2 JosVphus reports of such resolute Christians, that in the face of all reproachea and difficultidk:^.followed Christ to the cross.
3 You may as well stop the sun from running his race, as you are able to hinder gracious souls from obeying divine commands, Ps. xliv. 13, 14. As a wicked nature make^ the wicked peremptory in their disobedience (Jer. xliv. 15-17), so the divine nature makes gracious souls peremptory in their obedience.
* Propter te Domine, propter te, is every godly man's motto. Quicquid agas, propter Dewm agas, was an Eastern apophthegm. — [John] Drusius.
474 HEAVEN ON EARTH. [ROM. VIII. 32-34.
himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord ; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord : whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.' In all actions, the obedient soul intends and attends most divine glory. If Satan, the world, or the old man do at any time propound other ends to the soul, this great end, divine glory, works out all those ends ; for this is most certain, that which a man makes his greatest and his highest end, will work out all other ends.' Look, as the light of the sun doth extinguish and put out the light of the fire, so when a man makes the glory of God his end, that end will extinguish and put out all carnal, low, base ends ; that man that makes himself the end of his actions, that makes honour, riches, applause, &c. the end of his actions, he must at last lie down in eternal sorrow, he must dwell in everlasting burnings. The man is as his end is, and his work is as his end is ; if that be naught, all is naught ; if that be good, all is good, and the man is happy for ever, Isa. xxx. 33, and xxxiii. 14.
[7.] The seventh property. Seventhly, that obedience that accom- panies salvation, that borders upon salvation, that comprehends salvation, is a constant obedience.^ Ps. cxix. 112, 'I have inclined my heart to do thy statutes alway, even to the end.' The causes, springs, and motives of holy obedience are lasting and permanent, and therefore the obedi- ence of a sound Christian is not like the morning dew, or a deceitful bow : Ps. xliv. 17-19, ' All this comes upon us ; yet have we not for- gotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant. Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy ways ; though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death.' The love of Christ, the promises of Christ, the presence of Christ, the discoveries of Christ, the example of Christ, and the recompence of reward held forth by Christ, makes a sound Christian hold on, and hold out, in ways of obedience, in the face of all - dangers and deaths. Neither the hope of life, nor the fear of death, can make a sincere Christian either change his master or decline his work :* Philip, ii. 1 2, ' Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.' This was the Philippians' glory, that they were constant in their obedience ; whether Paul was present or absent, they constantly minded their work.
Ah ! but hypocrites and temporaries are but passionate, transient, and inconstant in their obedience ;* they talk of obedience, they commend obedience, and now and then in a fit they step in the way of obedience, but they do not walk in a way of obedience, they are only constant in inconstancy : Job xxvii. 10, ' Will the hypocrite delight himself in the Almighty ? Will he always call upon God V Or, as the Hebrew hath it, nybaa, will he in every time call upon God 1 Will he call upon God in
' Finis movet ad agendum, the end moves to doing.
* Si dixisti, Svfficit, periisti, if once thou sayest it is enough, thou art undone — Augustine.
3 History reports, that it hath been the ancient custom of pious Christians under per- secuting emperors, to meet, and by the sacrament to bind themselves for ever to fly what was evil, and follow what was good, whatever it cost them.
♦ Such hypocrites may well cry out as Ecebolius did, who was only constant in incon- stancy, Tarnffan [ii ro aianrthroy, tread upon me that am unsavoury salt. [Suidas, sub voce ; Socrates, H. £., iii. 13. — G.]
Rom. VIII. 32-34.] heaven on eaeth. 475
time of prosperity and in time of adversity ? in time of health and in time of sickness ? in time of strength and in time of weakness ? in time of honour and in time of disgrace ? in time of liberty and in time of durance ? &c. The answer to be given in is, he will not always, he will • not in every time call upon God. As a lame horse, when he is heated, will go well enough, but when he cools, he halts downright ; even so an hypocrite, though for a time he may go on fairly in a religious way, yet when he hath attained his ends, he will halt downright, and be able to go no further.
The abbot in Melancthon lived strictly, and walked demurely, and looked humbly, so long as he was but a monk ; but when, by his seem- ing extraordinary sanctity, he got to be made abbot, he grew intolerably proud and insolent, and being asked the reason of it, confessed that his former carriage and lowly looks was but to see if he could find the keys of the abbey.^ Ah ! many unsound hearts there be, that will put on the cloak of religion, and speak like angels, and look like saints, to find the keys of preferment, and when they have found them, none prove more proud, base, and vain than they. Ah ! but that obedience that accompanies salvation is constant and durable. A Christian in his course goes straight on heavenwards. * The two milch-kine,' 1 Sam. vi. 12, ' took the straight way to the way of Beth-shemesh, and went along the high- way, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.'^ So gracious souls goes straight^ along the highway to heaven, which is the way of obedience ; though they go lowing and weeping, yet they still go on, and turn not aside to the right hand nor to the left. If by the violence of temptation or corruption they are thrust out of the way at any time, they quickly return into it again. They may sometimes step out of the way of obedience, but they cannot walk out of the way of obedience. The honest traveller may step out of his way, but he soon returns into it again, and so doth the honest soul, Ps. cxix. 3, 4.