Part 16 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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Part 17 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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QUESTION. But how may a person know when he makes the glory of God his aim, his end, in this or that service which he performs? I shall answer this question briefly thus—
ANSWER.
[1.] First, Such a man as makes the glory of God his aim, his end—he will do duty when all outward encouragements to duty fail. When the eye of men, the favor of men, the respects of men, and all other encouragements from men fail—yet then a holy man will hold up, and hold on in his work and way! Yes, when all outward encouragements from God shall fail—yet such a person will keep close to his duty! Hab. 3:17-18, "Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vine; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!" When all necessary and delightful mercies fail—yet he will not fail in his duty. Though God withholds his blessings—yet he will not withhold his service—in the lack of a livelihood he will be lively in his duty; when he has nothing to exist by—yet then he will live upon his God.
Though war and poverty come—yet he will not be lacking in his duty. There are three things in a holy heart, which strongly incline it to persevere when all outward encouragements fail. The first is a forcible principle—divine love, 2 Cor. 5:14; the second is a mighty aid—the Spirit of God, Phil. 4:12-13; the third is a high aim—the glory of God. But now, it is otherwise with those who have only a show of godliness. Let but their outward encouragements fail them; let but the eye, the ear, the applause of the creature fail them; if they cannot make some gain of their godliness, some profit of their profession, some advantage of their religion—they are ready, with Demas, to throw up and throw off all! Profit and applause are usually the baits that these men bite at; and if they miss these baits, then farewell profession, farewell religion, farewell all!
But now look—as Ruth kept close to her mother in the lack of all outward encouragements; just so, souls that eye the glory of God in duties, they will keep close to duties when all outward encouragements fail. Though outward encouragements be sometimes as a side-wind, or as oil, or as chariot wheels—means to move a Christian to go on more sweetly, easily, and comfortably in the ways of God—yet when this wind shall fail, and these chariot wheels shall be knocked off—a real Christian will hold on his way, Job. 17:9.
[2.] Secondly, When a man aims at the glory of God in what he does, then he labors to hide and conceal all his human excellencies, which may any way tend to obscure, eclipse, or darken the glory of God. "For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power." 1 Corinthians 2:2-5.
Holy Paul handled holy things in such a manner, as much of God—and little or nothing of man could be perceived. In religious exercises, Paul seems to say to human eloquence and fleshly wisdom, to affected rhetoric and flattering oratory, "Stand afar off—come not near! I have now to do with God, and to do with souls, and to do with eternity—and therefore what have I to do with you?" Paul had an eye to divine glory in all that he did, and therefore he dared not tip his tongue and store his head with airy notions, or with "the enticing words of man's wisdom." Of all the apostles, Paul was most eminent and excellent in all human arts, abilities, and gifts—and yet in pious exercises he lays them all aside. 1 Cor. 14:18-19, "I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue."
The church of Corinth excelled all other churches in gifts—I do not say in grace—and many among them prided themselves up in the exercise of their gifts and tongues in their church assemblies, that so they might win the more credit and repute to themselves, of being men of great learning, reading, and abilities; but the holy apostle by his own example, labors to win them to decline all vain ostentation, and to work them to express themselves so as might be most for the information, conviction, edification, and salvation of their hearers' souls. Holy Paul had much learning—and yet in pious exercises he used little. The Corinthians had less—and yet made such shows of it, even in their pious duties—as if in their minds—all the libraries in the world had been locked up.
This puts me in mind of what once I have read concerning a Rabbi, who had but little learning, and less modesty and ingenuity; for he usurping all the discourse at table where many were gathered. One commented concerning him, "For anything I know he may be learned; but I never heard learning make such a noise." The more learning—the less noise men will make; the less learning—the more noise men will make. The sun shows least when it is at the highest; and those waters are most deep which run most silent. They usually are men of the greatest abilities—who flaunt them least in pious works. [At one time, when Bernard had preached very eloquently, and the people much admired and applauded him—which much saddened him. The next day he preached a plain and powerful sermon without any rhetorical dresses, at which many curious, itching ears were unsatisfied—but himself and his lower-capacitated auditors were much pleased and delighted. And being asked the reason of it, he returned this answer, "Yesterday I preached Bernard—but today, I preached Jesus Christ.]
Mr. Dod was accustomed to say that "so much Greek and Hebrew in a sermon—was so much fleshly ostentation in a sermon!" The gilding upon the pill may please the eye—but it profits not the patient; the paint upon the window-pane may feed the fancy—but the room is rather the darker than the lighter for it. Painted glass in churches is more glorious—but plain glass is most perspicuous. When men come to church-work, to pulpit-work, all plainness must be used. Starched oratory may tickle the brain—but it is plain doctrine which informs the judgment, which convinces the conscience, which bows the will, and which wins the heart. That sermon has most learning in it—which has most plainness in it. And therefore a great scholar was accustomed to say, "Lord, give me learning enough that I may preach plain enough."
