Part 2 God's Delight in the Progress of the Upright
Part 3 God's Delight in the Progress of the Upright
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3. The REASONS why upright hearts will persevere in the ways of God, notwithstanding all the afflictions, troubles, and discouragements which befall them, are these—
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1. The first is drawn from the nature of a Christian's life, which is a RACE. As he who runs a race, if he does not persevere, notwithstanding all discouragements, until he comes to the goal—he loses the garland; and as he who faints in wrestling loses the crown, so do those who hold not out to the end; therefore upright hearts will persevere to the end, notwithstanding all the discouragements they meet with in the ways of God: 1 Cor. 9:24, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize." So in Heb. 12:1, "Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."
2. A second ground of their persevering, notwithstanding all the afflictions and discouragements they meet with in the ways of God, and in the ways of well-doing, is drawn from the glorious promises of REWARD. For mark, as there is a comforting virtue in the promises, so there is a quickening and an encouraging virtue in all the glorious promises, as to warm the heart, so to raise and encourage the heart to run the ways of God's commandments, especially such promises as these: Rev. 2:10, "Satan shall cast some of you into prison: but fear not—but be faithful unto the death, and I will give you the crown of life." That crown is a sure crown, a matchless crown, a glorious crown, a lasting crown: "I will give you a crown of life." That is, "I who am faithfulness itself, I who am truth itself, I who am goodness itself, I who am power itself, I who have all in heaven and earth at my disposing—I myself will give you a crown of life!"
2 Tim. 4:8, "Henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousness." The word that is rendered laid up signifies safely to lay up: it notes both a designation and a reservation. There is a crown designed and safely kept for me. And so such a promise as that, Rev. 3:5, "He who overcomes shall be arrayed in white: and I will not blot his name out of the book of life—but I will confess him before my Father, and before his angels." And in ver. 21 of the same chapter, "He who overcomes shall sit down with me in my throne, as I overcame, and sat down with my Father in his throne." That is another reason from the promises of reward.
Promises of reward to the mariners—oh, how do they raise up their spirits to go through any storms, to go through many dangers! and so does the glorious promises of reward which God makes to his people; they carry them bravely through all storms.
3. A third reason is, Because of all ways the ways of God are the most HONORABLE ways; therefore upright hearts will persevere in them, notwithstanding all the afflictions and discouragements they meet with. The most renowned and honored saints who ever breathed on earth, and who are now triumphant in heaven, have walked in those ways of God. The ways of sin are base, reproachful ways—but the ways of God are honorable ways.
When a man does but fancy that the way he walks in is an honorable way, alas! how is his spirit carried on in that way against all opposition that he meets with! Oh, how much more does the testimony that God gives of his ways, and the encouragements that he gives to his people to persevere in his ways, raise up their spirits to persevere against all discouragements.
4. But fourthly, The principal reason of upright hearts persevering in the ways of well-doing against all discouragements, is—because they are carried on in the ways of well-doing, and in the ways of God, from spiritual and internal causes—from spiritual principles, from a principle of inward life and spiritual power. It is true, if upright hearts were only carried on from fleshly, carnal, and external causes—they would wheel about, and turn apostates, and be base, and what not. But upright hearts are carried on in the ways of God from inward principles, as in Jer. 32:40, "I will put my fear in their hearts, and they shall never depart from me."
"I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws." Ezekiel 36:25-27. Upright hearts are carried on by an inward principle of fear, faith, and love, and this carries them bravely on against all the discouragements they meet with. In Isaiah 40:31, "Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength like the eagle; they shall run and not be weary," because they run upon another's legs—namely, the Lord Christ's; "and they shall walk and not faint," because they walk in the strength of Christ. That is another reason.
