Part 17

7. And how hard is it even for the children of God wholly to conquer _the pride of life_? St. _John_ seems to mean by this nearly the same with what the world terms the sense of honour. This is no other than a desire of and delight in _the honour that cometh of men_: a desire and love of praise, and (which is always joined with it) a proportionable _fear of dispraise_. Nearly allied to this is _evil shame_: the being ashamed of that wherein we ought to glory. And this is seldom divided from the _fear of man_, which brings a thousand snares upon the soul. Now where is he even among those that seem strong in faith, who does not find in himself a degree of all these evil tempers? So that even these are but in part _crucified to the world_: for the evil root still remains in their heart.

8. And do we not feel other tempers, which are as contrary to the love of our neighbour, as these are to the love of God? The love of our neighbour _thinketh no evil_: do not we find any thing of the kind? Do we never find any _jealousies_, any _evil surmisings_, any groundless or unreasonable suspicions? He that is clear in these respects, let him cast the first stone at his neighbour. Who does not sometimes feel other tempers or inward motions, which he knows are contrary to brotherly love? If nothing of _malice_, _hatred_ or _bitterness_, is there no touch of _envy_? Particularly toward those who enjoy some (real or supposed) good, which we desire, but cannot attain? Do we never find any degree of _resentment_, when we are injured or affronted? Especially by those whom we peculiarly loved, and whom we had most laboured to help or oblige. Does injustice or ingratitude never excite in us any desire of _revenge_? Any desire of returning evil for evil, instead of _overcoming evil with good_? This also shews, how much is still in our heart, which is contrary to the love of our neighbour.

9. _Covetousness_ in every kind and degree is certainly as contrary to this as to the love of God. Whether φιλαργυρία, _the love of money_, which is too frequently _the root of all evils_, or πλεονεξία, literally, a desire of _having more_, or increasing in substance. And how few even of the real children of God, are entirely free from both? Indeed one great man, _Martin Luther_ used to say, he “Never had any covetousness in him, (not only in his converted state, but) ever since he was born.” But if so, I would not scruple to say, he was the only man born of a woman, (except him that was God as well as man) who had not, who was born without it. Nay, I believe, never was any one born of God, that lived any considerable time after, who did not feel more or less of it many times, especially in the latter sense. We may therefore set it down as an undoubted truth, that _covetousness_, together with pride, and self-will and anger _remain_ in the hearts even of them that are justified.

10. It is their experiencing this which has inclined so many serious persons, to understand the latter part of the seventh chapter to the _Romans_, not of them that _are under the law_, that are convinced of sin, which is undoubtedly the meaning of the apostle, but of them that _are under grace_, that are _justified freely through the redemption that is in Christ_. And it is most certain, they are thus far right: there does still _remain_ even in them that are justified, a _mind_ which is in some measure _carnal_; (so the apostle tells even the believers at _Corinth_, _Ye are carnal_:) an _heart bent to backsliding_, still ever ready to _depart from the living God_: a propensity to pride, self-will, anger, revenge, love of the world, yea and all evil; a root of bitterness, which if the restraint were taken off for a moment, would instantly spring up: yea, such a depth of corruption, as without clear light from God, we cannot possibly conceive. And a conviction of all this sin _remaining_ in their hearts, is the repentance which belongs to them that are justified.

11. But we should likewise be convinced, that as sin remains in our hearts, so it _cleaves_ to all our words and actions. Indeed it is to be feared that many of our words are more than mixt with sin; that they are sinful all together; for such undoubtedly is all _uncharitable conversation_: all which does not spring from brotherly love, all which does not agree with that golden rule, _What ye would that others should do to you, even so do unto them_. Of this kind is all backbiting, all tale-bearing, all whispering, all evil-speaking; that is, repeating the faults of absent persons: for none would have others repeat his faults when he is absent. Now how few are there, even among believers, who are in no degree guilty of this? Who steddily observe the good, old rule, “Of the dead and the absent――nothing but good.” And suppose they do, do they likewise abstain from _unprofitable conversation_? Yet all this is unquestionably sinful, and _grieves the holy Spirit of God_. Yea, and _for every idle word that men shall speak they shall give an account in the day of judgment_.

