Of Obedience to God's Revealed Will
Of the Tenth Commandment Man's inability to keep the Moral Law All sins not equally heinous What sin deserveth Of Faith Of Repentance The Word read and preached, how effectual
Of Baptism Of the Lord's Supper Of Prayer
OF OBEDIENCE TO GOD'S REVEALED
WILL DEUT. 27:9, 10. Take heed and hearken, O Israel, this day thou art become the people of the Lord thy God; thou shalt therefore obey the voice of the Lord thy God, and do his commandments.
QUEST. XXXIX. WHAT is the duty that God requireth of man?
ANS. Obedience to his revealed will.
It is not enough to hear God's voice, but we must obey. Obedience is a part of that honour we owe to God, Mal. 1:6., "If I be a Father, where is my honour?" Obedience carries in it the life-blood of religion. "Obey the voice of the Lord God, and do his commandments." Obedience without knowledge is blind, and knowledge without obedience is lame. Rachel was fair to look upon, but, being barren, said, "Give me children, or I die:" so, if knowledge doth not bring forth the child of obedience, it will die, 1 Sam. 15:22.,
"To obey is better than sacrifice." Saul thought it was enough for him to offer sacrifices, though he disobeyed God's command: no, "to obey is better than sacrifice." God disclaims sacrifice, if obedience be wanting, Jer. 7:22., "I spake not to your fathers concerning burntofferings, but this thing commanded I them, saying, obey my voice."
Not but that God did enjoin those religious rites of worship; but the meaning is, God looked chiefly at obedience, without which, sacrifice was but devout folly. The end why God hath given us his laws, is obedience, Lev. 18:4., "Ye shall do my judgments, and keep my ordinances." Why doth a king publish an edict, but that it may be observed?
QUEST. 1. What is the rule of obedience?
Ans. The written word; that is proper obedience which the word requires; our obedience must correspond with the word, as the copy with the original. To seem to be zealous, if it be not according to the word, is not obedience, but will-worship. Popish traditions, which have no footing in the word, are abominable; and God will say, Quis quæsivit hæc? "Who hath required this at your hand?" Isa. 1:12. The apostle condemns the worshipping of angels, which had a show of humility, Col. 2:18. The Jews might say they were loath to be so bold as to go to God in their own persons,—they would be more humble, and prostrate themselves before the angels, and desire them to
present their petitions to God: this show of humility was hateful to God, because there was no word to warrant it.
QUEST. 2. What are the right ingredients in our obedience to make it acceptable? How must it be qualified?
Ans. 1. Obedience must be cum animi prolubio,—free and cheerful, else it is penance, not sacrifice, Isa. 1:19., "If ye be willing and obedient." Though we serve God with weakness, let it be with willingness. You love to see your servants go cheerfully about your work. Under the law, God would have "a free-will offering," Deut.
16:10. Hypocrites obey God grudgingly, and against their will; they do facere bonum, but not velle. Cain brought his sacrifice, but not his heart. 'Tis a true rule, Quicquid cor non facit, non fit,—'what the heart doth not do, is not done.' Willingness is the soul of obedience;
God sometimes accepts of willingness without the work, but never of the work without willingness. Cheerfulness shews that there is love in the duty; and love doth to our services, as the sun doth to the fruit, mellow and ripen them, and make them come off with a better relish.
A. 2. Obedience must be devout and fervent, Rom. 12:11., "Fervent in spirit," &c. Quæ ebullit præ ardore—it alludes to water that boils over —so the heart must boil over with hot affections in the service of God. The glorious angels—who, for their burning in fervour and devotion, are called Seraphims—these God chooseth to serve him in heaven. The snail under the law was unclean, because a dull slothful creature: obedience without fervency is like a sacrifice without fire.
Why should not our obedience be lively and fervent? God deserves the flower and strength of our affections. Domitian would not have his statue carved in wood or iron, but in gold: lively affections make golden services. It is fervency makes obedience acceptable. Elijah was fervent in spirit, and his prayer opened and shut heaven; and
again he prayed, and fire fell on his enemies, 2 Kings 1:10. Elijah's prayer fetched fire from heaven, because, being fervent, it carried fire up to heaven; quicquid decorum ex fide proficitur, AUG.
