Second

Now for the second thing, to wit, That every one that believeth should be careful that their works be good. This followeth from what went just before; to wit, That the heart of a Christian is a heart subject to bring forth weeds.

There is flesh as well as spirit in the best of saints: and as the spirit of grace will be always putting forth something that is good, so the flesh will be putting forth continually that which is evil. ‘For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh’ (Gal 5:17).

Now this considered, is the cause why you find so often in the Scriptures so many items and cautions to the Christians to look to their lives and conversations. As, ‘Keep thy heart with all diligence’ (Prov 4:23). ‘Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong’ (1 Cor 16:13). ‘Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting’ (Gal 6:7,8).

All works are not good that seem to be so. It is one thing for a man’s ways to be right in his own eye, and another for them to be right in God’s. Often ‘that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God’ (Prov 30:12; Luke 16:15).

Seeing corruption is not yet out of our natures, there is a proneness in us to build [even] upon the right foundation, wood, hay, and stubble, instead of gold and silver, and precious stones (1 Cor 3:11-15). How was both David the king, Nathan the prophet, and Uzza the priest, deceived, touching good works! (1 Chron 17:1-4; 13:9-11). Peter also, in both his defending his Master in the garden, and in dissuading of him from his sufferings, though both out of love and affection to his Master, was deceived touching good works. (Matt 16:22,23; John 18:10,11). Many have miscarried both as to doctrine, worship, and the prosecution of each.

First, For doctrine. Christ tells the Jews, that they taught for the doctrines of God the doctrines and traditions of men (Matt 15:9; Mark 7:7). As also, saith the apostle, They teach ‘things they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake’ (Titus 1:11).

Second, Also touching worsphip, we find how frequently men have mistaken, both for time, place, and matter, with which they worshipped.

1. For time. It hath been that which man hath devised, not which God hath commanded (1 Kings 12:32). They ‘change the ordinance,’ saith Isaiah, 24:5. They change God’s ‘judgments into wickedness,’ saith Ezekiel 5:6.

2. For place. When they should have worshipped at Jerusalem, they worshipped at Bethel, at Gilgal and Dan, in gardens, under poplars and elms. (1 Kings 12:26-30; Hosea 4:13-15; Isa 65:2-5).

3. For the matter with which they worshipped. Instead of bringing according to the commandment, they brought the lame, the torn, and the sick; they would sanctify themselves in gardens, with swine’s flesh and mice, when they should have done it at Jerusalem, with bullocks and lambs (Isa 66:17).

Third, Again, touching men’s prosecuting their zeal for their worship, &c., that they do think right; how hot hath it been, though with no reason at all? Nebuchadnezzar will have his fiery furnace, and Darius his lions’ den for Nonconformists (Dan 3:6; 6:7, &c.) Again, they have persecuted men even to strange cities; have laid traps and snares in every corner, to entrap and to entangle their words; and if they could at any time but kill the persons that dissented from them, they would think they did God good service (Acts 26:11; Luke 11:53,54; John 19:1,2). But what need we look so far from home, were it not that I would seal my sayings with truth. We need look no farther to affirm this position, than to the Papists and their companions. How many have they in all ages hanged, burned, starved, drowned, racked, dismembered, and murdered, both openly and in secret? and all under a pretence of God, his worship, and good works. 5 Thus you see how wise men and fools, saints and sinners, Christians and heathens, have erred in the business of good works; wherefore every one should be careful to see that their works BE good.

Now, then, to prevent, if God will, miscarriage in this matter, I shall propound unto you what it is for a work to be rightly good. First, A good work must have the word for its authority. Second, It must, as afore was said, flow from faith. Third, It must be both rightly timed and rightly placed. Fourth, It must be done willingly, cheerfully, &c.

First, It must have the word for its authority. Zeal without knowledge is like a mettled horse without eyes, or like a sword in a madman’s hand; and there is no knowledge where there is not the word: for if they reject the word of the Lord, and act not by that, ‘what wisdom is in them?’ saith the prophet (Jer 8:9; Isa 8:20). Wherefore see thou have the word for what thou dost.

Second, As there must be the word for the authorising of what thou dost, so there must be faith, from which it must flow, as I showed you before: ‘for whatsoever is not of faith is sin;’ and ‘without faith it is impossible to please God.’ Now, I say, without the word there is no faith, (Rom 10:17), as without faith there is no good, let men’s pretences be what they will.

Third, As it must have these two aforenamed, so also it must have, 1. Right time; and, 2. Right place.

1. It must be rightly timed. Every work is not to be done at the same time; every time not being convenient for such a work; There is a time for all things, and every thing is beautiful in its time (Eccl 3:11). There is a time to pray, a time to hear, a time to read, a time to confer, a time to meditate, a time to do, and a time to suffer. Now, to be hearing when we should be preaching and doing, that is, yielding active obedience to that under which we ought to suffer, is not good. Christ was very wary, that both his doings and sufferings were rightly timed (John 2:3,4; 13:1,2). And herein we ought to follow his steps. To be at plough in the field, when I should be hearing the word, is not good; and to be talking abroad, when I should be instructing my family at home, is as bad: ‘Whoso keepeth the commandment, shall feel no evil thing: ‘and a wise man’s heart discerneth both time and judgment’ (Eccl 8:5). Good things mistimed, are fruitless, unprofitable, and vain.