12. But let it be supposed, that they continually _watch and pray_, and so do _not enter into this temptation_; that they constantly set a watch before their mouth, and keep the door of their lips: suppose they exercise themselves herein, that _all_ their _conversation may be in grace seasoned with salt, and meet to minister grace to the hearers_: yet do they not daily slide into useless discourse, notwithstanding all their caution? And even when they endeavour to speak for God, are their words pure, free from unholy mixtures? Do they find nothing wrong in their very _intention_? Do they speak merely to please God, and not partly to please themselves? Is it wholly, to do the will of God, and not their own will also? Or, if they begin with a single eye, do they go on _looking unto Jesus_, and talking with him all the time they are talking with their neighbour? When they are reproving sin, do they feel no anger or unkind temper to the sinner? When they are instructing the ignorant, do they not find any pride, any self-preference? When they are comforting the afflicted, or provoking one another to love and to good works, do they never perceive any inward self-commendation, “Now you have spoke well?” Or any vanity, a desire that others should think so, and esteem them on the account? In some or all of these respects, how much sin _cleaves_ to the best conversation even of believers? The conviction of which is another branch of the repentance which belongs to them that are justified.

13. And how much sin, if their conscience is throughly awake, may they find _cleaving to their actions_ also? Nay, are there not many of these, which though they are such as the world would not condemn, yet cannot be commended, no nor excused, if we judge by the word of God? Are there not many of their actions, which they themselves know, are not _to the glory of God_? Many, wherein they did not even aim at this, which were not undertaken with an eye to God? And of those that were, are there not many, wherein their eye is not singly fixt on God? Wherein they are doing their own will, at least as much as his, and seeking to please themselves as much, if not more than to please God? And while they are endeavouring to do good to their neighbour, do they not feel wrong tempers of various kinds? Hence their good actions, so called, are far from being strictly such, being polluted with such a mixture of evil! Such are their works of _mercy_! And is there not the same mixture in their works of _piety_? While they are hearing the word which is able to save their souls, do they not frequently find such thoughts, as make them afraid, lest it should turn to their condemnation, rather than their salvation? Is it not often the same case, while they are endeavouring to offer up their prayers to God, whether in public, or private? Nay, while they are engaged in the most solemn service. Even while they are at the table of the Lord, what manner of thoughts arise in them? Are not their hearts sometimes wandering to the ends of the earth, sometimes filled with such imaginations, as make them fear, lest all their sacrifice should be an abomination to the Lord. So that they are more ashamed of their best duties, than they were once of their worst sins.

14. Again. How many _sins of omission_ are they chargeable with? We know the words of the apostle, _To him that knoweth to do good, and doth it not, to him it is sin_. But do they not know a thousand instances, wherein they might have done good, to enemies, to strangers, to their brethren, either with regard to their bodies or their souls, and they did it not? How many omissions have they been guilty of, in their duty toward God? How many opportunities of communicating, of hearing his word, of public or private prayer have they neglected? So great reason had even that holy man archbishop _Usher_, after all his labours for God, to cry out, almost, with his dying breath, “Lord, forgive me my sins of omission.”

15. But besides these outward omissions, may they not find in themselves, _inward defects_ without number? Defects of every kind: they have not the love, the fear, the confidence they ought to have toward God. They have not the love which is due to their neighbour, to every child of man: no, nor even that which is due to their brethren, to every child of God; whether those that are at a distance from them, or those with whom they are immediately connected. They have no holy temper in the degree they ought: they are defective in every thing: in a deep consciousness of which they are ready to cry out with Mr. _de Renty_, “I am a ground all overrun with thorns:” or with _Job_, _I am vile: I abhor myself, and repent_ as _in dust and ashes_.

16. A conviction of their _guiltiness_ is another branch of that repentance which belongs to the children of God. But this is cautiously to be understood, and in a peculiar sense. For it is certain, _there is no condemnation for them that are in Christ Jesus_, that believe in him, and in the power of that faith, _walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit_. Yet can they no more bear the _strict justice_ of God now than before they believed. This pronounces them to be still _worthy of death_, on all the preceding accounts. And it would absolutely condemn them thereto, were it not for the atoning blood. Therefore they are throughly convinced, that they still _deserve_ punishment, altho’ it is hereby turned aside from them. But here there are extremes on one hand and on the other, and few steer clear of them. Most men strike on one or the other, either thinking themselves condemned, when they are not, or thinking they _deserve_ to be acquitted. Nay, the truth lies between: they still _deserve_, strictly speaking, only the damnation of hell. But what they deserve does not come upon them, because they _have an Advocate with the Father_. His life and death and intercession still interpose between them and condemnation.