A. 3. Obedience must be extensive,—it must reach to all God's commands, Ps 119:6., "Then shall I not be ashamed, (or, as it is in the Hebrew, lo ehosh, blush) when I have respect to all thy commandments." Quicquid propter Deum fit æqualiter fit. There is a stamp of divine authority upon all God's commands; and, if I obey one precept because God commands, I must obey all. True obedience runs through all duties of religion, as the blood through all the veins, or the sun through all the signs of the zodiac. A good Christian makes gospel-piety and moral equity kiss each other. Herein some discover their hypocrisy, they will obey God in some things which are more facile, and may raise their repute, but other things they leave undone, Mark 10:21., "One thing thou lackest,"—unum deest. Herod would hear John Baptist, but not leave his incest; some will pray, but not give alms; others will give alms, but not pray, Mat. 23:23., "Ye pay tithe of mint and annise, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy and faith." The badger hath one foot shorter than the other: so these are shorter in some duties than in others. God likes not such partial servants, that will do some part of the work he sets them about, and leave the other undone.
A. 4. Obedience must be sincere, viz. We must aim at the glory of God in it. Finis specificat actionem,—in religion the end is all. The end of our obedience must not be to stop the mouth of conscience, or to gain applause or preferment, but that we may grow more like God, and bring more glory to God, 1 Cor. 10:31., "Do all to the glory of God." That which hath spoiled many glorious actions, and made them lose their reward, is, when men's aims have been wrong; the Pharisees gave alms, but blew a trumpet that they might have glory
of men, Mat. 6:2., alms should shine, but not blaze. Jehu did well in destroying the Baal-worshippers, and God commended him for it; but, because his aims were not good, (he aimed at settling himself in the kingdom,) therefore God looked upon it as no better than murder, Hos. 1:4., "I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu." O let us look to our ends in obedience! It is possible the action may be right, and not the heart, 2 Chron. 25:2., "Joash did that which was right in the sight of the Lord," but not with a perfect heart. Two things are chiefly to be eyed in obedience, the principle and the end: a child of God though he shoots short in his obedience yet he takes a right aim.
A. 5. Obedience must be in and through Christ, Eph. 1:6., "He made us accepted in the beloved." Not our obedience, but Christ's merits, procure acceptance; we must, in every part of worship tender up
Christ to God in the arms of our faith; unless we serve God thus, in hope and confidence of Christ's merits, we do rather provoke God, than please him. As, when king Uzziah would offer incense without a priest, God was angry with him, and struck him with leprosy, 2
Chron. 26:16., so when we do not come to God in and through Christ, we offer up incense to God without a priest; and what can we expect but severe rebukes?
A. 6. Obedience must be constant, Ps. 106:3., "Blessed is he who doth righteousness at all times." True obedience is not like an high colour in a fit, but it is a right sanguine; it is like the fire on the altar, which was always kept burning, Lev. 6:13. Hypocrites' obedience is but for a season; it is like plastering work, which is soon washed off; but true obedience is constant; though we meet with affliction, we must go on in our obedience, Job 17:9., "The righteous shall hold on his way."
We have vowed constancy; we have vowed to renounce the pomp and vanities of the world, and to fight under Christ's banner to death.
When a servant hath entered into covenant with his master, and the indentures are sealed, then he cannot go back, he must serve out his time: there are indentures drawn in baptism, and in the Lord's supper the indentures are renewed and sealed on our part, that we will be faithful and constant in our obedience, therefore we must imitate Christ, who became obedient to the death, Phil. 2:8. The crown is set upon the head of perseverance, Rev. 2:26, 28., "He that keeps my words unto the end, to him will I give" "the morning star."
Use 1st. This indicts such who live in a contradiction to this text: they have cast off the yoke of obedience, Jer. 44:16., "As for the word which thou hast spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee." God bids men pray in their family,—they live in the total neglect of it: he bids them sanctify the sabbath,—they follow their pleasures on that day: God bids them abstain from the appearance of sin,—they do not abstain from the act, they live in the act of revenge, in the act of uncleanness. This is an high contempt of God; it is rebellion, and rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft.
