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06 - The Righteousness of Faith - Sermons on Several Occasions · Philosophy and Faith

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  Speaker 1: The righteousness of faith. Moses describeth the righteousness which is
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  Speaker 1: of the law, that the man which doeth those things
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  Speaker 1: shall live by them. But the righteousness which is of faith.
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  Speaker 1: Speaketh on this wise, say not in thine heart, who
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  Speaker 1: shall ascend into heaven, that is, to bring Christ down
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  Speaker 1: from above, or who shall descend into the deep, that
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  Speaker 1: is to bring up Christ again from the dead. But
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  Speaker 1: what saith it? The word is nigh thee even in
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  Speaker 1: thy mouth and in thy heart. That is the word
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  Speaker 1: of faith which we preach Romans ten, verses five to eight.
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  Speaker 1: The apostle does not here oppose the covenant given by
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  Speaker 1: Moses to the covenant given by Christ. If we ever
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  Speaker 1: imagined this, it was for want of observing that the
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  Speaker 1: latter as well as the former part of these words
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  Speaker 1: were spoken by Moses himself to the people of Israel,
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  Speaker 1: and that concerning the covenant, which then was Deuteronomy thirty
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  Speaker 1: Versus eleven, twelve, and fourteen. But it is the covenant
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  Speaker 1: of grace which God through Christ hath established with men
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  Speaker 1: in all ages, as well before and under the Jewish dispensation,
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  Speaker 1: as since God was manifest in the flesh, which Saint
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  Speaker 1: Paul here opposes to the covenant of Works made with
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  Speaker 1: Adam while in Paradise, but commonly supposed to be the
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  Speaker 1: only covenant which God had made with man, particularly by
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  Speaker 1: those Jews, of whom the Apostle writes of these it
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  Speaker 1: was that he so affectionately speaks in the beginning of
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  Speaker 1: this chapter, My heart's desire and prayer to God for
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  Speaker 1: Israel is that they may be saved. For I bear
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  Speaker 1: them record that they have a zeal for God, but
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  Speaker 1: not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness,
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  Speaker 1: of the justification that flows from His mere grace and
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  Speaker 1: mercy freely forgiving our sins through the Son of His Love,
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  Speaker 1: through the redemption which is in Jesus, and seeking to
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  Speaker 1: establish their own righteousness, their own holiness antecedent to faith
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  Speaker 1: in Him that justifieth the ungodly as the ground of
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  Speaker 1: their pardon and acceptance, have not submitted themselves under the
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  Speaker 1: righteousness of God, and consequently seek death in the error
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  Speaker 1: of their life. They were ignorant that Christ is the
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  Speaker 1: end of the law for righteousness to every one that
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  Speaker 1: believeth that by the oblation of himself, once offered, he
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  Speaker 1: had put an end to the first law or covenant,
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  Speaker 1: which indeed was not given by God to Moses, but
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  Speaker 1: to Adam in his state of innocence. The strict tenor
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  Speaker 1: whereof without any abatement, was do this and live, and
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  Speaker 1: at the same time purchased for us that better covenant.
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  Speaker 1: Believe and live. Believe, and thou shalt be saved, now
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  Speaker 1: saved both from the guilt and power of sin, and
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  Speaker 1: of consequence from the wages of it. And how many
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  Speaker 1: are equally ignorant now, even among those who are called
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  Speaker 1: by the name of Christ. How many who have now
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  Speaker 1: a zeal of God God, yet have it not according
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  Speaker 1: to knowledge, but are still seeking to establish their own
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  Speaker 1: righteousness as the ground of their pardon and acceptance, and
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  Speaker 1: therefore vehemently refuse to submit themselves unto the righteousness of God. Surely,
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  Speaker 1: my heart's desire and prayer to God for you, brethren,
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  Speaker 1: is that ye may be saved. And in order to
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  Speaker 1: remove this grand stumbling block out of your way, I
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  Speaker 1: will endeavor to show first what the righteousness is which
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  Speaker 1: is of the law, and what the righteousness which is
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  Speaker 1: of faith. Secondly, the folly of trusting in the righteousness
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  Speaker 1: of the law and the wisdom of submitting to that
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  Speaker 1: which is of faith, and first the righteousness which is
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  Speaker 1: of the law saith. The man which doeth these things
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  Speaker 1: shall live by them constantly and perfectly. Observe all these things,
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  Speaker 1: to do them, and then thou shalt live forever. This
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  Speaker 1: law or covenant, usually called the Covenant of Works, given
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  Speaker 1: by God to man in Paradise, required an obedience perfect
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  Speaker 1: in all its parts, entire and wanting nothing, as the
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  Speaker 1: condition of his eternal continuance in the holiness and happiness
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  Speaker 1: wherein he was created. It required that man should fulfill
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  Speaker 1: all righteousness inward and outward, negative and positive. That he
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  Speaker 1: should not only abstain from every idle word and avoid
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  Speaker 1: every evil work, but should keep every affection, every desire,
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  Speaker 1: every thought, in obedience to the will of God. That
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  Speaker 1: he should continue wholly as he which had created him,
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  Speaker 1: was holy, both in heart and in all manner of conversation.