2. As things must have their right time, so they must be rightly placed; for the misplacing of any work is as bad as the mistiming of it. When I say, things, if good, must be rightly placed, I mean, we should not give to any work more than the word of God alloweth it, neither should we give it less. Mint, anise, and cummin, are not so weighty matters as faith and the love of God; as in (Matt 23:23). For a pastor to be exercising the office of a deacon, instead of the office of a pastor, it is misplacing of works (Acts 6:2). For Martha to be making outward provision for Christ, when she should have sat at his feet to hear his word, was the misplacing a work; and for her sister to have done it at her requestthough the thing in itself was goodhad been her sin also (Luke 10:39-42). Now, to prevent the misplacing of good works,

(1.) They misplace them that set them in the room of Christ (Rom 10: 1-3).

(2.) They also misplace them that make them copartners with him (Rom 9:31,32; Acts 15:1). This is setting up our post by God’s posts, and man’s righteousness by the righteousness of Christ (Eze 43:7,8). These are said to be teachers of the law, not knowing what they say, nor whereof they affirm (1 Tim 1:7).

(3.) They also misplace works, who ascribe to a work of less moment that honour that belongeth to a work more noble. And such are (a) Those who count the ceremonial part of an ordinance as good as the doctrine and signification of it. 6 (b) Such who account the dictates and impulses of a mere natural conscience, as good, as high, and divine, as the leadings and movings of the Spirit of Christ. (c) Those also who count it enough to do something of what God hath commanded, and that something, possibly the least, instead of all, and the things more necessary and weighty. (d) They also much misplace them, who count things indifferent as high as those that are absolutely necessary in the worship of God. (e) But the grosser, who place men’s traditions above them. (f) And they greatest of all, who put bitter for sweet, and darkness for light. All these things we must shun and avoid, as things absolutely obstructive to good works.

Wherefore touching good works; obedience is better than sacrifice; that is, to do things according to the word of God, is better than to do them according to my fancy and conceit (1 Sam 15:22). ‘Wherefore, let all things be done decently and in order’ (1 Cor 14:40).

Fourth, Again, as good works should be ordered and qualified, as before is touched, so they should be done from the heart, willingly, cheerfully, with simplicity and charity, according to what a man hath (1 John 5:3; 2 Cor 9:7; Rom 12:8; Col 3:12; 1 Cor 10:24; 2 Cor 8:12).

Farther, there are three things that a man should have in his eye in every work he doth. 1. The honour of God (1 Cor 6:20). 2. The edification of his neighbour (1 Cor 14:26). 3. The expediency or inexpediency of what I am to do (1 Cor 6:12). And always observe it, that the honour of God is wrapped up in the edification of thy neighbour; and the edification of thy neighbour in the expediency of what thou dost.

Again, if thou wouldst walk to the edification of thy neighbour, and so to God’s honour, in the midst of thy observers, beware,

1st. That thou in thy words and carriages dost so demean thyself, that Christ in his precious benefits may be with clearness spoken forth by thee; and take heed, that thou dost not enter into doubtful points with them that are weak (Rom 15:1). But deal chiefly, lovingly, and wisely, with their consciences about those matters that tend to their establishment in the faith of their justification, and deliverance from death and hell. ‘Comfort the feeble-minded,’ confirm the weak (1 Thess 5:14).

2ndly. If thou be stronger than thy brother, take heed that thou do not that before him, that may offend his weak conscience; I mean, things that in themselves may be lawful. All that is lawful is not expedient; all that is lawful edifieth not (1 Cor 6:12). Wherefore here is thy wisdom and love, that thou in some things deny thyself for thy brother’s sake. ‘I will eat no flesh while the world standeth,’ saith Paul, ‘lest I make my brother to offend’ (1 Cor 8:13). Wherefore have this faith to thyself before God (Rom 14:22). But if thou walk otherwise, know, thou walkest not charitably, and so not to edification, and so not to Christ’s honour, but dost sin against Christ, and wound thy weak brother, for whom Christ died (Rom 14:15; 1 Cor 8:12). But I say, all this while keep thy eye upon the word; take heed of going contrary to that under any pretence whatever; for without the word, there is nothing to God’s glory, nor thy brother’s edification. Wherefore, walk ‘wisely in a perfect way’ (Psa 101:2, 3).

Having thus, in few words, showed you what are works rightly good, I beseech you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that you put yourselves into a conscientious performance of them, that you may, while you live here, be vessels of honour, and fit for the master’s use, and prepared to every good work (1 Tim 6:18). Study to approve things that are excellent, ‘that you may be sincere, and without offence, until the day of Christ’ (Phil 1:10). Covet communion with God: ‘covet earnestly the best gifts’ (1 Cor 12:31). Ah! we that are redeemed from among men (Rev 14:4), and that rejoice in the hope of the glory of God (Rom 5:2), we that look, I say, for the blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13), ‘what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness’ (2 Peter 3:11).

To conclude, for your farther edification, take a plain rehearsal of your several general duties and works, to which God engageth you in his word, according to your places, callings, and relations in this world;