SERMON XXXIII. The truly Godly man onely is obedient to Gods Word: Or, The Great Character of a Chri∣stian.

WE passe over the second description which is Gods giving of some of mankinde to Christ as a Mediatour, so that they are his trust, and it lieth upon his faithfulnesse to procure salvation for them, Only it's good to consider that within six Verses he doth thrice use this expression, They are given him by the Father, for this laieth the Axe to the very root of Ar∣minianism; It's not their free-will, nor their good improvement of the means of grace, but Gods gracious giving of them to Christ that makes them have an Interest in salvation, and the phrase doth imply that there is a stint number and defined of such; There cannot be more or lesse, so that the Arminian Dagon must needs fall before this Ark, but this is spoken to already:

I therefore passe on to the effect of both these divine causes of our Salvati∣on; There was you heard the efficient cause Gods Election, the meritorious cause Christ, and now we have the effect of these, which is by way of signe to de∣scribe who they are that are the Lords, and thus given to Christ, for they being hidden causes, and every one apt to pretend to them; This is the differencing and evidencing mark, They keep the Word of God, So that by this we see who are truly and indeed given of God to Christ, even such as keep his Word; He doth not say, that heareth it or remembers it, or that understands it, but that keeps it; The Scripture hath equivalent expressions to this, sometimes John 8.31. it's called continuing in his Word, because it's not enough for a while to cleave to it unlesse we persevere; The Scripture giveth sad Instances of many that did not only hear but with joy for a season did receive Christs Word, yet they did not hold it fast to the end, they did not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 as it is Mat. 13. a∣gainst Page  182 all opposition whatsoever; The contrary to this is in the same Chapter, v. 37. My Word hath no place in you; Our Saviour speaks it there as the cause of all the wickednesse that the Jews committed, because his Word had no room in their hearts, You seek to kill me because my Word hath no place in you; This expression seemeth to denote such as are hardened and given up to a re∣probate sence, for the godly sometimes may not understand or delight, and receive the Word, but that the Word should at no time finde any place in a mans heart, that is the mark of an hardened sinner, look to it then and trem∣ble all you who have many years lived under the Word preached, and yet to this day it hath had no place in your hearts, This is the dreadful condition of many thousand hearers, sometimes this keeping of the Word is called hearing of the Word, as in the same Chapter, v. 43. Ye cannot hear my Word because ye are not of God, where hearing the Antecedent is put for the consequent obedi∣ence, and the reason is because Faith and Obedience comes by hearing, and those that delight and are swift to hear are commonly such as are ready to o∣bey: Again that which is here called keeping of the Word is in other places called keeping the Commandments, only this is more sweet and kindly, for Word doth properly relate to him that is a Doctor or Teacher, Command∣ment to him that is a Law-giver; Now there is a great difference between the Imperious Soveraignty of a Law-giver and the benign condescention of a Teacher, but here we take it largely for all that God hath revealed to us, and our Saviour saith, they have kept the Fathers Word, not his, be∣cause they looked upon Christ as the Mediatour sent from God, and so recei∣ved not his Word as the word of a man but as of God through and by him.

*Obs. That those only can pleade a propriety and interest in God and Christ, who are careful to keep his Word; All others do but cry Peace, Peace to themselves, when demnation is at hand; So that this truth will do for the present as Christ will do at the day of judgement, set the Goats on the left hand, and the sheep on the right, It will be like the Fanne in Christs hand, it will win∣now the chaff from the wheat; Let us therefore consider how much is com∣prehended in this phrase, to keep the Word of God.

What are the Ingredients of this duty?

And first, In that it's indefinitely spoken, They have kept thy Word, It's im∣plied,

*1. They had a diligent respect to the Whole Word of God, he doth not say, they have kept part or some particulars, but thy Word; Now the word of God hath these parts:

• 1. It's a word of doctrine to be understood and beleeved.
• 2. It's a word of commands to be obeyed.
• 3. It's a word of threatning to be humbled at.

And lastly, It's a word of promise and consolation to be rejoyced in, so that he who keeps the Word of God keeps all these parts of it.