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  Speaker 1: That he should be pure in heart, even as God
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  Speaker 1: is pure, perfect, as his father in Heaven was perfect.
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  Speaker 1: That he should love the Lord his God with all
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  Speaker 1: his heart, with all his soul, with all his mind,
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  Speaker 1: and with all his strength. That he should love every
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  Speaker 1: soul that God had made even as God had loved him,
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  Speaker 1: that by this universal ben evolence, he should dwell in God,
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  Speaker 1: who is Love, and God in him, that he should
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  Speaker 1: serve the Lord his God with all his strength, and
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  Speaker 1: in all things singly aim at his glory. These were
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  Speaker 1: the things which the righteousness of the law required, that
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  Speaker 1: he who did them might live thereby. But it farther
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  Speaker 1: required that this entire obedience to God, this inward and
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  Speaker 1: outward holiness, this conformity both of heart and life to
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  Speaker 1: His will, should be perfect in degree, no abatement, no
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  Speaker 1: allowance could possibly be made for falling short in any
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  Speaker 1: degree as to any jot or tittle, either of the
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  Speaker 1: outward or of the inward law. If every commandment relating
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  Speaker 1: to outward things was obeyed, yet that was not sufficient
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  Speaker 1: unless every one was obeyed with all the strength, in
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  Speaker 1: the highest measure and most perfect manner. Nor did it
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  Speaker 1: answer the demand of this covenant to love God with
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  Speaker 1: every power and faculty, unless He were loved with the
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  Speaker 1: full capacity of each with the whole possibility of the soul.
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  Speaker 1: One thing more was indispensably required by the righteousness of
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  Speaker 1: the law, namely that this universal obedience, this perfect holiness,
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  Speaker 1: both of heart and life, should be perfectly uninterrupted. Also
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  Speaker 1: should continue without any intermission, from the moment wherein God
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  Speaker 1: created man and breathed into his nostrils the breath of
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  Speaker 1: life until the days of his trial should be ended,
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  Speaker 1: and he should be confirmed in life everlasting. The righteousness, then,
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  Speaker 1: which is of the Law, speaketh on this wise. Thou, o,
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  Speaker 1: Man of God, stand fast in love in the image
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  Speaker 1: of God, wherein thou art made. If thou wilt remain
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  Speaker 1: in life, keep the commandments which are now written in
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  Speaker 1: thy heart love the Lord, thy God. With all thy
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  Speaker 1: heart love is thyself. Every soul that He hath made
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  Speaker 1: desire nothing but God. Aim at God in every thought
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  Speaker 1: and every word and work. Swerve not in one motion
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  Speaker 1: of body or soul from Him. Thy mark in the
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  Speaker 1: prize of thy high calling. And let all that is
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  Speaker 1: in thee praise His Holy name, every power and faculty
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  Speaker 1: of thy soul, and every kind, in every degree and
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  Speaker 1: at every moment of thine existence. This do and thou
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  Speaker 1: shalt live. Thy light shall shine, thy love shall flame
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  Speaker 1: more and more, till thou art received up into the
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  Speaker 1: House of God in the heavens, to reign with Him forever.
