ploughed and sowed, it yields us fruit. Trees being set, yield increase. Beasts being fed, render in their kind. Yea, the fiercest, untamed beasts, as we read of the lion, have been thankful in their kind. The heavens, saith the psalmist, declare the glory of God, and the firmament shews forth his praise, Ps. 19:1.
So there must be a return, if we be not worse than beasts. Therefore the church here promiseth a return by the same Spirit which stirred her up to pray. 'So will we render the calves of our lips.'
Now, this promise which the church makes here of praise, is a kind of vow, 'So will we render,' &c. To bind one's-self is a kind of vow. The church therefore binds herself, that she may bind God; for binding herself by vow to thankfulness, she thereby binds God; who is moved with nothing we can do so much as with setting forth of his praise, which was his end in all the creation, the setting forth of his glory.
The end of the new creature is the end of all things both in nature and grace; the end whereof is God's glory, from whence all things come and wherein all things end: as we say of a circle, all things begin and end in it. All other things are for man, and man for God's glory. When the soul can say, 'Lord, this shall be for thy honour, to set forth thy praise,' it binds God. Hence, that they might move God to yield to their prayers, they bind themselves by a kind of vow. Do thus, O Lord, and thou shalt not lose by it, thou shalt have praise; 'so will we render thee the calves of our lips.'
So promises and vows of praise are alleged as an argument to prevail with God, for the obtaining of that the church begs for: 'So will we render,' &c. Not to enter into the commonplace of vows, only thus much I say, that there is a good use of them, to vow and promise thankfulness when we would obtain blessings from God. That which a promise is to men, that a vow is to God; and usually they go together in Scripture, as it is said of David, that 'he vowed unto God, and sware unto the mighty God of Jacob,' Ps. 132:2. So we have all in baptism vowed a vow. So that it is good to renew our vows often, especially that of new obedience; and in this particular to vow unto him that we will praise him, and strive that his glory be no loser by us.
1. It is good thus to vow, if it were but to excite and quicken our dulness and forgetfulness of our general vow; to put us in mind of our duty, the more to oblige us to God and refresh our memories.
This bond, that having promised, now I must do it, provokes the soul to it. As it helps the memory, so it quickens the affections.
2. Besides, as by nature we are forgetful, so we are inconstant; in which respect it is a tie to our inconstant and unsteady natures. For there are none who have the Spirit of God at all, with any tenderness of heart, but will thus think: I have vowed to God. If it be a heinous thing to break with men, what is it wittingly and willingly to break with the great God? A vow is a kind of oath. This is the sacrifice of
fools, to come to God, and yet neither to make good our vows, nor endeavour to do it.
Let us consider therefore what we have done in this case. By permission of authority, there was a fast lately, when we all renewed our vows (we mocked God else), [and] received the communion. Will
God be mocked, think you? No; but howsoever man may forget, God will not, but will come upon us for non-payment of our vows and covenants. Lay we it to heart therefore what covenants we have made with God of late. And then, for the time to come, be not discouraged if you have been faulty in it. There is a general vow, wherein, though we have failed (if we be his children, and break not with God in the main, cleaving to him in purpose of heart, occasionally renewing our purposes and covenants), yet let not Satan discourage us for our unfaithfulness therein. But be ashamed of it, watch more, look better to it for the time to come, and make use of the gracious covenant; and, upon recovery, say with the church, 'So will we render the calves of our lips.'
It was the custom under the Jewish policy, you know, to offer sacrifices of all sorts. But the Spirit of God speaks here of the church of the Jews under the New Testament; especially what they should be after their conversion, having reference to the Jews in Christ's time, and to the believing Jews in all times, implying thus much; howsoever, not legal sacrifices of calves, bullocks, sheep, and lambs, yet the 'calves of the lips,' which God likes better, are acceptable to him. And it likewise implies some humiliation of the church. Lord, whatsoever else we could offer unto thee, it is thine own, though it were the beasts upon a thousand mountains; but this, by thy grace, we can do, to 'praise thee,' Ps. 50:23. For God must open and circumcise our lips and hearts before we can offer him the 'calves of our lips.' Thus much the poorest creature in the world may say to God, Lord, 'I will render thee the calves of my lips.' Other things I have not. This I have by thy gracious Spirit, a heart somewhat touched by the sense of thy favour. Therefore 'I will render thee the calves of my lips;' that is, praise, as the apostle hath it, 'By him
therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually; that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name,' Heb. 13:15. 'So will we render thee the calves of our lips.' Whence the point is,
Doct. That God's children at all times have their sacrifices.