5. The fifth and last reason of their persevering in the ways of God, notwithstanding all the discouragements which befall them—is drawn from the former profit and sweetness which they have found in the ways of God. Oh! upright souls have found by experience, the ways of God to be profitable ways indeed, to be the most gainful way that ever souls walked in. Upright hearts can say, "We went to prayer at such a time, and we met with Christ answering us! Oh! what a mercy was that!" And another time, "We went to the word, and we met with Jesus Christ embracing us. Oh! what a favor was that!" And another time, "We went to the communion of saints, and we met with Christ warming and inflaming our hearts; and oh, what a heaven was that!" As those in Luke 24:32, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us?" Oh! the remembrance of that former sweetness they have found carries them aloft against all discouragements!
The kiss that the king gave one, as the story speaks, was more than the golden cup he gave to the other. Oh, the spiritual kisses that the King of kings gives upright souls when he meets them in his ways, carries their souls continuously against all afflictions and oppositions that they meet with. David says, in Psalm 116:2, "Because you have inclined your ear to me, therefore will I call on you as long as I live." Why? "Because you have inclined your ear to me, I will call on you as long as I live." In summer season and in winter season, let men smile or frown, I will call upon you as long as I live. The sweet gain and profit that mariners have found in such and such ways, does exceedingly carry their spirits on in those ways, notwithstanding all discouragements; and so does the sweetness that upright souls have found in the ways of God. And thus much for the reasons of the point, and for the doctrinal part.
4. We come now to the PRACTICAL APPLICATION, which is the main thing I have my eye upon, at this time.
1. Is it so, that upright hearts will persevere in the ways of God and the ways of well-doing, notwithstanding all afflictions, troubles, and discouragements which may befall them? Then this, in the first place, serves to show us that the number of upright hearts are very few; for ah! how few are there, who keep close to the ways of God, and persevere in the ways of well-doing, when storms begin to rise! It is nothing for a man when he has wind and tide on his side, when there is concurrence of all secondary causes to lift a man up and carry him bravely on; it is nothing to persevere now in the ways of God and the ways of well-doing. Oh—but when a man is tossed and afflicted, broken and persecuted, now to persevere in the ways of well-doing, this is the glory of a Christian—but how few are there that persevere in these seasons! Oh! witness the treachery, witness the apostasy, witness the neutrality of men in our days, who, when storms begins, for fleshly ends, they wheel about.
2. Secondly, Is it so, that upright hearts will persevere in the ways of well-doing, notwithstanding all discouragements which befall them? I shall endeavor to apply the point more generally, to all who hear me at this time, knowing that it is a useful point for us all, especially in these times and seasons wherein God does exercise us with afflictions and discouragements, while we are in his own ways. The exhortation that I shall press upon you all is, that you will persevere in the ways of well-doing, notwithstanding all the afflictions, troubles, and discouragements which may befall you.
Now that you may, I shall endeavor to do these two things—
First, To lay down some motives to encourage you.
Secondly, To premise some directions to further help you.
1. For the first, by way of motives to encourage you to persevere against all discouragements that possibly may befall you, consider these few things—
1. First of all, Consider this, that all the afflictions and troubles that you meet with shall never hurt nor harm you—but be very advantageous to you. All the arrows that wicked men shoot at your heads shall stick fast in their own hearts: 1 Peter 3:13, "And who shall harm you, if you are followers of that which is good?" Interrogations are strong affirmations. It is a strong affirmation, "none shall harm you!" Devils nor men, let them roar and rage, none shall harm you. For as one speaks truly, "No man is properly hurt but by himself and his own fault." All the afflictions and troubles which you shall meet with in the ways of well-doing, they shall be advantageous to you; they shall be a means by which God will convey more of his grace and mercy, more of himself and his glory into your souls: Hosea 2:14, "I will allure her into the wilderness, and then I will speak friendly to her"—or as the Hebrew has it, I will earnestly speak to her heart. God will make all afflictions, even a wilderness, to be an inlet to more of his own self. All the discouragements that you meet with in the ways of well-doing shall but rub off your dross, and empty out that filth that is in you, and so make more room for more of himself and of his glory to be communicated to you.
