VeR. 6.] SERMONS UPON EPHESIANS V. 225
5. Others say they are justified, and depend on the righteousness of Christ. You may, if you liave a right to it ; but, 1 John iii. 7, ' He that doeth righteousness is rigliteous.' Wliere Christ is made right- eousness, he is also made sanctification : 1 Cor. i. 30, * But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and right- eousness, and sanctification, and redemption.' You have very great cause to doubt of your justification when you constantly live in sin. There are some sins which are not consistent with sincerity and an interest in Christ's righteousness ; otherwise there were no distinction between the godly and the ungodly : but the scripture tells us the distinction is clear and manifest : 1 John iii. 10, ' In this the chil- dren of God are manifest, and the children of the devil : whosoever doeth not righteousness, is not of God.' It is strange and groundless arguing, I am justified, therefore my sins of oppression, drunkenness, fornication, &c., shall do me no harm ; but it is sound arguing, I live in ordinary wilful heinous sins, therefore I am not justified or sincere, nor can I by the laws of Christianity look upon myself such, the scrip- ture witnesses, as shall obtain acceptance with God.
6. That if they be in an unjustified estate for the present, they hope they shall repent at last, and then they will leave off their sins, and cry God mercy. But you live in fiat disobedience to God for the present : Heb. iii. 7, ' The Holy Ghost saith. To-day, if ye will hear his voice, liarden not your hearts.' And besides, you only presume of future grace out of self-love, but can be content that God be dishonoured longer, provided that at length you may be saved. And besides, you leave a necessary indispensable duty to great uncertainties. God may take you away in the next act of sin, as he took away Zimri and Cosbi, and Korah and his accomplices, and so leave you no space to call for mercy ; or you may be smitten with an apoplexy, lethargy, or some stupid disease, that shall take away all opportunity of making your peace with God. If we were sure of repentance, it is great folly to play the mountebank with our own souls, and give ourselves a deadly wound to try the strength of a plaster or sovereign unguent ; or drink poison, and contract a sur- feit, in expectation to remove the distemper by a vomit. The presum- ing delayers are usually given up to hardness of heart, so as that they never repent: Gen. vi. 3, 'My Spirit shall not always strive with man.' Therefore to defer the forsaking of wilful sins and known enormities is to run a desperate hazard in the most momentous case. The grieved Spirit may at length be tired and wearied out, and you may grow more sottish and blockish every day. Therefore these are but vain words.
7. That they do make amends for a course of sin in one kind by abounding in other duties ; as some that live in uncleanness will be charitable, hoping to expiate the offences of a filthy life by charity, and so make alms a sin-offering, which should be a thank-olfering : Heb. xiii.16, ' But to do good and to communicate forget not ; for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.' So some will be just, and do no wrong, yet cannot deny their intemperance : Ezek. xxxiii. 13, 'If he trust in ins own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousness shall not be remembered ; ' that is, upon that account, or presumption of his other righteousness and good qualities. The apostle taxeth this want of entire and uniform obedience: Kom. ii. 22, 'Thou that abhorrest
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idols, (lost thou commit sacrilege ? ' The Jews' form was abhorrinf]^ idols ; but they were entangled in a crime as enormous, and robbed God of his offerings. Most men's goodness is but to hide their secret indul- gence to some other lewd practice or sinful course wherein they live. I say, to hide it, not only from the world, but their own hearts, as if our delinquency in some things might be excused by a supererogation in other duties ; as the Jews hoped to repair their want of mercy by a multitude of sacrifices ; as the stomach, when it hath no solid food, filleth itself with wind. But God will be obeyed in all things : ' God spake all these words,' Exod. xx. 1. The same authority tliat forbids stealing forbids adultery ; therefore we must be complete in all the will of God. These are some of the sorry fig-leaves by which men hope to cover their nakedness, those sandy foundations upon which they build their hopes.
II. The reasons how it cometh to pass that such gross self-flattery can possess their minds. Though it be as plain as noon -day that they that live in gross sins shall be damned, yet the most profane have good thoughts of their condition. -
1. The causes lie in themselves ; as —
[1.] Self-love, which is very partial, and loath to think of the evil of our condition : Prov. xvi. 2, ' All the ways of man are clean in his own eyes ; but the Lord weigheth the spirits.' Alas ! few bring their actions to the balance of the sanctuary, and desire to know the worst by them- selves.