17. A conviction of their _utter helplesness_, is yet another branch of this repentance. I mean hereby two things; 1. That they are no more able now _of themselves_ to think one good thought, to form one good desire, to speak one good word, or do one good work, than before they were justified: that they have still no kind or degree of strength _of their own_, no power either to do good or resist evil: no ability to conquer or even withstand, the world, the devil, or their own evil nature. They _can_, it is certain, _do all_ these _things_; but it is not by _their own strength_. They have power to overcome all these enemies; for _sin hath no more dominion over_ them. But it is not from nature, either in whole or in part: _it is the_ mere _gift of God_. Nor is it given all at once, as if they had a stock laid up for many years; but from moment to moment.

18. By this helplesness I mean, secondly, an absolute inability to deliver ourselves, from that guiltiness or desert of punishment whereof we are still conscious: yea, and an inability to remove by all the grace we have, (to say nothing of our natural powers) either the pride, self-will, love of the world, anger, and general proneness to _depart from God_, which we experimentally know to _remain_ in the heart, even of them that are regenerate; or the evil which in spite of all our endeavours, _cleaves_ to all our words and actions. Add to this, an utter inability wholly to avoid _uncharitable_, and much more, _unprofitable conversation_: Add, an inability to avoid _sins of omission_, or to supply the numberless _defects_ we are convinced of, especially the want of love and other right tempers, both to God and man.

19. If any man is not satisfied of this, if any believes that whoever is justified, is able to remove these sins out of his heart and life, let him make the experiment. Let him try, whether by the grace he has already received, he can expel pride, self-will, or inbred sin in general. Let him try, whether he can cleanse his words and actions from all mixture of evil: whether he can avoid all uncharitable and unprofitable conversation, with all sins of omission; and lastly, whether he can supply the numberless defects which he still finds in himself. Let him not be discouraged by one or two experiments, but repeat the trial again and again. And the longer he tries, the more deeply will he be convinced of his utter helplesness in all these respects.

20. Indeed this is so evident a truth, that well nigh all the children of God scattered abroad, however they differ in other points, yet generally agree in this, that although we may _by the Spirit mortify the deeds of the body_, resist and conquer both outward and inward sin, although we may _weaken_ our enemies day by day, yet we cannot _drive them out_. By all the grace which is given at justification, we cannot extirpate them. Though we watch and pray ever so much, we cannot wholly cleanse either our hearts or hands. Most sure we cannot, till it shall please our Lord, to speak to our hearts again, to “Speak the second time _be clean_.” And then only _the leprosy is cleansed_. Then only the evil root, the carnal mind is destroyed, and inbred sin subsists no more. But if there be no such second change, if there be no instantaneous deliverance after justification, if there be _none but_ a gradual work of God, (that there is a gradual work none denies) then we must be content, as well as we can, to remain full of sin till death. And if so, we must remain _guilty_ till death, continually _deserving_ punishment. For it is impossible, the guilt or desert of punishment should be removed from us, as long as all this sin remains in our heart, and cleaves to our words and actions. Nay, in rigorous justice, all we think, and speak, and act, continually increases it.

II. 1. In this sense, we are to _repent_, after we are justified. And till we do so, we can go no farther. For till we are sensible, of our disease, it admits of no cure. But supposing we do thus repent, then are we called to _believe the gospel_.

2. And this also is to be understood in a peculiar sense, different from that, wherein we believed in order to justification. Believe the _glad tidings of great salvation_, which God hath prepared for all people. Believe that he who is _the brightness of his Father’s glory, the express image of his person, is able to save unto the uttermost all that come unto God through him_. He is able to save you from all the sin that still remains in your heart. He is able to save you from all the sin that cleaves to all your words and actions. He is able to save you from sins of omission, and to supply whatever is wanting in you. It is true, _this is impossible with man; but with God_-Man _all things are possible_. For what can be too hard for him, who hath _all power in heaven and in earth_? Indeed his bare power to do this, is not a sufficient foundation for our faith, that he _will_ do it, that he will thus exert his power, unless he hath promised it. But this he has done: he has promised it over and over, in the strongest terms. He has given us these _exceeding great and precious promises_, both in the Old and the New Testament. So we read in the law, in the most ancient part of the oracles of God, _The Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart and with all thy soul_, Deut. xxx. 6. So in the Psalms, _He shall redeem Israel_ (the Israel of God) _from all his sins_, so in the Prophet: _Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness and from all your idols will I cleanse you――And I will put my Spirit within you and ye shall keep my judgments and do them. I will also save you from all your uncleannesses_, Ezek. xxxvi. 25, &c. So likewise in the New Testament. _Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people. And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us――to perform the oath which he swore to our father Abraham, that he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, should serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life_, Luke i. 68, &c.

