[2,] This is not so to be understood as if there were no distinction be- tween men, but they were all equal in sin. No ; but as Jeremiah had two baskets of tigs, some very good and some very bad, so there are two sorts of men in the world, some good, some bad ; some that walk after the spirit, and others that walk after the flesh ; some that mind earthly things, and others that mind heavenly things. This is an everlasting distinction between man and man, that will outlive time. The dis- tinction of great and small ceaseth at death, but the distinction of good and bad lasts for ever, and issueth itself into these two places, heaven and hell. It is a misconceit for any to go away with this thought, that because Christ says there is no man good, therefore there is no distinc- tion between the state of nature and the state of grace, between the regenerate and unregenerate. There are some that are totally wicked, that make a trade to. do evil ; there are others that have a principle
424 SERMONS UPON MARK X. 17-27. [SeR. II.
of goodness infiit-^d into them ; some ' whose S2:)ot is not the spot of God's children,' Dent, xxxii. 5, and others who though they have sin remaining in them, yet it reigns not over them.
[3.] It is not so to be understood as if it were unlawful wholly to acknowledge that goodness that is in others. We have God's own example to warrant us. God, as soon as he saw that anything was good, he uttered and declared it, and said it was good : Gen. i. 4, ' God saw the light, that it was good.' He said it first of light, then of other creatures. God would be no author nor example of smothering the due praise of good actions. That man hath little goodness in himself that will not own it in others. Indeed we are forbidden to ' call good evil, and evil good,' Isa. v. 20, as the world is usually guilty of this misnomer. None are good but those that flatter them in their sins, and none are evil but those that are zealous for God. This preposterous judgment is forbidden, but it is nowhere forbidden to call good, good, and to own the graces of others ; that were enviously to defraud tlic virtuous of their due respect.
SeconcUf/, Positiveh^ How is it then true that no man is good ? Ans. Three ways — No man is of himself good, nor perfectly good, nor good comparing him with God.
[1.] No man is of himself good, but only by participation of God's goodness. As all the stars derive their light from the sun, so do we derive our poor weak ray wlierewith we shine, from the Father of lights : James i. 17, ' Every good gift, and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights." It is God that makes us to do good, and receive good, for ' he worketh all our works in us,' Isa. xxvi. 12, and liath a greater share in the good that we do than we have ourselves. All the tribute that we pay him, we have it out of his own exchequer ; for we have all and every part from God ; he giveth the will, the very first motion and inclination to any good; and he giveth the deed and the final accomplishment : Phil. ii. 13, ' It is God that worketh in you both to will and to do, of his good pleasure.' Our good works are more God's than ours ; we may say of them, as Austin of his illegitimate child. In eo nihil Jiabui iwcEter ijeccatum — Lord, I had nothing in this child but my sins. So it is true of .the fruit of our souls as well as of our bodies, nothing is ours but the defect, all the good is God's ; yea, as he sweetly saith in another place, speaking of this very case, in his comment upon the 137th psalm, Opus tuum vide in me, Domine non menm ; nam meum si videris damnas me, tuum sivideris coronas me ; nam et quecunque sunt opera mea dbs te sunt, ideo tua magis quam mea sunt — Kegard, 0 Lord, in me, not my work, but thine own ; if thou regardest my work, thou damnest me ; if thine own, thou crownest me, since whatsoever good I have, I have it from thee, and therefore it is rather thine than mine. Well, then, no mere man is good, that is, good of himself.
2. No man is good, that is, absolutely and perfectly good. The per- fection of righteousness, so as to do good without sin, is not to be found in any man, no, not in the best man upon earth. In heaven indeed they are made perfect : Heb. xii. 23, ' To the spirits of just men made per- fect. But here upon earth ' there is not a just man that doeth good, and sins not/ Eccles. vii. 20, but either at one time or other he will sin ; or
VeR. 18.] SERMONS UPON MARK X. 17-27. 425
in the same action none doeth good and sins not. Noah, Abraham, Lot, Moses, David, Peter, they had all their ncevos, their blots and Ijlemishes; nay, in all things, in their best actions there is somewhat faulty and detective. Nehemiah, where he doth appeal to God for the remembrance of his great works, he desiretli God to spare him according to the greatness of his mercy : Neh, xiii. 22, ' And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should come, and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath-day. Kemember me, 0 my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy.' And we read of Aaron's ' bearing the iniquity of the holy things,' Exod. xxviii. 38 ; and ' in many things we otiencl all,' James iii. 2. Some in all things, and all in some things, either by way of omission or commission. This is true of regenerate and unregenerate.