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  Speaker 1: And ever. But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh
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  Speaker 1: on this wise, Say not in thine heart, who shall
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  Speaker 1: ascend into heaven, that is, to bring down Christ from above,
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  Speaker 1: as though it were some impossible task which God required
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  Speaker 1: THEE previously to perform in order to thine acceptance. Or
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  Speaker 1: who shall descend into the deep, that is, to bring
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  Speaker 1: of Christ from the dead, as though thou were still
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  Speaker 1: remaining to be done for the sake of which thou
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  Speaker 1: wert to be accepted. But what saith it? The word
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  Speaker 1: according to the tenor of which thou mayst now be
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  Speaker 1: accepted as an heir of eternal life, is nigh unto THEE,
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  Speaker 1: even in thy mouth and in thy heart. That is
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  Speaker 1: the word of faith which we preach. The new Covenant
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  Speaker 1: which God hath now established with sinful man through Christ Jesus,
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  Speaker 1: by the righteousness which is of faith, is meant that
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  Speaker 1: condition of justification and in consequence of present and final salvation,
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  Speaker 1: if we endure therein unto the end which was given
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  Speaker 1: by God to fallen man through the merits and mediation
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  Speaker 1: of his only begodden son. This was in part revealed
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  Speaker 1: to Adam soon after his fall, being contained in the
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  Speaker 1: original promise made to him and his seed concerning the
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  Speaker 1: seed of the woman who should bruise the serpent's head
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  Speaker 1: Genesis three fifteen. It was a little more clearly revealed
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  Speaker 1: to Abraham by the Angel of God from heaven, saying,
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  Speaker 1: by myself have I soorn saith the Lord, that in
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  Speaker 1: thy seed shall all the nations of the world be blessed.
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  Speaker 1: Genesis twelve, fifteen and eighteen. It was yet more fully
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  Speaker 1: made known to Moses, to David, and to the prophets
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  Speaker 1: that followed, and through them to many of the people
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  Speaker 1: of God and their respective generations. But still the bulk
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  Speaker 1: even of these were ignorant of it, and very few
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  Speaker 1: understood it. Clearly, still, life and immortality were not so
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  Speaker 1: brought to light to the Jews of old as they
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  Speaker 1: are now unto us by the Gospel. Now this covenant
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  Speaker 1: saith not to sinful man perform unsinning obedience and live.
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  Speaker 1: If this were the term, he would have no more
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  Speaker 1: benefit of all which Christ hath done and suffered for
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  Speaker 1: him than if he was required, in order to life,
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  Speaker 1: to ascend into heaven and bring down Christ from above,
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  Speaker 1: or to descend into the deep, into the invisible world
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  Speaker 1: and bring up Christ from the dead. It doth not
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  Speaker 1: require any impossibility to be done, although to mere man
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  Speaker 1: what it requires would be impossible, but not to man
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  Speaker 1: assisted by the spirit of God. This were only to
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  Speaker 1: mock human weakness. In indeed, strictly speaking, the Covenant of
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  Speaker 1: Grace doth not require us to do anything at all
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  Speaker 1: as absolutely and indispensably necessary in order to our justification,
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  Speaker 1: but only to believe in Him who for the sake
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  Speaker 1: of his son, and the propitiation which he hath made
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  Speaker 1: justifieth the ungodly that worketh not, and imputes his faith
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  Speaker 1: to him for righteousness. Even so, Abraham believed in the Lord,
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  Speaker 1: and he counted it to him for righteousness Genesis fifteen six.
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  Speaker 1: And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of
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  Speaker 1: the righteousness of faith, that he might be the father
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  Speaker 1: of all them that believe that righteousness might be imputed
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  Speaker 1: unto them. Also Romus four eleven. Now it was not
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  Speaker 1: written for his sake alone that it i e. Faith
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  Speaker 1: was imputed to him, but for us also to whom
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  Speaker 1: it shall be imputed. To whom faith shall be imputed,
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  Speaker 1: for righteousness shall stand in the stead of perfect obedience
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  Speaker 1: in order to our acceptance with God. If we believe
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  Speaker 1: on him who raised up Jesus our Lord, from the dead,
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  Speaker 1: who was delivered to death for our offenses, and was
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  Speaker 1: raised again for our justification Romans four, verses twenty three
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  Speaker 1: to twenty five, for the assurance of the remission of
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  Speaker 1: our sins and of a second life to come to them.
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  Speaker 1: Than believe what saith, then the covenant of forgiveness, of
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  Speaker 1: unmerited love, of pardoning mercy. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ,
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  Speaker 1: and thou shalt be saved in the day thou believest,
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  Speaker 1: thou shalt surely live. Thou shalt be restored to the
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  Speaker 1: favor of God, and in his pleasure is life. Thou
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  Speaker 1: shalt be saved from the curse and from the wrath
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  Speaker 1: of God. Thou shalt be quickened from the death of
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  Speaker 1: sin into the life of righteousness. And if thou endure
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  Speaker 1: to the end believing in Jesus, thou shalt never taste
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  Speaker 1: the second death. But having suffered with thy Lord, shalt
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  Speaker 1: also live and reign with Him forever and ever. Now
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  Speaker 1: this word is nigh thee. This condition of life is plain, easy,
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  Speaker 1: always at hand. It is in thy mouth and in
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  Speaker 1: thy heart through the operation of the Spirit of God.