*1. There is the word of Doctrine to be understood and beleeved, and so to keep his word, is to abhorre all errours, all false doctrines, all unsound opini∣ons, Those that are Christs Disciples are as tender about Gods truths as a∣bout his commands, as they would not willingly transgresse a command, so neither erre about the Truths of God; Hence Joh. 10. our Saviour doth at large shew the true character of his Sheep, They will not hear a strangers voice, They will flee from a stranger, now who is a stranger? any one, though an An∣gel from heaven, that shall bring any thing that is contrary to the Scripture, whosoever shall obtrude that to be beleeved as a truth which is not in the word of God, this man is a stranger, his doctrine is strange doctrine, the sheep of Christ will not hear it; Oh then let the Disciples of Christ shew their truth Page  183 and solidity of grace in this, that they dare not receive errours or heresies; Oh what pity is it that thou who art tender about the commands of God wouldst not commit a sinne for a world, sh•u•d•t be large and wanton in thy understanding about the Truths of God, Remember it's his word, and so thou art to keep sound doctrine by a pure faith as well as his Commandments by upright obedience, and the reason is plain partly because the same God com∣mands both, There is his authority upon truths to be revealed as well as pre∣cepts to be obeyed; God commands the captivity of your understanding as well as of your affections, and partly because the true doctrine of God only is instrumental to holinesse, a man will never be godly by beleeving any er∣rour, Joh. 19. Sanctifie them by thy Truth thy Word is Truth, so that as in the use of Superstious customes, Popish Sacraments, a man can never receive true grace because Gods promise and his efficacy will go only together, thus, the more errours thou beleevest, the more carnal thou wilt grow, God will never blesse a lie, chaffe and poison shall never be true and good nourishing meat.

2. There is the Word of his Commandments, and often the Scripture saith if ye love me keep my Commandments, and neither may there be any doubt,* but a true disciple of Christ will be carefull herein, for how can he shew his Discipleship otherwise then by obedience to Gods precepts; It's a plain mock∣ing of God outwardly to professe that we take him for our God, that we acknowledge subjection to him, and yet disobey his commands, so that this par∣ticular cuts off most hearers from being as yet at least in the number of those who can truly pleade a propriety in God, for doth not their constant course of life proclaim an open hostility against God; Is prophanesse, pride, lusts, and rioting the command of God? Hath the Lord commanded thee to lye, swear, and curse? Are they not rather the lusts of the devil? Oh that men should be so foolish and sencelesse as to talk of God and Christ, and yet live in open dis∣obedience to them, D•dst thou belong to God, such would be thy love to him, yea, such an heavenly nature wouldst thou have, that Gods Law and thy heart would have a sweet proportion and sutablenesse to one another, as David pro∣fesseth often, it was sweeter then the honey and the honey comb; and Paul delighted in the Law of God; The Law of sin in the unregenerate man doth not more please him then the Law of God doth the regenerate man; There is not a grievous burthen in it; The holinesse and spirituality of Gods cammand is that which doth exceedingly assure him.

3. There is the word of th• eatning, and although in one sence we are not to keep that, yet in another respect we are with trembling and fear to observe it;* Thus whatsoever God doth forbid, threatning it either with temporal or eter∣nal judgements the godly have an holy awe of; They dare not displease God, How can I do this and sin against God? saith Joseph; Thus Josiah when the Law was read his heart did melt and tremble, and therefore how graciously did God take notice of that tender disposition in him; It's a vain and erroneous conceit to think the threatnings do not belong to the godly, or that they must not with fear make use of them; For if so, why doth the Scripture propound threatnings even to the godly, and that very often, and who is there so godly that hath not the remainder of corruption in him, who needeth not fear, as a bridle to curb sin in him, especially when we see Adam though in the state of In∣tegrity, was yet threatned by God, if he did eat of the forbidden fruit? so that even then a threatning had its proper use to Adam though altogether holy.

Lastly, There is the word of consolation or promise,* and that is worthy of all acceptation, as when a man takes a thing with both his hands; It's called em∣bracing the Promises, Heb. 11. as gladly and chearfully as we do a dear Friend; Page  184 Oh it's not enough in a dull cold manner to think and hear of the promise, but thou art to run and embrace it as one overjoyed, as Simeon did Christ in his arms, and then to think, thou even hast enough; This is fiducial recumbency on Christ, a holy boldnesse in God as a Father, and herein the people of God are many times to be blamed, you receive the true doctrine of God to beleeve it, his Commandments to obey them, his threatnings you tremble under, but the promises by strong acts of faith you do not embrace, you do not take him for your Mediatour on whom you trust in the midst of all your infirmities and weaknesses, yea, you rather doubt whether you may or no lay hold on the promise, you say of it as Peter to Christ, Depart from me for I am a sinner; you think Christ would be angry with you as that woman thought If you touch the promise; Oh remember that the godly will keep the word of promise, receive that as well as the command; They know it's a sin of an high nature to refuse God comforting as well as commanding, yea in some respects it's worse, for when you sin against the command of God, you sin against his So∣verraignty, but when against his promises you sin against his love and good∣nesse; That wherein he intends to get himself the greatest glory by, oh then when Satan tempts and thy heart is cloudy, Thou puts off the promise, think how can I do this and sin against God? If it were a command I could not refuse it, and doth not the same God urge faith to the promise.