Silly, ignorant people are very apt to dote upon that most, and admire that most—which they understand least; but prudent Christians judge of ministers not by their lungs—but by their brains; not by their throats—but by their hearts and lives; not by their voices and tones—but by the plainness, spiritualness, suitableness, and usefulness of their matter. It is observable throughout the Scriptures, that the profoundest prophets, and the greatest apostles, yes, and Christ himself, did commonly accommodate themselves to their hearers' capacities. [Holy Moses covered his glistening face with a veil when he spoke to the people.] They kept in and kept under all those human excellencies, the discovery of which might anyway cloud divine glory. Men who have their eyes upon divine glory—know that the more any acquired abilities, gifts, and excellencies appear in holy exercises—the more the name, honor, and glory of God is clouded, and the more those who have most of the indwellings of God are dissatisfied and disadvantaged; and therefore those who have real respect to divine glory, they draw as it were a curtain between all their human excellencies and pious exercises.
That none may think this is my private opinion, let me add a few sayings of theirs that have been eminent in acquired excellencies. Gregory Nazianzen, a holy and a weighty writer, compares curiosity and novelty of speech in the things of God unto lascivious dancing, and the arts of jugglers, whereby they deceive the senses of those who look on; and further says that simple, proper, genuine language was in holy things accustomed to be esteemed godliness. Eusebius tells us of some in his days, who to win upon the minds of men, did amaze them with fancy words. And it was a remarkable saying of golden-mouthed Chrysostom, as some call him, "When I first began to preach," said he, "I was a child, and delighted in rattles—in the applause of the people; but when I was a man, I began to despise them."
New phrases and expressions do many times make way for the introducing of new doctrines—as learned Paraeus observes: "For the most part," says he, "those who in points of divinity devise new terms and unusual expressions, do hide under them some new and strange doctrines; they wrap up their error in some intricate words and fancy distinctions." When our words in preaching differ from the style of the Holy Spirit, the people be in danger of turning aside to vain jangling, says Danaeus. Said that incomparable man, Peter Ramus: "Let us speak the words of scripture, let us make use of the language of the Holy Spirit, and forever abominate those who profanely disdain at the stately plainness of God's blessed book, and who think to correct the divine wisdom and eloquence, with their own infancy and sophistry." [The orators of Athens were then suspected, when they began to make excursions with florid expressions.] Said Seneca, "Sick men are not bettered by physicians' sugared words—but by their skillful hands."
Truth is most beautiful when most naked. Many mar the sweetness of the word, by perfuming it with their human eloquence and oratory. For a close, remember that God himself, the great master of speech, when he spoke from heaven, he made use of three different texts in a breath: Mat. 17:5, "This is my beloved Son," Psalm 7; "In whom I am well pleased," Isaiah 42:1; "Hear him," Deut. 18:15; which you may note against the squeamishness of such as disdain at the stately plainness of the Scriptures. But,
[3.] Thirdly, If you do really and actually aim at the glory of God in what you do, then the glory of God will swallow up all selfish aims and ends that may thrust themselves in upon the soul while it is at its work. Look! as Aaron's rod, Exod. 7:10-12, swallowed up the magicians' rods—so the glory of God will swallow up all carnal aims and ends. Look! as the sun puts out the light of the fire, so the glory of God will put out and consume all other ends. This is most certain—that which is a man's great end—that will work out all other ends. If you set up the glory of God as your chief end, that will by degrees eat out all selfish and base ends. Look! as Pharaoh's lean cows, Gen. 41:4, ate up the fat, so the glory of God will eat up all those fat and worldly ends, which crowd in upon the soul in religious work. The keeping up of the glory of God as your great end, will be the keeping down and the casting out of all other ends.
[4.] Fourthly, He who really and actually aims at the glory of God in what he does—he will persevere in doing what God commands, though nothing for the present comes of it. If his eye is truly fixed upon divine glory, a command of God shall be enough to carry him on in his work. Psalm 27:8, "When you said, Seek my face, my heart said unto you, Your face, Lord, will I seek." When the glory of God is a man's mark, his heart will sweetly echo and graciously comply with divine commands: Jer. 3:22, "Return, O backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto you; for you are the Lord our God." God's commands fall with great power and force upon that man's heart, who has divine glory in his eye. One word from God will command such a soul to a gracious compliance with what God requires: Psalm 119:4-5, "You have commanded us to keep your precepts diligently. Oh that my ways were directed to keep your statutes!" As soon as God lays a command upon a Christian—he looks up to heaven for power to turn that precept into practice. "Oh that my ways were directed to keep your statutes! Oh that I were as holy as God would have me to be! Oh that I were as humble and lowly as God would have me to be! Oh that I were as heavenly and spiritual as God would have me to be! Oh that I were as pure and perfect as God would have me to be!"