There is indeed one kind of sacrificing determined* and finished by the coming of Christ, who was the last sacrifice of propitiation for our sins. The more to blame those who yet maintain a daily sacrifice, not of laud and praise, but of cozening and deluding the world, in saying mass for the sins of the quick and the dead; all such sacrifices being finished and closed up in him, our blessed Saviour; who, 'by one sacrifice,' as the apostle speaks, 'hath perfected them that are sanctified,' Heb. 10:14, 7:27; and that, 'by one sacrifice, when he offered up himself,' Heb. 10:12; when all the Jewish sacrifices ended.
Since which, all ours are but a commemoration of Christ's last sacrifice, as the fathers say: the Lord's supper, with the rest, which remain still; and the sacrifice of praise, with a few others, I desire to name.
1. First, The sacrifice of a broken heart, whereof David speaks, Ps.
51:17; which sacrifice of a wounded, broken heart, by the knife of repentance, pleaseth God wondrously well.
2. And then, a broken heart that offers Christ to God every day; who, though he were offered once for all, yet our believing in him, and daily presenting his atonement made for us, is a new offering of him.
Christ is crucified and sacrificed for thee as oft as thou believest in Christ crucified. Now, upon all occasions we manifest our belief in Christ, to wash and bathe ourselves in his blood, who justifieth the ungodly. So that, upon a fresh sight of sin, with contrition for it, he continually justifieth us. Thus, when we believe, we offer him to God daily; a broken heart first, and then Christ with a broken heart.
3. And then when we believe in Christ, we offer and sacrifice ourselves to God; in which respect we must, as it were, be killed ere
we be offered. For we may not offer ourselves as we are in our lusts, but as mortified and killed by repentance. Then we offer ourselves to God as a reasonable and living sacrifice, when we offer ourselves wholly unto him, wit, understanding, judgment, affections, and endeavour; as Paul saith of the Macedonians, 'they gave themselves to God first, and then their goods,' 2 Cor. 8:5. In sum, it is that sacrifice Paul speaks of, 'to present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,' &c., Rom. 12:1. For a Christian who believeth in the Lord Jesus is not his own, but sacrificeth himself to him that was sacrificed for him. As Christ is given to us, so he that believes in Christ gives himself back again to Christ. Hereby a man may know if he be a true Christian, and that Christ is his, if he yields up himself to God. For 'Christ died and rose again,' saith the apostle, 'that he might be Lord both of quick and dead,' Rom. 14:9. 'Therefore,' saith he,
'whether we live or die, we are not our own,' Rom. 14:8. What we do or suffer in the world, in all we are sacrificed. So saith a sanctified soul, My wit, my will, my life, my good, my affections are thine; of thee I received them, and I resign all to thee as a sacrifice. Thus the martyrs, to seal the truth, as a sacrifice, yielded up their blood. He that hath not obtained of himself so much as to yield himself to God, he knows not what the gospel means. For Christian religion is not only to believe in Christ for forgiveness of sin; but the same faith which takes this great benefit, renders back ourselves in lieu of thankfulness.
So that, whatsoever we have, after we believe, we give all back again.
Lord, I have my life, my will, my wit, and all from thee; and to thee I return all back again. For when I gave myself to believe in thy dear
Son, I yielded myself and all I have to thee; and now, having nothing but by thy gift, if thou wilt have all I will return all unto thee again; if thou wilt have my life, my goods, my liberty, thou shalt have them.
This is the state of a Christian who hath denied himself. For we cannot believe as we should unless we deny ourselves. Christianity is not altogether in believing this and that; but the faith which moves me to believe forgiveness of sins, carries us also unto God to yield all back again to him.
4. More especially, among the sacrifices of the New Testament are alms, as, 'To do good and to communicate forget not, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased,' Heb. 13:16.