*2. To keep his word doth suppose that we keep it because it's his Word, Because that God commands it; For no actions are holy till the motive be holy that draweth them out, and this we told you, is the reason why our Saviour saith, They have kept thy Word, and not mine; They look upon him as the Mediatour sent by God; Thus the Thessalonians are commended because they received the Word preached, Not as the word of man but as of God; This was the reason why God would not take the wise men of the world, but contemptible In∣struments, by whom he wrought wonderful miracles, that so our faith might not be built on the abilities or the wisedom of men; and hence it is that the Disciples Matthew and others, who left all and followed Christ, did gloriously manifest their obedience to God as God; It may fall out that the same things which God commands we may do, as we see in Jehu, Judas, and others, but then not upon the grounds, that God commands them; The Pharisee was commanded to fast and pray, but not for vain-glory and humane applause; Oh then if thou keep Gods Word look it be because it's Gods Word, Let not any sinful or corrupt ingredients of thy own mingle themselvs, who wold not have thought that Judas for a long while kept Gods Word when he left all, wrought Miracles, and preached in the Name of Christ, but he had an eye to the bag al∣waies▪ and that proved his undoing, This will be a good touchstone to try thee.

3. He keeps Gods Word that receiveth it with his whole heart and soul; That thinketh it not enough to hear it,* to remember it, to write it or repeat it, but to have it implanted in his heart, and thereby to turn all his heart and affe∣ctions into it; That he may be a living Bible, or the Word of God in lively practise, as the Apostle saith the Corinthians were his Epistle to be read and seen of all men, 2 Cor. 3.2. so should you be the Bible to be read and seen of all men; This is powerfully to be pressed on you; That you be even the Bible of God to be read and seen of men; This is the good and honest heart that retain∣eth the Word, for if the Word be superficially received only, it will nor trans∣form the whole man into its likenesse; The fire must have time, and then it will make even the hardest, coldest Iron like it; This is represented by the Pa∣rable of the Leven, Mat. 13.33. hid in three pecks of meal, There must be time ere the Leven can diffuse it's power; David expressed this well when he aid, He had hid the Word of God in his heart, Psa. 119.11. Oh then if thou wouldst have this propriety in God, see how close and inward this Word is received into thee; Page  185 If it be the bread of life it's not enough to have it in the mouth, no, nor sto∣mack, but it must be digested, and so made the very flesh and bloud of a man.

4. They keep the Word of God who make it a rule for their lives, that order their conversation accordingly, for to hide it in the heart,* unlesse it be with David, that you may not transgresse in your lives, is not yet to attain to the due end; If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them; Many have Scri∣pture in their hearts and memory but not in their lives; David made this use of it, when he said, It was a Lamp and light to his feet, and then he ex∣horts the young man so to attend it, Psa. 119 9. and thereby to clense his waies: The Apostle James cals it a glasse, Jam. 1.23. and then you make use of it a∣right▪ when you thereby wash out all those spots that are in thy life, and curest all thy wrinkles and deformities, look then to this, Doth the Word of God in thy minde and heart break out into thy life? Doth it take away the Leprosie there? certainly there is no other effectuall means but this; It's the Word if any thing will forewarn thee of sin, neither mercies or afflictions, nor thy own resolves and purposes, but the Word of God set home on the heart that can make an holy change and alteration.

5. Then we keep the word of God when we have an high and choice esteem of it,* when we can take more delight in that because of the spirituall effects of it, then in any worldly pleasures or contents, as David doth so often profess and Job like∣wise, more then the honey or honeycomb, more then their appointed food; Now the choice esteem of it must be.