3. You have therefore good reason to believe, he is not only able, but _willing_ to do this, to _cleanse you from all your filthiness of flesh and spirit_, to _save you from all your uncleannesses_. This is the thing which you now long for: this is the faith which you now particularly need, namely, that the great Physician, the lover of my soul, is willing to _make me clean_. But is he willing to do this to-morrow or to-day? Let him answer for himself. _To day, if ye will hear my voice, harden not your hearts._ If you put it off till to-morrow, you _harden your hearts_: you refuse to _hear his voice_. Believe therefore that he is willing to save you _to-day_. He is willing to save you _now_. _Behold, now is the accepted time._ He now saith, _Be thou clean_! Only believe; and you also will immediately find, _all things are possible to him that believeth_.

4. Continue to believe in him _that loved_ thee, _and gave himself for_ thee, that _bore all_ thy _sins in his own body on the tree_, and he saveth thee from all condemnation, by his blood continually applied. Thus it is that we continue in a justified state. And when we go on _from faith to faith_, when we have faith to be cleansed from indwelling sin, to be saved from all our uncleannesses, we are likewise saved from all that _guilt_, that _desert_ of punishment, which we felt before. So that then we may say not only

Every moment, Lord, I _want_ The merit of thy death:

But likewise, in the full assurance of faith,

Every moment, Lord, I _have_ The merit of thy death!

For by that faith in his life, death and intercession for us, renewed from moment to moment, we are every whit clean, and there is not only now no condemnation for us, but no such desert of punishment as was before, the Lord cleansing both our hearts and lives.

5. By the same faith, we feel the power of Christ every moment resting upon us, whereby alone we are what we are, whereby we are enabled to continue in spiritual life, and without which, notwithstanding all our present holiness, we should be devils the next moment. But as long as we retain our faith in him, we _draw water out of the wells of salvation_. Leaning on our Beloved, even Christ in us the hope of glory, who dwelleth in our hearts by faith, who likewise is ever interceding for us at the right hand of God, we receive help from him to think, and speak, and act what is acceptable in his sight. Thus does he prevent them that believe in all their doings, and further them with his continual help, so that all their designs, conversations and actions, are “begun, continued and ended in him.” Thus doth he “cleanse the thoughts of their hearts, by the inspiration of his holy Spirit, that they may perfectly love him, and worthily magnify his holy name.”

6. Thus it is, that in the children of God, repentance and faith exactly answer each other. By repentance we feel the sin remaining in our hearts, and cleaving to our words and actions. By faith we receive the power of God in Christ, purifying our hearts and cleansing our hands. By repentance we are still sensible that we deserve punishment for all our tempers and words and actions. By faith we are conscious, that our Advocate with the Father is continually pleading for us, and thereby continually turning aside all condemnation and punishment from us. By repentance we have an abiding conviction, that there is no help in us. By faith we receive not only mercy, but _grace to help_ in every _time of need_. Repentance disclaims the very possibility of any other help. Faith accepts all the help we stand in need of, from him that hath all power in heaven and earth. Repentance says, Without him I can do nothing: faith says, _I can do all things through Christ strengthening me_. Through him I cannot only overcome, but expel all the enemies of my soul. Through him I can _love the Lord_ my _God, with all my heart, mind, soul and strength_: yea and _walk in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of my life_.

III. 1. From what has been said we may easily learn the mischievousness of that opinion, that we are _wholly_ sanctified when we are justified: that our hearts are then cleansed from all sin. It is true, we are then delivered (as was observed before) from the dominion of outward sin: and at the same time the power of inward sin is so broken, that we need no longer follow or be led by it. But it is by no means true, that inward sin is then totally destroyed, that the root of pride, self-will, anger, love of the world is then taken out of the heart, or that the carnal mind and the heart bent to backsliding are entirely extirpated. And to suppose the contrary is not, as some may think an innocent, harmless mistake. No: it does immense harm; it entirely blocks up the way to any farther change. For it is manifest, _they that are whole do not need a physician, but they that are sick_. If therefore we think we are quite made whole already, there is no room to seek any farther healing. On this supposition it is absurd to expect a farther deliverance from sin, whether gradual or instantaneous.