5. And among the rest, the sacrifice of praise, which is in the same chapter, verse 15. First, he saith, By him, that is, by Christ, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips: which is but an exposition of this place, which, because it is especially here intended, I will a little enlarge myself in.
The 'calves of our lips' implies two things:
Not only thankfulness to God, but glorifying of God, in setting out his praise. Otherwise to thank God for his goodness to us, or for what we hope to receive, without glorifying of him, is nothing at all worth. For in glorifying there are two things.
1. A supposition of excellency. For that cannot be glorified, which hath no excellency in it. Glory in sublimity hath alway excellency attending it. And 2. The manifestation of this glory.
Now, when all the excellencies of God, as they are, are discovered and set out, his wisdom, mercy, power, goodness, all-sufficiency, &c., then we glorify him. To praise God for his favours to us, and accordingly to glorify him, is 'the calves of our lips;' but especially to praise him. Whence the point is— That the yielding of praise to God is a wondrous acceptable sacrifice.
Which is instead of all the sacrifices of the Old Testament, than which the greatest can do no more, nor the least less; for it is the sacrifice and fruit of the lips. But to open it. It is not merely the sacrifice of our lips; for the praise we yield to God, it must be begotten in the heart. Hereupon the word, λογὸς, speech, signifieth both reason and speech, there being one word in the learned
language for both.* Because speech is nothing but that stream which issues from the spring of reason and understanding: therefore, in thanksgiving there must not be a lip-labour only, but a thanksgiving from the lips, first begotten in the heart, coming from the inward man, as the prophet saith, 'Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name,' Ps. 103:1. Praise must come from a sound judgment of the worth of the thing we praise for. It must come from an affection which desires that God may have the glory, by the powers of the whole inward man, which is a hard matter, to rouse up ourselves to praise God with all the powers of our soul, 'all that is within me, praise his holy name,' Ps. 103:1. There goeth judgment, resolution of the will, strength of affections, and all with it.
And then again, besides this, 'the calves of our lips' carries us to work. The oral thanksgiving must be justified by our works and deeds; or else our actions will give our tongue the lie, that we praise him with the one, but deny him in the other. This is a solecism, as if one should look to the earth, and cry, O ye heavens! So when we say,
God be praised, when yet our life speaks the contrary, it is a dishonouring of God. So the praise of our lips must be made good and justified by our life, actions, and conversation. This we must suppose for the full understanding of the words, 'We will render,' from our hearts, 'the calves of our lips;' which we must make good in our lives and conversations, ever to set forth thy praise in our whole life.
Quest. But why doth the prophet especially mention lips, 'the calves of our lips,' which are our words?
Ans. 1. Partly, because Christ, who is the Word, delights in our words.
2. Because our tongue is our glory, and that whereby we glorify God.
3. And especially because our tongue is that which excites others, being a trumpet of praise, ordained of God for this purpose.
Therefore, 'the calves of our lips;' partly, because it stirs up ourselves and others, and partly, because God delights in words, especially of his own dictating. To come then to speak more fully of praise and thanksgiving, let us consider what a sweet, excellent, and prevailing duty this is, which the church, to bind God, promiseth unto him, 'the calves of our lips.' I will not be long in the point, but only come to some helps how we may come to do it.
First, this praising of God must be from an humble, broken heart.
The humble soul that sees itself not worthy of any favour, and confesseth sin before God, is alway a thankful soul. 'Take away our iniquity, and then do good to us.' We are empty ourselves. Then will
'we render thee the calves of our lips.' What made David so thankful a man? He was an humble man; and so Jacob, what abased him so in his own eyes? His humility: 'Lord, I am less than the least of thy mercies,' Gen. 32:10. He that thinks himself unworthy of anything, will be thankful for everything; and he who thinks himself unworthy of any blessing, will be contented with the least. Therefore, let us work our hearts to humility, in consideration of our sinfulness, vileness, and unworthiness, which will make us thankful: especially of the best blessings, when we consider their greatness, and our unworthiness of them. A proud man can never be thankful.
