Secondly, There are the requisites to a good work ; there is the state of the person, and the uprightness of our principle, and the end and rule of our action.s.
1. The state of the person ; the person must be in Christ. Do we gather grapes off thorns and figs off thistles ? We expect good fruit from a good tree. The person must first be in Christ, as the apostle saith : Titus iii. 8, ' These things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works.' When the foundation of faith is first laid, and that is the root, then good works flow kindly, as the fruit that grows upon this tree. So in the text, first ' a peculiar people,' and then ' zealous of good works ; ' the leper under the law, till he was cleansed, all that he touched and all he went about was unclean ; so till you are purified and cleansed by the work of grace passing upon your hearts, all that you do is abominable and filthy in God's eye. A natural man cannot be acceptable to t^od, nor perform an act of pure obedience, for he is an enemy : and therefore his gifts are giftless gifts, exdpwv hwpa d^copa. This method the apostle lays down : Eph. ii. 10, ' For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works.' First his workmanship created in Christ ; there is the fitness and pre2iaration for good works. Works materially good may be done by God's enemies out of the strength of an unrenewed will, for carnal ends, without any respect and love to God ; therefore first we must be reconciled to God; fi.rst we stir up men to love God, and then serve him. Will you have the gi-aft or scion bear fruit till it be set in the stock ? So can we bear fruit to God until we are planted in Christ ? All the issue that is born before marriage is illegitimate : the acts are but bastard acts, and our graces are but bastard graces, till we are contracted to Christ.
2. The principles of operation must be right for the constitution of good works. These principles are faith, love, and obedience. Faith receives help from Christ, love inclines the heart, and obedience sways the conscience. In every good work these are the true gospel prin- ciples. Obedience sways the conscience by virtue of God's law. love" inclines the heart out of gratitude and thankfulness to God, and faith expects help and supply from Christ. In short, every good-worlv is an action commanded by the law, but arising from faith in the gospel ; it is done out of conscience and because of God's command, but yet will- ingly, because God is so good in Christ, and faith gives both help and encouragement. Without faith whatever is done is but sin ; without obedience, it is but customary ; and without love, it is but legal, and no evangelical work.
3.. As the principle and operation, so the end must be right, to glorify God in whatever we do ; not to gratify interest, that is carnal ; not barely to promote the welfare of nature, that is but an act of natui'al
^EE. 14.] SERMONS UPON TITUS H. 11-14. , 279
self-love, aiming at his own preservation ; not to pacify God, that is legal, and so a renouncing of the merit of Christ. So that every act of duty must he made a hranch of gospel obedience arising from gratitude, that God may be glorified.
4. Those are good works which are commanded by God and con- formable to the rule laid down in scripture. As sin is dvofMia, a transgression of the law of God, so a good work is a conformity to the law of God. That is a good work which is agreeable to that rule that is the proper measure of good and. evil : Ps. cxix. 6, ' Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy commandments.' A strictness beyond the word, or besides the word, is a bastard and an apocryphal holiness, and but counterfeit coin, which is not current in the kingdom of grace.
II. What is it to be zealous of good works ?
1. We should be forward and. cheerful in well-doing. Zeal is fer- veniior amor is grachcs, a higher degree of love ; the more love, the more forward in acting. Certainly zeal will readily set us a-work to do all we do willingly, freely, and cheerfully, as the apostle intimates, 2 Cor. ix. 2, ' For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago ; and your zeal hath provoked very many.' It is not zeal to stand bucking and disputing every inch with the Spirit of God. You are not only called to the bare practice of good works, but you must be first and most for- ward, and leaders of others ; watch opportunities to do good, and take hold of them when they are offered. We should be glad of an oppor- tunity offered, wherein to discover our affection to God and our hatred to sin. This is zeal to be willing and forward.