Just so, verse 48, "My hands will I lift up to your commandments, which I have loved." Many there are, who thrust away your commandments with all their might—but I lift up my hands to your commandments. Many there are, who will strain themselves to take a comfort—but I strain myself to lift up your commandments. Many there are, who will stretch out their hands to take a reward—but I stretch out my hands to take hold on your commandments. To give a little more light into these words: Sometimes the lifting up of hands betokensadmiration; when men are astonished and ravished they lift up their hands: "I will lift up my hands to your commandments," that is, I will admire the goodness, the holiness, the righteousness, the purity and excellency of your commandments. Again, we lift up our hands when we betake ourselves to refuge: God's commands are the saint's refuge. When they house and shelter themselves under the wings of God's commands they are safe. Again, men lift up their hands when they take hold on a thing. Now gracious souls do take hold on God's commandments to do them, to practice them, and to express the life and power of them. Again, men lift up their hands to those things which are high and above them.
Now the commands of God are high—they are sublime, they are above us. They are sublime and high in regard of their original, they come down from God. They are sublime and high in regard of the matter of them, they are heavenly oracles, they are dictates of divine wisdom. They are sublime and high in regard of the difficulty of keeping of them, they exceeding all human strength. They are sublime and high in regard of their situation, they are situated in heaven: "Your word," says David, "endures forever in heaven." But yet as sublime and as high as they are, a man who has his eye upon divine glory will lift up his hands unto them; he will do all he can to express the pleasure that he takes in them, and the readiness of his soul to a holy compliance with them.
A man who has his eye upon divine glory, he will keep close to his work—to his hearing work, to his praying work, to his mourning work, to his repenting work, to his believing work, to his waiting work; though nothing comes on it, though he make no earnings of it, though comfort does not come, though joy and peace does not come, though assurance does not come, though enlargements do not come, though answers and returns from heaven do not come, though good days do not come, though deliverance does not come—yet such will keep close to their work that have their eye upon divine glory.
But now, such who eye not the glory of God in what they do, they quickly grow weary of their work; if they can make no earnings of their seekings and fastings and prayings—they are presently ready to throw up all, and to quarrel with God himself, as if God had done them an injury, Isaiah 58:1-4. [Compare these scriptures together: Psalm 44:12, 20; Cant. 3:1-3; Isaiah 26:8, 9, and 59:8-11; Hab. 2:1-3; Micah 7:7-9; Lam. 3:8, 44, compared with verse 24-26, 31-32. 40-41, 55.]
[5.] Fifthly and lastly, A man who really aims at the glory of God in this or that duty—he cannot be satisfied or contented with the performance of duties, without some enjoyments of God in duties. Without some converse and communion with God in duties, his soul cannot be satisfied; his soul thirsts and longs to see the beauty and the glory of the Lord in his sanctuary, and without this sight he cannot be quieted. "O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory." Psalms 63:1-2
Here is the ordinance—but where is the God of the ordinance? Here is prayer—but where is the God of prayer? Here is the duty—but where is the God of duty? Here isenlargements—but where is the God of enlargements? Here are meltings and breakings of spirit—but where is the God of these meltings and breakings? Psalm 84:2, "My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh cries out for the living God." The courts of the Lord, without spiritual converses with the living God, could not satisfy his soul: "Oh," says he, "here are the courts of the Lord, the courts of the Lord—but where is the living God? where is the living God? where is that God who makes men to live, and who makes ordinances to be living and lively ordinances to his children's souls? Oh, the courts of the Lord are very desirable—but the living God is much more desirable! The courts of the Lord are precious and glorious—but the living God is infinitely more precious and glorious! Here is the mantle of Elijah—but where is the God of Elijah? 2 Kings 2:12-14. Here are the courts of the Lord—but where is the Lord of these courts?
It was the speech of holy Mr. Bradford, "that he could not leave a duty until he had found communion with Christ in the duty. He could not give off a duty until his heart was brought into a duty frame. He could not leave confession until he had found his heart humbled and melted under the sense of his sin. He could not give over petitioning until he had found his heart taken with the beauties of the things desired, and strongly carried out after the enjoyment of them. Neither could he leave thanksgiving until he had found his spirit enlarged, and his soul quickened in the return of praises."
And so it was with holy Bernard, who was accustomed to say, "O Lord, I never come to you but by you; I never go from you without you." A man who has his eye upon the glory of Christ—cannot put off his soul with anything below communion with Christ, in those pious services and duties that he offers up to Christ. Though the breasts of duty are sweet—yet those breasts will not satisfy the soul, except Christ lies between them, Cant. 1:13.