Heb. 12:10, "But he afflicts us for our profit, that we may be partakers of his holiness." They were before partakers of his holiness. Oh—but God will make afflictions conduit-pipes, through which he will convey more of himself and of his holiness to his children's souls. That is the first thing. All the afflictions which befall you shall not harm you—but be very advantageous to you. Who would not then persevere in the ways of well-doing, notwithstanding any trouble or affliction that may befall them?
2. Secondly, beloved, let all gracious and upright hearts consider this, that Jesus Christ has held on in a way of mercy and sweetness towards you, notwithstanding all the discouragements and all the hindrances which have been in his way; and will not you persevere in ways of duty to Christ, who has held on, notwithstanding all discouragements, in a way of mercy towards you? Oh consider, consider what difficulties the Lord Jesus Christ has gone over to come to your souls. In Cant. 2:8, it is said there, "It is my beloved that comes leaping over the mountains and skipping over the hills." Oh, the Lord Jesus Christ has come over mountains of wrath, and mountains of sin, and mountains of sorrow—and all that he might come to your souls. In Isaiah 63:3, "I have trod the wine-press alone." He trod the wine-press of the wrath of his Father alone. And so in Isaiah 50:5-6, "The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned my back. I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheek to those who pluck off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting." Oh, the Lord, in a way of mercy towards you, has come over all difficulties. Jesus Christ never pleaded, "Oh this mountain of wrath, of sin, and sorrow is too high for me to go over: and these valleys of darkness are too long and too terrible for me to walk through." Oh no! but the Lord came skipping over all mountains, and all for the good of your souls.
And will not you, upright hearts, persevere in ways of duty to him who has thus acted in ways of mercy to you? And as he has, so he does still persevere in ways of mercy to you, notwithstanding all your provocations and unworthy walking of former mercies. Yet still he holds on in ways of mercy and kindness to you. Witness all those mercies which now you enjoy, the clothes that you wear, and the bread that you eat, and the house that you lodge in, and the bed that you lie on—when thousands are laying down in the everlasting sorrow of hell. Oh, this should bespeak you to persevere in his ways, notwithstanding any difficulties that you may meet with.
3. But then, in the third place, Let all upright hearts seriously consider this, that wicked and ungodly men persevere in ways of impiety, notwithstanding all the discouragements that they meet with from God; and will not you who are upright, persevere in ways of piety, notwithstanding all the discouragements and afflictions that you may meet with from men? Wicked and ungodly men, they persevere in ways of wickedness, notwithstanding all the afflictions, and troubles, and discouragements which God exercises them with. God lashes their consciences, and passes the sentence of death upon all their comforts. Afflictions comes upon them as Job's messengers, one upon the neck of another; and yet they remain proud still, and hypocritical still, and treacherous still, and apostates still, and profane still. O upright hearts, will not you persevere in the ways of piety, notwithstanding the discouragements that you meet with from men? Shall wicked men persevere in the ways of wickedness, notwithstanding all discouragements, though God chides them and set his angel in the way to draw a sword upon them, and crushes their bones against the wall, as he dealt with Balsam, Num. 22:25; shall wicked men, Balaam-like, ride on though the angel of the Lord draw his sword; and will not you, when men draw their swords, persevere in the ways of well-doing?
4. Fourthly, Consider solemnly of that agreement that you made with Jesus Christ, when you first took Jesus Christ upon the day of your marriage with Christ. Oh, there is enough in that to engage you to persevere against all the discouragements you shall meet with! Oh remember, upright souls, in the day of your marriage with Jesus Christ, you covenanted with the Lord Jesus Christ to keep close to him, to persevere in his ways. Then you did say in effect to Christ what Ruth said to Naomi, Ruth 1:14-16, "Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your God shall be my God; and nothing but death shall part between you and me." When you first gave yourself to Jesus Christ, in that day your souls were really married to Christ, then you covenanted with the Lord Jesus Christ, and in effect said thus, "O blessed Lord! I will follow you wherever you go; where you go I will go; and where you lodge I will lodge; and your God shall be my God; and nothing shall part between you and my soul, between your ways and my heart;" therefore let that bespeak you to persevere in ways of well-doing, notwithstanding all afflictions and discouragements you meet with.