Therefore, that religion which teacheth pride, cannot be a thankful religion. Popery is compounded of spiritual pride: merit of congruity, before conversion; merit of condignity, and desert of heaven, after; free will, and the like, to puff up nature. What a religion is this! Must we light a candle before the devil? Is not nature proud enough, but we must light a candle to it? To be spiritually proud is worst of all.
2. And with our own unworthiness, add this: a consideration of the greatness of the thing we bless God for; setting as high a price upon it as we can, by considering what and how miserable we were without it. He will bless God joyfully for pardon of sin, who sees how miserable he were without it, in misery next to devils, ready to drop into hell every moment. And the more excellent we are, so much the more accursed, without the forgiveness of sins. For the soul, by
reason of the largeness thereof, is so much the more capable and comprehensible of misery; as the devils are more capable than we, therefore are most accursed. Oh, this will make us bless God for the pardon of sin! And likewise, let us set a price upon all God's blessings, considering what we were without our senses, speech, meat, drink, rest, &c. O beloved! we forget to praise God sufficiently for our senses. This little spark of reason in us is an excellent thing; grace is founded upon it. If we were without reason, what were we? If we wanted sight, hearing, speech, rest, and other daily blessings, how uncomfortable were our lives! This consideration will add and set a price to their worth, and make us thankful, to consider our misery without them. But, such is our corruption, that favours are more known by the want, than by the enjoying of them. When too late, we many times find how dark and uncomfortable we are without them; then smarting the more soundly, because in time we did not sufficiently prize, and were thankful for them.
3. And then, labour to get further and further assurance that we are God's children, beloved of him. This will make us thankful both for what we have and hope for. It lets out the life-blood of thankfulness, to teach doubting or falling from grace. What is the end, I beseech you, why the glory to come is revealed before the time? That we shall be sons and daughters, kings and queens, heirs and co-heirs with Christ, and [that] 'all that he hath is ours?' Rom. 8:17. Is not this knowledge revealed beforehand, that our praise and thanksgiving should beforehand be suitable to this revelation, being set with Christ in heavenly places already. Whence comes those strong phrases? 'We are raised with Christ; sit with him in heavenly places,'
Eph. 2:6; 'are translated from death to life,' Col. 1:13; 'transformed into his image;' 'partakers of the divine nature,' &c., 2 Pet. 1:4. If anything that can come betwixt our believing, and our sitting there, could disappoint us thereof, or unsettle us, it may as well put Christ out of heaven, for we sit with him. If we yield to the uncomfortable popish doctrine of doubting, we cannot be heartily thankful for blessings; for still there will rise in the soul surmises, I know not whether God favour me or not: it may be, I am only fatted for the day
of slaughter; God gives me outward things to damn me, and make me the more inexcusable. What a cooler of praise is this, to be ever doubting, and to have no assurance of God's favour! But when upon good evidence, which cannot deceive, we have somewhat wrought in us, distinct from the greater number of worldlings, God's stamp set upon us; having evidences of the state of grace, by conformity to Christ, and walking humbly by the rule of the word in all God's ways: then we may heartily be thankful, yea, and we shall break forth in thanksgiving; this being an estate of peace, and 'joy unspeakable and glorious,' 1 Pet. 1:8, wherein we take everything as an evidence of God's love.
Thus the assurance of our being in the state of grace makes us thankful for everything. So by the contrary, being not in some measure assured of God's love in Christ, we cannot be thankful for everything. For it will always come in our mind, I know not how I have these things, and what account I shall give for them. Therefore, even for the honour of God, and that we may praise him the more cheerfully, let us labour to have further and further evidences of the state of grace, to make us thankful both for things present and to come, seeing faith takes to trust things to come, as if it had them in possession. Whereby we are assured of this, that we shall come to heaven, as sure as if we were there already. This makes us praise God beforehand for all favours; as blessed Peter begins his epistle,
'Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which, according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,' &c., 1 Pet. 1:3, 4. As soon as we are newborn, we are begotten to a kingdom and an inheritance.
Therefore, assurance that we are God's children will make us thankful for grace present, and that to come, as if we were in heaven already. We begin then the employment of heaven in thanksgiving here, to praise God beforehand with cherubims and angels. Let us, then, be stirred up to give God his due beforehand, to begin heaven