QUEST. Whence is it that men do not obey God? They know their duty yet do it not?
Ans. 1. The not obeying of God is for want of faith, Isa. 53:1., Quis credidet? "Who hath believed our report?" Did men believe sin were so bitter that hell followed at the heels of it, would they go on in sin?
Did they believe there were such a reward for the righteous that godliness were gain, would they not pursue it? But they are atheists, not fully captivated into the belief of these things; hence it is they obey not. This is Satan's master-piece,—his draw-net by which he drags millions to hell, by keeping them in infidelity; he knows, if he can but keep them from believing the truth, he is sure to keep them from obeying it.
A. 2. The not obeying God is for want of self-denial. God commands one thing, and men's lusts command another, and they will rather die than deny their lusts; now, if lust cannot be denied, God cannot be obeyed.
Use 2d. Obey God's voice. This is the beauty of a Christian.
QUEST. What are the great arguments or incentives to obedience?
Ans. 1. Obedience makes us precious to God; we shall be his favourites, Exod. 19:5., "If ye will obey my voice, ye shall be a peculiar treasure to me above all people;" you shall be my portion, my jewels, the apple of mine eye, "I will give Egypt for thy ransom,"
Isa. 43:3.
A. 2. There is nothing lost by obedience. To obey God's will is the way to have our will. 1. Would we have a blessing in our estates, let us obey, Deut. 28:1, 3., "If thou shalt hearken to the voice of the Lord, to do all his commandments, blessed shalt thou be in the field: blessed shall be thy basket and thy store." To obey, is the best way to thrive in our estates.—2. Would we have a blessing in our souls, let us obey,
Jer. 7:23., "Obey my voice, and I will be your God." My Spirit shall be your guide, sanctifier, and comforter, Heb. 5:9., "Christ became the author of eternal salvation to all them that obey him." While we please God, we please ourselves; while we give him the duty, he gives us the dowry. We are apt to say, as Amaziah, 2 Chron. 25:9., "What shall we do for the hundred talents?" You see you lose nothing by obeying; the obedient son hath the inheritance settled on him. Obey, and you shall have a kingdom, Luke 12:32., "It is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."
Use 3d. What a sin disobedience is! 1st, It is an irrational sin. (1.) We are not able to stand it out in defiance against God, 1 Cor. 10:22.,
"Are we stronger than he?" Will the sinner go to measure arms with God? He is the Father Almighty, who can command legions: if we have no strength to resist him, it is irrational to disobey him. (2.) It is irrational, as it is against all law and equity: we have our daily subsistence from God; in him we live and move, is it not equal, that as we live by him, we should live to him? that as God gives us our allowance, so we should give him our allegiance?
2dly, It is a destructive sin, 2 Thess. 1:7, 8., "The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that obey not the gospel." He who refuseth to obey God's will in commanding, shall be sure to obey his will in punishing. The sinner, while he thinks to slip the knot of obedience twists the cord of his own damnation; he perisheth without excuse; he hath no plea or apology to make for himself, Luke 12:47., "The servant which knew his lord's will, but did it not, shall be beaten with many stripes." God will say why did you not obey? You knew how to do good, but did it not; therefore your blood is upon your own head.
QUEST. What means shall we use that we may obey?
Ans. 1. Serious consideration. Consider, God's commands are not grievous: he commands nothing unreasonable, 1 John 5:3. It is easier to obey the commands of God than sin; the commands of sin are burthensome; let a man be under the power of any lust, how doth he tire himself? What hazards doth he run, even to the endangering of his health and soul, that he may satisfy his lusts? What tedious journies did Antiochus Epiphanes take in persecuting the Jews? Jer.
9:5., "They weary themselves to commit iniquity;" and are not God's commands more easy to obey? Chrysostom saith, virtue is easier than vice, temperance is less burdensome than drunkenness. Some have gone with less pains to heaven, than others have to hell.—