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  Speaker 1: The moment thou believest in thine heart in Him whom
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  Speaker 1: God hath raised from the dead, and confessest with thy
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  Speaker 1: mouth the Lord Jesus, as thy Lord and thy God.
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  Speaker 1: Thou shalt be saved from condemnation from the guilt and
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  Speaker 1: punishment of thy former sins, and shalt have power to
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  Speaker 1: serve God in true holiness all the remaining days of
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  Speaker 1: thy life. What is the difference then, between the righteousness
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  Speaker 1: which is of the law, and the righteousness which is
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  Speaker 1: of faith, between the first covenant, or the covenant of works,
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  Speaker 1: and the second, the covenant of grace. The essential unchangeable
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  Speaker 1: difference is this. The one supposes him to whom it
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  Speaker 1: is given to be already holy and happy, created in
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  Speaker 1: the image, and enjoying the favor of God, and prescribes
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  Speaker 1: the condition whereon he may continue therein in love and joy,
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  Speaker 1: life and immortality. The other supposes him to whom it
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  Speaker 1: is given to be now unholy and unhappy, fall in
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  Speaker 1: short of the glorious image of God, having the wrath
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  Speaker 1: of God abiding on him, and hastening through sin, whereby
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  Speaker 1: a soul is dead to bodily death and death everlasting.
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  Speaker 1: And to man in this state it prescribes the condition
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  Speaker 1: whereon he may regain the pearl he has lost. They
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  Speaker 1: recover the favor and image of God. They retrieve the
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  Speaker 1: life of God in his soul, and be restored to
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  Speaker 1: the knowledge and the love of God, which is the
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  Speaker 1: beginning of life eternal. Again, the Covenant of Works, in
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  Speaker 1: order to man's continuance in the favor of God, in
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  Speaker 1: his knowledge and love, in holiness and happiness, required of
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  Speaker 1: perfect man a perfect and uninterrupted obedience to every point
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  Speaker 1: of the law of God, whereas the Covenant of Grace,
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  Speaker 1: in order to man's recovery of the favor and the
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  Speaker 1: life of God, requires only faith, living faith in Him
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  Speaker 1: who through God justifies him that obeyed. Not yet again,
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  Speaker 1: the Covenant of Works required of Adam and all his
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  Speaker 1: children to pay the price themselves in consideration of which
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  Speaker 1: they were to receive all the future blessings of God.
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  Speaker 1: But in the Covenant of Grace, seeing we have nothing
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  Speaker 1: to pay, God frankly forgives us all, provided only that
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  Speaker 1: we believe in Him who hath paid the price for us,
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  Speaker 1: who hath given himself a propitiation for our sins, for
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  Speaker 1: the sins of the whole world. Thus the First Covenant
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  Speaker 1: required what is now afar off from all the children
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  Speaker 1: of men, namely unsinning obedience, which is far from those
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  Speaker 1: who are conceived and born in sin, whereas the second
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  Speaker 1: requires what is nigh at hand. As though it should say,
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  Speaker 1: thou art sin, God is love, Thou by sin art
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  Speaker 1: fallen short of the glory of God, Yet there is
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  Speaker 1: mercy with him. Bring then all thy sins to the
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  Speaker 1: pardoning God, and they shall vanish away as a cloud.
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  Speaker 1: If thou wert not ungodly, there would be no room
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  Speaker 1: for him to justify thee as ungodly. But now draw
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  Speaker 1: near in full assurance of faith. He speaketh, and it
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  Speaker 1: is done. Fear not only believe, for even the just
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  Speaker 1: God justifieth all that believe in Jesus. These things considered,
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  Speaker 1: it would be easy to show, as I propose to
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  Speaker 1: do in the second place, the folly of trusting in
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  Speaker 1: the righteousness which is of the law, and the wisdom
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  Speaker 1: of submitting to the righteousness which is of faith. The
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  Speaker 1: folly of those who still trust in the righteousness which
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  Speaker 1: is of the law. The terms which are do this
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  Speaker 1: and live may abundantly appear. From hence they set out wrong.