5. And then again, in the next place, Let upright hearts consider this, that God knows how to deliver from troubles by troubles; he knows how to deliver from afflictions by afflictions; and God will by lesser afflictions which befall his people, deliver them from greater afflictions; and by those troubles which befall them, he will deliver them from greater troubles. I remember a saying of Anaxagoras, who seeing great possessions which he had lost, speaks thus, "Had not those things perished," says he, "I could not have been safe." God will so order all the afflictions and troubles which befall you in the ways of the Lord, that your soul shall say, "Oh, had I not met with this affliction—I would have been undone; had I not been undone—I would have been undone; had not these troubles and sorrows and discouragements befallen me—it had been worse with me. God will deliver his people, mark it, from spiritual afflictions and spiritual judgments, by the temporal afflictions and troubles which befall them. By those afflictions that you meet with in the ways of well-doing, God will deliver you from that security, pride, formality, dead-heartedness, lukewarmness, and censoriousness that otherwise might fall upon you.
I remember a story of a godly man, that as he was going to board the ship for France, he broke his leg; and it pleased providence so to order it, that the ship that he would have gone in at that very time was sunk, and not a man saved; so by breaking a bone his life was saved. Thus is the dealing of the Lord with his people; sometimes he exercises them with afflictions—it may be he breaks their bones; ay—but it is in order to the saving of their lives.
6. And then again consider, that all the afflictions, troubles, and discouragements which befall you, shall never rob you of your treasure, of your jewels. They may rob you of some slight, light things; as the flower that is in your hat—but they cannot rob you, they cannot strip you of your choice jewels and treasures. The jewels and treasures of an upright heart—are the spiritual presence of God, union with Christ, communion with Christ, joy that is unspeakable and glorious, peace that passes understanding, spiritual comfort, the least drop of which is more worth than a world. Now all the afflictions and troubles which befalls you, can never rob you of your jewels; your treasure is safe. They may rob you of the flower in your cap—but your jewel is safe. Some slight, poor, outward comforts they may rob you of. Oh—but your jewels is safe, your treasure is still safe.
What an encouragement it is to a poor traveler to persevere his way, when he remembers that all the thieves and enemies that he meets with, which cannot rob him of his treasures, of his jewels! O upright hearts! Your jewel is safe, your treasure is safe, and all the powers of darkness can never rob you of your God, of your Christ, of your comfort, of your inward peace; therefore persevere against all discouragements and afflictions that you shall meet with.
7. Then again, in the next place, consider that your persevering in the ways of well-doing, notwithstanding all discouragements and afflictions that may befall you, is very acceptable to God; and it tends much to the glory and honor of God, for his people to persevere in the ways of well-doing against all discouragements that may befall them. The church of Pergamos persevered, and the Lord was pleased with it: Rev. 2:13, "I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives."
The Lord here was much affected and pleased with the constancy of the church, that it held on in his worship and ways, notwithstanding the discouragements and troubles that she met with. It is very honorable to God. Oh! it is an honor to the power of God, to the wisdom of God, to the goodness of God, by persevering in his ways against all oppositions; you declare to the world that there is no God like your God, and no ways like his ways; nor any encouragements like those which he gives; therefore persevere in the ways of well-doing against all discouragements.
8. But in the eighth and last place, do but consider the dangerous nature of apostasy; and if there were no other argument to move men to persevere in the ways of God, in the ways of well-doing, against all discouragements and troubles that may befall them—yet this alone may carry their hearts bravely on against all troubles and afflictions. Consider the dangerous nature of apostasy. If you would judge of the dangerous nature of apostasy aright, you may do it by these few things—
[1.] First, Consider what you fall from by apostatizing from God, from his truth, and from his ways. Oh! consider that of all falls, the falls of such apostates are the most dangerous falls. You who play the apostate, and turn from the ways of God, and from the ways of well-doing—you fall from God, who is the greatest good; you fall from his ways, which are the crown and the glory of the soul; and from his truth, the least tittle of which is more worth than heaven and earth. Alas! what are the falls of others, compared to your falls! Alexander the Third, he fell from a pope to be a gardener in Venice; and Valerian fell from a golden chair to an iron cage; and Dionysius fell from a king to be a schoolmaster; and Nebuchadnezzar fell from a mighty prince to be a beast—but what are these falls to your falls, O apostate! who fall from heaven to hell—from the greatest good to the greatest evil!
