(2.) Of obedience unto righteousness ; that is, if we be the faithful servants of God, we shall have the reward of eternal life ; not only non-condemnation, or freedom from eternal death, but the everlasting possession of glory and blessedness. There is none of us can say that God bids us serve him for nought or to his loss ; he propoundeth endless rewards and punishments to procure obedience to his laws; as he will punish the wicked with endless miseries, so he will reward the obedient with everlasting blessedness. Though we merit nothing of him, you cannot say you work for nothing; he is very ready to manifest his approbation of the obedient : Mat. xxv. 23, ' Well done, good and faithful servant ! ' It is a delightful thing to him to speak good of his servants, and that before all the world.
Use 1. We learn hence whom we should choose for our master, or to whom we should stand in the relation of servants.
1. Consider God's unquestionable title ; that will awe the soul. You are servants of God by obligation before you are servants of God by consent ; you are his by creation before you are by contract. Our self- obligation is necessary, the more to enliven the sense of our duty, and make it more explicit and active upon our hearts, and more acceptable to God. God will make the wicked see he hath a right to punish them, without asking their consent ; but he will not reward you with- out your consent, unless you willingly give up yourselves to serve him and obey him. Christ forceth not men to good against their wills, but the effect of his victorious grace is to make you willing, to bring you to yield up yourselves to obey him : Ps. ex. 3, ' Thy people shall be will- ing in the day of thy power.'
2. Consider the necessity of obedience. Our service is not abro- gated by grace, but changed : ' His servants ye are whom ye obey.' We are redeemed that we may obey : Luke i. 74, 75, ' That we, being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our lives.' We are pardoned that we may obey : Ps. cxxx. 4, ' There is forgive-
VeR. 16.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VI. 315
ness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.' We are renewed and sanctified that we may obey : 1 Peter i, 2, ' Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience.' And when once we are brought into this blessed estate, and are in covenant with Christ, to depend upon him and obey him, then all the subsequent privileges are dispensed according to our obedience. As the further supply of the Spirit : Acts v. 32, ' Whom God hath given to them that obey him ;' and eternal life, Heb. v. 9, 'And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal life to all them that obey him ;' all the effects of God's internal and external govern- ment, all the intervening communion with God that we have in the world : John xiv. 21, ' He that hath my commandments, and keep- eth them, he it is that loveth me, and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself unto him ; ' that is, he will enlighten him with the knowledge of his salvation, quicken him by the saving operations of his grace, and lift up the light of his countenance upon him, give him jjeace of conscience : Mat. xi. 29, ' Take my yoke on you, and learn of me ; for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest for your souls ;' a sanctified use of such good things as he seeth meet for them : Isa. i. 19, ' If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land.' It is his obedient servants that Christ is so tender of, and willing so to cherish, and to give to them the effects of his illuminating, quickening, comfort- ing grace, and of his fatherly providence.
3. Consider much what it is wherein you should obey him, or study to know his will : Eph. v. 17, * Be not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is ; ' Rom. xii. 2, * Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed in the renewing of your minds, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.' Doubtfulness of our duty doth exceedingly weaken ourcare of obedience; so it doth also our detestation and resistance of sin. When you are sure a thing is sin, you will be more shy of meddling with it ; and when you are sure it is a duty, temptations will less draw you from it; for it will strike you with horror in the hour of temptation : What ! shall I dis- obey God by venturing to do that which he hath forbidden, or omit- ting to do that which he bath expressly commanded ? When our duty is once made matter of controversy, you shall always find people less serious in it ; therefore it is the Lord's mercy that most of the neces- fiary things are unquestionable and out of debate, otherwise sin would be more commonly committed, and with less regret of conscience. Therefore it concerneth you to understand what is duty or what is sin, that want of light may not disable nor enfeeble your practice, and abate your zeal for such things as God hath commanded, or against 8uch things as God hath forbidden.