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  Speaker 1: Their very first step is a fundamental mistake. For before
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  Speaker 1: they can ever think of claiming any blessing on the
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  Speaker 1: terms of this covenant, they must suppose themselves to be
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  Speaker 1: in His state, with whom this covenant was made. But
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  Speaker 1: how vain a supposition is this, since it was made
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  Speaker 1: with Adam in a state of innocence. How weak therefore
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  Speaker 1: must that whole building be which stands on such a foundation.
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  Speaker 1: And how foolish are they who thus build on the sand,
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  Speaker 1: Who seem never to have considered that the Covenant of
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  Speaker 1: Works was not given to man when he was dead
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  Speaker 1: and trespasses and sins, but when he was alive to God,
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  Speaker 1: when he knew no sin, but was holy as God
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  Speaker 1: is holy. Who forget that it was never designed for
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  Speaker 1: the recovery of the favor and life of God once lost,
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  Speaker 1: but only for the continuance and increase thereof till it
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  Speaker 1: should be complete in life everlasting. Neither do they consider,
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  Speaker 1: who are thus seeking to establish their own righteousness, which
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  Speaker 1: is of the law. What manner of obedience or righteousness,
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  Speaker 1: that is which the law indispensably requires. It must be
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  Speaker 1: perfect and entire in every point, or it answers not
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  Speaker 1: the demand of the law. But which of you is
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  Speaker 1: able to perform such obedience, or consequently to live thereby?
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  Speaker 1: Who among you fulfills every jot and tittle, even of
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  Speaker 1: the outward commandments of God, doing nothing great or small,
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  Speaker 1: which God forbids, leaving nothing undone which He enjoins, speaking
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  Speaker 1: no idle word, having your conversation always meet to minister
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  Speaker 1: grace to the hearers. And whether you eat or drink,
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  Speaker 1: or whatever you do, doing all to the glory of God.
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  Speaker 1: How much less are you able to fulfill all the
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  Speaker 1: inward commandments of God, those which require that every temper
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  Speaker 1: and motion of your soul should be holiness unto the Lord.
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  Speaker 1: Are you able to love God with all your heart,
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  Speaker 1: to love all mankind as your own soul, to pray
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  Speaker 1: without ceasing in everything, to give thanks, to have God
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  Speaker 1: always before you, and to keep every affection, desire, and
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  Speaker 1: thought in obedience to His law. You should farther Consider
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  Speaker 1: that the righteousness of the Law requires not only the
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  Speaker 1: obeying every command of God, negative and positive, internal and external,
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  Speaker 1: but likewise, in the perfect degree, in every instance, whatever
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  Speaker 1: the voice of the Law is thou shalt serve the
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  Speaker 1: Lord thy God with all thy sad strength. It allows
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  Speaker 1: no abatement of any kind. It excuses no defect. It
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  Speaker 1: condemns every coming short of the full measure of obedience,
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  Speaker 1: and immediately pronounces a curse on the offender. It regards
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  Speaker 1: only the invariable rules of justice, and saith I know
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  Speaker 1: not to show mercy. Who then can appear before such
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  Speaker 1: a judge who is extreme to mark what is done amiss?
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  Speaker 1: How weak are they who desire to be tried at
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  Speaker 1: the bar where no flesh living can be justified, none
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  Speaker 1: of the offspring of Adam. For suppose we did now
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  Speaker 1: keep every commandment with all our strength, Yet one single breach,
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  Speaker 1: which ever was utterly destroys or whole claim to life.
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  Speaker 1: If we have ever offended in any one point, this
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  Speaker 1: righteousness is at an end. For the law condemns all
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  Speaker 1: who do not perform uninterrupted as well as perfect obedience,
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  Speaker 1: so that, according to the sentence of this, for him
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  Speaker 1: who hath once sinned in any degree, there remaineth only
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  Speaker 1: a fearful looking for a fiery indignation which shall devour
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  Speaker 1: the adversaries of God. Is it not then the very
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  Speaker 1: foolishness of folly, for fallen man to seek life by
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  Speaker 1: this righteousness, For man who was shapen in wickedness and
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  Speaker 1: in sin did his mother conceive him, man who is
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  Speaker 1: by nature all earthly, sensual, devilish, altogether corrupt and abominable,
• 19:25
  Speaker 1: in whom, till he find grace, dwelleth no good thing, Nay,
• 19:28
  Speaker 1: who cannot, of himself think one good thought, who is
• 19:32
  Speaker 1: indeed all sin, a mere lump of ungodliness, and who
• 19:35
  Speaker 1: commits sin in every breath he draws, whose actual transgressions
• 19:40
  Speaker 1: in word and deed are more in number than the
• 19:42
  Speaker 1: hairs of his head. What stupidity, what senselessness must it
• 19:46
  Speaker 1: be for such an unclean, guilty, helpless worm as this,
• 19:50
  Speaker 1: to dream of seeking acceptance by his own righteousness, of
• 19:53
  Speaker 1: living by the righteousness which is of the law. Now,
• 19:57
  Speaker 1: whatsoever considerations prove the folly of trusting in the righteousness
• 20:01
  Speaker 1: which is of the law, prove equally the wisdom of
• 20:04
  Speaker 1: submitting to the righteousness which is of God by faith.