But now, men who have base, poor, low, and selfish ends in what they do, they can come off easily from their duties; though they find no spirit, no life, no warmth in duty—yet they can come off with contentment from duty. Though they have no communion, no converse at all with God in duty, though they have no pledges of grace, no pawns of mercy, no tastes of love, no relishes of heaven in a duty—yet they can come off from the duty with contentment and satisfaction of spirit. Let but others applaud him, and his own heart hug him—and he has enough.
16. In the sixteenth and last place—A man who is really holy speaks a holy language. [Psalm 45:1-2; Zeph. 3:9; Cant. 4:3. Compare these scriptures together—Proverbs 11:30, 12:18, and 25:11; Mat. 7:6, and 12:35; Col. 4:6; Eph. 4:29; Acts 26:25; John 6:25; 1 Pet. 4:11.] A holy heart and a holy tongue are inseparable companions. If there be grace in the heart—there will be grace in the lips. If the heart is pure—the language will be pure. Christ says his spouse's lips are like a thread of scarlet; they are red with talking of nothing but a crucified Christ; and they are thin like a thread, not swelled with other vain discourses. And verse 11, he tells you that "the lips of his spouse drop as the honeycombs," or drop honeycombs; and that "honey and milk are under her tongue." You know that Canaan was a land that flowed with milk and honey. Why? the language of the spouse was the language of Canaan; her lips were still dropping such holy, spiritual, and heavenly matter—as was as sweet, pleasant, profitable, desirable, and delectable to men's souls—as ever honey and milk was to men's palates or appetites. And as many were fed and nourished by milk and honey, so many were fed and nourished by the holy droppings of her lips.
Psalm 37:30, "The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, and his tongue talks of judgment." If the heart is holy—the tongue will be a-talking wisely, fruitfully, feelingly, affectionately of that which may profit both a man's self and others. Proverbs 10:20, "The tongue of the just is as choice silver; but the heart of the wicked is little worth." Godly men's words are of more worth than wicked men's hearts! Look—as choice silver is known by its tinkling—so holy men are known by their talking. And as choice silver gives a clear and sweet sound—so the tongue of the just sounds sweetly and pleasantly in the ears of others. Look! as choice silver is highly prized and valued among men, so is the tongue of the righteous among those who are righteous. Look! as choice silver allures and draws the hearts of men to a love and liking of it—just so, the tongues of the righteous do allure and draw the hearts of men to a love and liking of virtue and goodness.
Verse 21, "The lips of the righteous feed many." They feed many by their exhortations, instructions, admonitions, and counsels. The mouths of the righteous are like the gates of some hospitable people, where many are fed. The lips of the righteous are a free and well-furnished table—at which many are fed and nourished with the dainties of heaven to eternal life. Righteous men keep open house, they keep free hospitality for all comers and goers; and if they have not always bread in their hands—yet they have always grace in their lips, to feed many. Though they may be outwardly poor—yet they have a treasure within to enrich many.
The tongue is the instrument of a Christian's glory, and is so interested in the quality it expresses, that in the original it signifies both glory and the tongue—asthereby intimating that the chief glory of man is his tongue.
But now men that have only a show of godliness, they do practically say, "Our tongues are our own, and who shall control us?" Their speech is so far from administering of grace to their hearers, that it administers usually either matter of carnal mirth, or of contempt, or of scorn, or of sorrow and mourning. Certainly they have no holiness in their hearts—who have so much of hell, and the devil, and lusts in their mouths. [James 1:26, 27, and 3:8, 12; Mat. 26:73.]
I may say to most, "You are unholy people, your speech betrays you, your worldliness, your profaneness, your cursing, your swearing, your lying, your slandering, your reviling, your railing, your deriding, etc., does plainly evidence that you have no holiness in you." Well! remember this—a tongue that is set on fire from hell, is in danger to be set on fire in hell. Hellis for that man, and that man is for hell—who has so much of hell in his mouth. The devil is for that man, and that man is for the devil—who has so much of the devil in his mouth.Damnation is for that man, and that man is for damnation—who has so much of damnation in his mouth. The world is for that man, and that man is for the world—who has so much of the world in his mouth.
Whatever is in the heart will break out in the lips. If wickedness is in the heart—it will break out in the lips. Physicians say that the nature of diseases is as well known by the tongue as by the pulse. The spiritual diseases that are in the heart will quickly discover themselves by the tongue. Wherever holiness is in the heart—it will break forth in the lips. A holy heart and a holy tongue are married together, and it is not in man to put them asunder. You shall sooner separate the soul from the body, than you shall separate a holy tongue from a holy heart.
And thus I have done with this use of examination. The Lord make you wise to lay these things to heart, that so you may know how it is likely to go with you in the eternal world.
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Part 17 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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