1. Hence we may take our measures of the wonderful and asto- nishing grace and condescension of God to his people, who, notwith- standing all that evil which is at present with them in the good they do, will not reject their persons or duties for all that.
How doth free grace make its own way through swarms of vanity ! How doth it break through all the deadness, infidelity, and hardness of our hearts to do us good ? Though evil be present with us, our gracious God will not be absent from us notwithstanding that.
How greatly was the spouse amazed at the unexpected condescen- sion and grace of Christ in this matter ? Cant. ii. 8. ' It is the voice of my beloved ; behold, he cometh leaping over the mountains, skip- ping over the hills.** It is the voice of my beloved. That abrupt bro- ken expression shews a perfect surprize : she saw mountains of guilt and unworthiness betwixt Christ and her soul ; and yet, behold, he comes skipping over all those mountains and hills : O free grace, rich and admirable grace, which with so many notwithstandings and ne- verthelesses, will save and comfort the poor and unworthy soul !
2. How little reason have any of us to be proud of our best per- formances, ' There is not a just man upon earth, that doth good, and sinneth not,"* saith Solomon, Eccl. vii. 20. If there be some- thing supernatu rally good in our duties, yet there is abundance of natural evil commixed with that good ; the evil is wholly ours, the good wholly God's : we have no reason then to glory in our best performances.
It hath been a question with some, Whether some short transient act of a regenerate soul may not be free from sin ; but it was never questioned, whether any continual act, much less a course of actions, could be without sin. Evil will be present with us in all we do ; it will be with us in our closets ; present even in the awful presence of the holy God, in the most high and solemn duties of religion, in tht
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most pure and spiritual actions that pass from us: cease then, as from dependence, so from pride and conceitedness in all you do. Whilst our natures are sanctified but in part, and our principles mixt, our duties and performances can never be pure. ' Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean.? not one,"* John xiv. 4.
3. How are we all obliged to bless God for Jesus the Mediator, to make us and our sinful duties acceptable to God ? Sad were our case if this high priest did not " bear the iniquity of our holy things," as it is, Exod. xxviii- 38. It is his oblation and intercession that obtains and continues our pardon for our prayer-sine, our hearing* sins, our sacrament-sins ; these alone would eternally damn us, if we had no other, did not free grace make us accepted in the Belov- ed," Eph. i. 6. When evil is present with us, then is Christ, our Advocate, present with the Father for us ; and thence it is that we are not destroyed upon our knees, and that the jealousy of God breaks not forth as fire, to devour us in our very duties.
4. If evil be present with us, yea, inherent in us, in our best duties, what need had Christians then to watch against the external occasions of sin, and to keep a close guard upon their senses, espe- cially when they have to do with God ?
There is danger enough from within ; you need not open another door from without. This natural corruption is too active in itself, if there be no irritation by any external occasion ; how much more when the eye and ear opened and unguarded, and occasions are offered it from without. Watching is half the work of a Christian whilst he is praying, Eph. vi. 18. The Arabian proverb is as instructive as it is mystical. Shut the windows, that the house may he light.
5. If evil be present when we would do good, if it infest us in our best duties, then certainly there is no rest to be expected for any of God's people in this world. Where shall we go to be free from sin ? If any where, let us go to our closets, to our knees, to the ordinances of God ; yea, but even there evil is, and will be present with us ; if we cannot be free from evil there, it is vain to expect it elsewhere in this world. Only in heaven believers rest from sin. When once they are absent from the body, and present with the Lord, sin shall no more be present with them ; which should make all that hate sin, long for heaven, and be " willing to be dissolved and be with Christ."
2. For direction. Let all that experimentally see and feel what the apostle here mourns over, carefully attend such directions as may prevent the spoil of their duties by the working of their cor- ruptions in them.
Though no rules are found sufficient to prevent wholly the influ- ence of our corruptions upon duties, yet own it as a special mercy, if it may in any measure be prevented or restrained : In order whereunto I shall hint briefly these following rules, which the experience of
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many Christians hath recommended, as exceedingly useful in this case.
Rule 1. Be nwre diligent in preparation for your duties, if you would meet with less interruption in your duties. The very light of nature teaches solemn preparation to all important and weighty business : And is there more solemn and concerning business in all the world, than that Mhich thou transactest with God in duties ? Angels approach not this God with whom thou hast to do, without profound respects to his inmiense greatness and awful holiness, Isa. vi. 3. When you stretch forth your your hands, it is required that you first prepare your hearts, Job xi. 18, 14.
Rule 2. Realize the presence of God in all your duties, and awe your hearts all that you are able by that consideration. O think what a piercing holy eye beholds thy heart, and tries thy reins ! Wouldst thou not be really ashamed, if thy thoughts were but vo- cal to men, and llie workings and wanderings of thy heart visible to those that join with thee in the same duty ? O, if the presence of God were more realized, certainly your hearts would be better se- cured against the incursions of your corruptions.
Rule 3. Labour Jbr a deeper measure and degree of sanctijication ; many other rules are but spiritual anodynes to give present ease, but this is the way to a real cure. A thousand things may be found helpful to put by a vain thought for the present, but then it returns again, and it may be with more strength : This is the proper me- thod to dry the spring, when others are but attempts to divert the stream : If habits of grace were more deeply radicated, acts of grace would be more easy to us, and flow more freely from us.