• 20:07
  Speaker 1: This were easy to be shown with regard to each
• 20:10
  Speaker 1: of the preceding considerations. But to waive this the wisdom
• 20:14
  Speaker 1: of the first step. Here too, the disclaiming our own
• 20:17
  Speaker 1: righteousness plainly appears from hints that it is acting according
• 20:22
  Speaker 1: to truth, to the real nature of things. For what
• 20:25
  Speaker 1: is it more than to acknowledge with our heart as
• 20:29
  Speaker 1: well as lips, the true state wherein we are to
• 20:32
  Speaker 1: acknowledge that we bring with us into the world a corrupt,
• 20:36
  Speaker 1: sinful nature, more corrupt, indeed than we can easily conceive
• 20:40
  Speaker 1: or find words to express. That hereby we are prone
• 20:44
  Speaker 1: to all that is evil, and averse from all that
• 20:47
  Speaker 1: is good. That we are full of pride, self will,
• 20:51
  Speaker 1: unruly passions, foolish desires, vile and inordinate affections, lovers of
• 20:57
  Speaker 1: the world, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God God.
• 21:00
  Speaker 1: That our lives have been no better than our hearts,
• 21:03
  Speaker 1: but many ways ungodly and unholy, insomuch that our actual sins,
• 21:09
  Speaker 1: both in word and deed, have been as the stars
• 21:11
  Speaker 1: of heaven for multitude. That on all these accounts we
• 21:15
  Speaker 1: are displeasing to him who is of purer eyes than
• 21:18
  Speaker 1: to behold iniquity, and deserve nothing from him but indignation
• 21:23
  Speaker 1: and wrath and death, the due wages of sin. That
• 21:26
  Speaker 1: we cannot by any of our righteousness, for indeed we
• 21:29
  Speaker 1: have none at all, nor by any of our works,
• 21:32
  Speaker 1: for they are as the tree upon which they grow,
• 21:35
  Speaker 1: appease the wrath of God, or avert the punishment we
• 21:38
  Speaker 1: have justly deserved. Yea that if left to ourselves, we
• 21:42
  Speaker 1: shall only wax worse and worse, sink deeper and deeper
• 21:46
  Speaker 1: into sin, offend God more and more, both with our
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: evil works and with the evil tempers of our carnal mind,
• 21:54
  Speaker 1: till we fill up the measure of our iniquities and
• 21:57
  Speaker 1: bring upon ourselves swift destruction. And is not this the
• 22:01
  Speaker 1: very state wherein by nature we are to acknowledge This then,
• 22:05
  Speaker 1: both with our heart and lips, that is, to disclaim
• 22:08
  Speaker 1: our own righteousness. The righteousness which is of the law,
• 22:12
  Speaker 1: is to act according to the real nature of things,
• 22:15
  Speaker 1: and consequently is an instance of true wisdom. The wisdom
• 22:19
  Speaker 1: of submitting to the righteousness of faith appears farther from
• 22:23
  Speaker 1: this consideration. It is the righteousness of God. I mean
• 22:27
  Speaker 1: here it is that method of reconciliation with God which
• 22:31
  Speaker 1: hath been chosen and established by God himself, not only
• 22:35
  Speaker 1: as he is the God of wisdom, but as he
• 22:37
  Speaker 1: is the sovereign Lord of Heaven. And earth, and of
• 22:40
  Speaker 1: every creature which he hath made. Now, as it is
• 22:44
  Speaker 1: not meet for man to say unto God, what doest thou?
• 22:48
  Speaker 1: As none who is not utterly void of understanding will
• 22:51
  Speaker 1: contend with one that is mightier than he, with him
• 22:54
  Speaker 1: whose kingdom ruleth over all. So it is true wisdom.