We live in an apostatizing age; men wheel and turn about as second causes work, and are not steadfast with their God. These are days wherein grapes are turned into thorns, and figs into thistles; wherein men who were persecuted by others, turn persecutors of others; and men who were smitten by others, now by their pens and tongues bitterly smite others, even their fellow-brethren. These are days wherein lambs are turned into lions, and doves are turned into serpents; and men who have acted like angels, are turned to act like devils in respect of their rage and malice against God and his children, and against those ways wherein his people do walk. They are like the taxus plant of India, which the first year bears fruit, the second year leaves, and the third year poison. Thus it is with apostates of our time. For a time they bear fruit, a little after leaves, and now at last poison, the worst of all. Oh, consider the danger of apostasy! By apostasy you fall from the greatest good, and from the present hope of mercy, and from the future hope of glory; for there is no sin that does so strip a man of the present hope of mercy, and the future hope of glory, as the sin of apostasy: witness Spira, Judas, etc.
[2.] Then again, in the second place, judge of the dangerous nature of apostasy by the judgments of God that have fallen upon apostates, as upon Julian, Judas, Spira, etc. I remember Mr. Foxe makes mention of a smith in King Edward the Sixth's days, who was instrumental to convert a young man; the young man being clapped in prison for the gospel's sake, sent for the smith, and asked him whether he would encourage him to stand for the truth, and to burn for religion; he answered, his cause was good, and he should do well to suffer for his religion—but for his part he could not bring his heart over to burn for religion. But a little time after his shop was set on fire, and he was burned in the midst of it. Oh! it would take up more time than is now allotted to me to set out the judgments of God that have befallen apostates that have been treacherous and base to God, to his ways, to his saints, and to the trust reposed in them.
[3.] Again, you may judge of the danger of apostasy by its near bordering upon the sin against the Holy Spirit, and by the exceeding difficulty of a man's recovering his ground, when he has once played the apostate, and turned his back upon God and his ways. Of all sins, the sin of apostasy comes nearest the unpardonable sin against the Holy Spirit. That soul that has turned his back upon God and his truth, and the ways of well-doing, because of discouragements, is now upon the borders of that sin, that if God leaves him but a little, he may fall into, and then he shall never rise again; which speaks out the dangerous nature of it.
[4.] And to shut up all, judge of the dangerous nature and evil of apostasy by this, that it renders all a man's former righteousness, doings, and sufferings invalid and lost: Ezek. 18:24, "If a man forsakes his righteousness, shall he live?" "No," says God, "he shall die"—ay, die with a witness: "in his iniquity which he has committed he shall die, and his righteousness shall be mentioned no more." There shall be no more talk—"This was a gallant man for God, and this man stood bravely up for his people and his ways." There shall be no mention of this, if a man plays the apostate. There shall be no pleading—This was once a worthy man, and stood gloriously to it. But now he is turned an apostate: he is turned away from God and his ways. All his righteousness, all his former actings and doings and sufferings shall be lost, and they shall never go to the grave with him, nor follow him to the judgment-seat of Christ: his apostasy shall follow him indeed—but for his former works of piety, they are all lost. As a soldier when he forsakes his colors and runs to the enemy, all his former good service is lost and buried in oblivion; so men who profess love to God and his people, and at last meet with difficulties and play the apostate, this their apostasy renders all their former service lost.
Thus much by way of motive to move you, all you who hear me this day, to persevere in the ways of well-doing, notwithstanding all the afflictions and discouragements that you may meet with in the ways of well-doing.
Part 3 God's Delight in the Progress of the Upright
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