Veil 9.] sermons upon matthew xxv. 385
sticks may set a green one on fire : to which Christ is supposed to allude when he saith, ' If this be done to the green tree, what shall be done to the dry ?' Well, but bating these cases, we shall not be the better for others' righteousness, and this is often pressed in scripture : Hab. ii. 4, ' The just shall live by his faith ;' by his own, not by another man's : Ezek. xviii. 20, ' The soul that sinneth it shall die : the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, nor shall the father bear the iniquity of the son : the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him ;' that is, as to eternal rewards and punishments, every one is to be con- sidered according to their own personal estate. Every tub shall stand upon its own bottom, and every soul shall be dealt with according to its own capacity. So Rom. xiv. 12, ' Every one of us shall give an account of himself to God.' We shall give an account of our own thoughts, words, and actions ; not shuffled together by the lump, and in gross, but every one severally. One shall not appear for another, as here we may appear by proctor or attorney ; nor the whole party and profession for single persons, but every one is to give an account of himself apart, man by man. So Gal. vi. 4, 5, ' Let every man approve his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another, for every man shall bear his own burden.' We should every one look to his own actions, and our own spiritual estate and frame of heart : to fetch the grounds of our rejoicing from abroad will not be so comfortable and safe to us. We are to look to our own selves.
Use 1. Is to disprove the conceit of works of supererogation, or doing more than is required of us, to increase the stock of good works to be put into the treasury of the church, as if others should fare the better for their over- godly ing it.
2. To disprove the vain and foolish confidence by which men please themselves in the goodness of others about them, their relations, and societies in which they live. They have friendship with such good people, are in relation to such eminent and pious persons ; a godly wife, or husband, or father : Mat. iii. 9, ' And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father.' No ; they cannot give us of their oil. Men will catch at anything rather than a right ground of confidence.
Use 2. Is to exhort us to ' work out our salvation with fear and trembling,' Phil. ii. 12, or to be more careful of our own personal qualification, if we would be saved in the day of the Lord.
1. It is not enough that Christ engaged for us as the public surety of the church, Heb. vii. 22. He did some things for us, and in our names, that we might take a bond upon ourselves, that we may enter ourselves heirs to the benefits of his undertaking. You must give up yourselves to the Lord, 2 Cor. viii. 5. All that are brought home to God do personally covenant for themselves : Ezek. xx. 37, ' I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant,' one by one. God would not trust the Jews with their own choice, but would take the tenth that' came out of the fold by course. God will not covenant with us in the lump or mass, but man by man.
2. It is not enough that the church as a visible political body, pro-
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38G SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. [SeR. VII.
fessing faith in Christ, doth engage for ns : Ezek. xvi. 7, ' I entered into covenant with thee, and thou becamest mine.' There is a visible church covenanting which is made between God and whole societies, as they do profess submission to Christ's gospel. Alas ! in these socie- ties, there may be many persons whose souls have not particularly and personally, each one for himself, entered into covenant with God, therefore we cannot satisfy ourselves with this, but every one of us must engage himself to the Lord.
3. It is not enough that our parents did engage for us, and dedicate us to God in baptism, as they did in their own names, and in the names of their little ones, Deut. xxix. 10-12, as we devote, and dedi- cate, and engage our children to God in baptism; but this is a work and business that no man can savingly transact for another. The engaging of a soul to Christ is a thing that a man cannot do by proxy or assignee ; we must personally enter into covenant with God for our- selves, or else our parents' dedication will not profit us ; we shall be children of Ethiopians to God, though children of the covenant. Amos
4. It is not enough that we belong to strict and reformed societies, unless we come visibly to ratify the covenant in our own persons, by that which the apostle calleth 'a professed subjection to the gospel of Christ,' 2 Cor. xiii. 9. Unless there be a hearty and real subjection, as well as a public professed subjection, our company will not save us, nor our church save us. Many fall asleep in Christ's own lap that shall awake in flames. He looketh to single persons, knoweth his sheep by name, and whether they obey and follow him, yea or no. He considereth the frame of their hearts, and how they stand affected to him : ' My son, give me thy heart,' Prov. xxiii. 26. It is the heart he seeketh for : Jer. xxx. 21, ' Who is he that hath engaged his heart to approach unto me ? saith the Lord.'