• 22:58
  Speaker 1: It is a mark of sound understanding to acquiesce in
• 23:02
  Speaker 1: whatever He hath chosen to say. In this, as in
• 23:05
  Speaker 1: all things, it is the Lord. Let him do what
• 23:08
  Speaker 1: seemeth him good, and may be farther considered that it
• 23:12
  Speaker 1: was of mere grace, a free love, of unreserved mercy,
• 23:16
  Speaker 1: that God hath vouchsafed disinful man any way of reconciliation
• 23:20
  Speaker 1: with himself, that we were not cut away from his
• 23:23
  Speaker 1: hand and utterly blotted out of his remembrance. Therefore, whatever method,
• 23:28
  Speaker 1: he is pleased to a point of his tender mercy,
• 23:31
  Speaker 1: of his unmerited goodness, whereby his enemies, who have so
• 23:35
  Speaker 1: deeply revolted from him so long, and obstinately rebelled against him,
• 23:39
  Speaker 1: may still find favor in his sight. It is doubtless
• 23:42
  Speaker 1: our wisdom to accept it with all thankfulness to mention,
• 23:47
  Speaker 1: but one consideration more it is wisdom to aim at
• 23:50
  Speaker 1: the best end by the best means. Now, the best
• 23:54
  Speaker 1: end which any creature can pursue is happiness in God,
• 23:57
  Speaker 1: And the best end a fallen creature can pursue is
• 24:00
  Speaker 1: the recovery of the favor and image of God. But
• 24:03
  Speaker 1: the best, indeed, the only means under Heaven given to
• 24:06
  Speaker 1: a man, whereby he may regain the favor of God,
• 24:10
  Speaker 1: which is better than life itself, or the image of God,
• 24:13
  Speaker 1: which is the true life of the soul, is the
• 24:15
  Speaker 1: submitting to the righteousness, which is of faith, the believing
• 24:19
  Speaker 1: in the only Begod and Son of God. Whosoever, therefore
• 24:23
  Speaker 1: thou art, who desirest to be forgiven and reconciled to
• 24:27
  Speaker 1: the favor of God, do not say in thy heart,
• 24:30
  Speaker 1: I must first do this. I must first conquer every sin,
• 24:33
  Speaker 1: break off every evil word and work, and do all
• 24:36
  Speaker 1: good to all men. Or I must first go to church,
• 24:39
  Speaker 1: receive the Lord's supper, hear more sermons, and say more prayers.
• 24:43
  Speaker 1: Alas my brother, thou art clean God out of the way,
• 24:46
  Speaker 1: thou art still ignorant of the righteousness of God, and
• 24:49
  Speaker 1: art seeking to establish thy own righteousness as the ground
• 24:53
  Speaker 1: of thy reconciliation. Knowest thou not that thou canst do
• 24:57
  Speaker 1: nothing but sin till thou art reconciled to God. Wherefore
• 25:01
  Speaker 1: then dost thou say, I must do this and this first,
• 25:05
  Speaker 1: and then I shall believe, nay, but first believe believe
• 25:09
  Speaker 1: in the Lord Jesus Christ, the propitiation for thy sins.
• 25:13
  Speaker 1: Let this good foundation first be laid, and then thou
• 25:16
  Speaker 1: shalt do all things well? Neither say in thy heart
• 25:21
  Speaker 1: I cannot be accepted yet because I am not good enough?
• 25:24
  Speaker 1: Who is good enough? Whoever was to merit acceptance at
• 25:28
  Speaker 1: God's hands? Was ever any child of Adam good enough
• 25:31
  Speaker 1: for this? Or well? Any tell the consummation of all things?
• 25:35
  Speaker 1: And as for THEE, thou art not good at all?
• 25:39
  Speaker 1: There dwelleth in THEE no good thing, and thou never
• 25:42
  Speaker 1: welt be till thou believe in Jesus. Rather thou wilt
• 25:46
  Speaker 1: find thyself worse and worse. But is there any need
• 25:50
  Speaker 1: of being worse in order to be accepted? Art thou
• 25:53
  Speaker 1: not bad enough? Already? Indeed thou art, and that God knoweth,
• 25:58
  Speaker 1: and thou thyself canst not deny it? Then de lay
• 26:02
  Speaker 1: not all things are now ready arise and wash away
• 26:06
  Speaker 1: thy sins. The fountain is open. Now is the time
• 26:09
  Speaker 1: to wash thee white in the blood of the Lamb.