1. For the spiritual effects of it, as David did, because it did enlighten his minde,* forewarn him of sin, quicken him up to his duty, There may be a sinister and corrupt end made of Gods Word, when we make it an argument only of dis∣pute, when we are diligent in it only to maintain opinions, in which sence Lu∣ther said, it was the Heretiques book, or when men reade it only for the History of it, or thereby to make notions, and to draw out some pleasing things to fan∣cy; Alas the Word of God was not given for this, no more then Manna was given to satisfie curiosity, but to feed and nourish; Oh then take heed of spi∣ritual wantonesse and luxury, to make the Bible the argument of thy opinions or notions, thereby to get applause and esteem, No, thou are to prize it for the spiritual effects of it; That it cureth thee of thy blindenesse, spiritualizeth thee against thy carnality quickens thee against thy formality.

2. We are to prize it for the necessity of it, because that containeth the words of eternal life, we cannot think a thought, or step a step,* without the guidance of it; This is able to make thee wise to salvation, 2 Tim. 3.15. A man cannot have any wise thought or purpose towards heaven, but by this; This made Job as you heard prize it more then his necessary food, for the soul needeth this bread of life as much as the body doth material bread; If we set up any other principle to walk by but this, we run our selves into the mouth of hell.

3. For the usefulnesse of it, The Scripture is profitable for instruction,*exhortati∣on, and to make a man perfect for every good work, 2 Tim. 3. There is no sin to be avoided, no duty to be done, but the Word of God will direct thee therein; There is no temptation so subtle but this will discover it; If at any time thou art unprepared and indisposed for such or such a duty, thou hast no heart to pray, no spirit to beleeve on the promise; Come to this and it will quicken thee, for it's eyesalve to thy blindenesse; It's an hammer against thy corru∣ptions, It's fire to consume thy drosse, It's oyl for thy wounds, It's a Catholicon, an universal Shop of all spiritual medicines; The rich man, the poor man, the hus∣band, the wife, all may learn from hence what to do.

4. The preciousnesse and dignity of it;* The Word of God is full of heavenly and supernatural excellency, especially the Gospel, or the will of God revealed for the salvation of man, Oh how welcome must these glad tidings be to the Page  186 troubled sinner that hath received the sentence of condemnation upon his soul, Christ with his benefits discovered are the onely treasure to a tender broken heart; The Scriptures they are the Mine wherein this treasure is to be found; They are the Field wherein this pearl is hid, To you that beleeve Christ is preci∣ous, 1 Pet. 2.7. and it must needs be so, for he is the Mediatour between God and them, he hath fulnesse for all their wants and necessities; He is made wise∣dome, righteousnesse and sanctification, 1 Cor. 1. It's not what they are but what Christ is.

*Lastly, They keep the Word who persevere in it notwithstanding all the temptati∣ons and difficulties; It's both against the flesh and the devil for any man to keep Christs Word, and how many have begun well but at last have given over to their great destruction, Therefore John saith, If ye continue in my word, and Mat. 13. The good ground is said to hold fast the Word,〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the word signifieth so to hold as that many are striving to take it out of our hearts again, and they are said to bring forth fruit in patience, because there is great contrariety and oppo∣sition unto Gods Word, if possible, the fowls of the air will take away this seed as soon as it is sown; The Apostle James speaks of a forgetful hearer, Jam. 1.24. and therefore would have us abide looking into the glasse of the Word; Oh take we heed that we be not in the number of those whose latter end is worse then the beginning; Take heed it be not said, They are turned out or gone from us, because they were not of us.

Ʋse of Instruction, what they may judge of themselves who though living long under the means of grace finde the Word hath no place in their hearts, their lives, their conversation proclaim to all, that they care not for Gods Word, Oh what a sad Symptome is this of thy obstinate incurable condition, oh men to be mourned over as dead and buried in the grave of sin! If ye were of God you would hear his Word; It's said of many, they did not hear the Word of God because it was of the Lord to destroy them; O take heed this be not true of thee.

Ʋse of Exhortation to the godly, keep close to Gods Word, let your thoughts, your affections, your actions be according to that, you never wound your con∣sciences, you never bring woe to your selves, you never are at a distance from God but when you go astray from this rule; Keep to this as in an Ark, be in all your relations by it, live by it, die by it, you are like a tree planted by the wa∣ter-side, while attending to this, and if you keep the Word of God Gods Word will keep you. 1. In the hour of temptation that you sin not. 2. At the hour of death that you sink not; It will be a tree of life to you, that we through the Scri∣ptures might have consolation, The Word that was your rule will now be your comfort, it will speak nothing but consolation to thee, It will be more then all friends, all comforters whatsoever. 3. It is everlasting, it will abide for ever, the consolations of it will be eternal.