• 26:12
  Speaker 1: Now he shall purge thee as with hissip, and thou
• 26:15
  Speaker 1: shalt be clean. He shall wash thee, and thou shalt
• 26:18
  Speaker 1: be whiter than snow. Do not say, but I am
• 26:21
  Speaker 1: not contrite enough. I am not sensible enough of my sins.
• 26:25
  Speaker 1: I know it. I would to God thou wert more
• 26:27
  Speaker 1: sensible of them, more contrite to thousandfold than thou art.
• 26:32
  Speaker 1: But do not stay for this. It may be God
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: will make THEE so, not before thou believest. But by
• 26:38
  Speaker 1: believing it may be thou wilt not weep much till
• 26:41
  Speaker 1: thou lovest much, because thou hast had much forgiven in
• 26:45
  Speaker 1: the meantime, Look unto Jesus, Behold how he loveth thee.
• 26:49
  Speaker 1: What could he have done more for THEE? Which he
• 26:52
  Speaker 1: hath not done? O, Lamb of God, was ever pain,
• 26:55
  Speaker 1: was ever love like thine. Look steadily upon him till
• 27:00
  Speaker 1: he looks on THEE and breaks thy hard heart. Then
• 27:03
  Speaker 1: shall thy head be waters and thy eyes fountains of tears.
• 27:08
  Speaker 1: Nor yet do thou say I must do something more
• 27:11
  Speaker 1: before I come to Christ. I grant. Supposing thy Lord
• 27:15
  Speaker 1: should delay his coming, it were meet and right to
• 27:17
  Speaker 1: wait for his appearing in doing so far as thou
• 27:21
  Speaker 1: hast power whatsoever he hath commanded thee. But there is
• 27:24
  Speaker 1: no necessity for making such a supposition. How knowest thou
• 27:28
  Speaker 1: that he will delay? Perhaps he will appear as the
• 27:31
  Speaker 1: day spring from on high before the morning light. O
• 27:35
  Speaker 1: do not set him a time, expect him every hour.
• 27:39
  Speaker 1: Now he is nigh even at the door. And to
• 27:42
  Speaker 1: what end wouldst thou wait for more sincerity before thy
• 27:46
  Speaker 1: sins are blotted out, to make THEE more worthy of
• 27:49
  Speaker 1: the grace of God. Alas thou art still establishing thy
• 27:53
  Speaker 1: own righteousness, he will have mercy, not because thou art
• 27:57
  Speaker 1: worthy of it, but because his compassion fail. Not not
• 28:01
  Speaker 1: because thou art righteous, but because Jesus Christ hath atoned
• 28:05
  Speaker 1: for thy sins. Again, if there be anything good and sincerity,
• 28:10
  Speaker 1: why dost thou expect it before thou hast faith? Seeing
• 28:14
  Speaker 1: faith itself is the only root of whatever is really
• 28:17
  Speaker 1: good and holy above all, How long wilt thou forget that,
• 28:21
  Speaker 1: whatsoever thou doest, or whatsoever thou hast before thy sins
• 28:25
  Speaker 1: are forgiven THEE. It avails nothing with God toward the
• 28:28
  Speaker 1: procuring of thy forgiveness. Yea, that it must all be
• 28:32
  Speaker 1: cast behind thy back, trampled under foot, made no account of,
• 28:37
  Speaker 1: or thou wilt never find favor in God's sight, because
• 28:40
  Speaker 1: until then thou canst not ask it, as a mere sinner, guilty, lost, undone,
• 28:46
  Speaker 1: having nothing to plead, nothing to offer to God, but
• 28:50
  Speaker 1: only the merits of His well beloved son, who loved
• 28:53
  Speaker 1: THEE and gave himself for THEE. To conclude. Whosoever thou art,
• 28:58
  Speaker 1: o man who ask the sentence of death in thyself,
• 29:02
  Speaker 1: who feelest thyself a condemned sinner, and hast the wrath
• 29:05
  Speaker 1: of God abiding on THEE. Unto THEE saith the Lord.
• 29:09
  Speaker 1: Not do this perfectly, obey all my commands and live,
• 29:14
  Speaker 1: but believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt
• 29:17
  Speaker 1: be saved. The word of faith is nigh unto THEE
• 29:20
  Speaker 1: now at this instant, in the present moment, and in
• 29:23
  Speaker 1: thy present state sinner as thou art, just as thou art,
• 29:28
  Speaker 1: believe the Gospel, and I will be merciful unto thy
• 29:31
  Speaker 1: unrighteousness and thy iniquities. Will I remember no more? End
• 29:37
  Speaker 1: of Section six,