SERMON UPON MATTHEW XXII. 14. 359
are to consider their ways : Ps. cxix. 59, ' I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies ; ' Lam. iii. 40, ' Let us search and try our ways, and turn unto the Lord ; ' that is, say, What am I ? what have I been doing all this time ? what shall become of me to all eternity ? Now if men will not ask themselves, What have I done ? how can they fret and murmur against the Lord, when they are plainly careless creatures, and will not mind the great business of man- kind.
4. Besides outward means, there is much common grace to help them nearer to the state of salvation ; for we are told there are some that are ' not far from the kingdom of God,' Mark xii. 34 ; that have a good degree of the knowledge of religion, and some kind of liking and affection towards it ; that, besides the outward means, have much com- mon grace given them to do much better than they do. To most that live within the hearing of the gospel, there are vouchsafed the strivings of the Spirit, as appeareth by these texts : Gen. vi. 3, ' My Spirit shall not always strive with man ; ' Acts vii. 51, ' Ye do always resist the Holy Ghost ; as your fathers did, so do ye.' They have this common grace to prepare them for further good ; but this gracious benefit they turn to their own destruction, for often it doth but kindle their rage, while they are convinced of a way which they have no mind to. Others have a further degree of common grace ; they are not cut at heart, as Stephen's hearers, but pricked at heart, Acts ii. 37 ; they have know- ledge of God's will, the sense of sin, fear of punishment, thoughts of deliverance, some hope of pardon. Now, did you improve the grace of this help and common work as far as you can, it were another mat- ter ; when men do not that which common grace enableth them to do, nor take the advantage when the waters are stirred, and therefore their condemnation is the more just, it is long of themselves.
5. Their pleas against God are altogether vain. Solomon telleth us Prov. xix. 3, ' The foolishness of man perverteth his way, and his heart fretteth against the Lord.' Man draweth on his own destruction, and then murmureth as if the fault and blame were in God ; therefore the plea and false conceit by which man impeacheth God may be reduced to these two heads — (1.) Want of power ; (2.) Hope of success or acceptance.
[1.] They cannot plead want of power ; for man as man hath great advantages, much more as assisted by common grace. For —
(1.) Man as man hath reason to understand much of good and evil : Kom. ii. 14, ' For when the gentiles, who have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not a law, are a law to themselves.' And one that liketh not to leave his lusts for Christ may know so much of the wisdom and happiness of those that consent to do it, as to wish that he had a better heart, that he might not be damned : Rom. ii. 18, ' And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are excellent ; being instructed out of the law ; ' Num. xxiii. 10, ' Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his.'
(2.) Man hath a conscience to accuse or excuse : Eom. ii. 15, ' Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else
360 SERMON UPON MATTHEW XXII. 14.
excusing one another.' Conscience is applicative reason, and so such a one is self-condemned.
(3.) Man hath self-love, and a desire of felicity, and an unwillingness of misery, and a fear of wrath : Eom. i. 32, ' Who knowing the judg- ment of God, that they who commit such things are worthy of death ; ' Ps. iv. 6, ' Who will show us any good ? ' Man hath misery and neces- sity to move him: God worketh on it: Ezek. xxxiii. 11, 'As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live : turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways, for why will ye die, 0 house of Israel ? ' So the apostle worketh on a common principle : 1 Peter iii. 10, ' For he that will love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile.' Now, if you will not act as a creature in misery, or a creature that desireth happiness, you do that which is unmanly.
(4.) Death is at hand, which will convince us of our foolish choice, the feet of our judge are even at the door. Therefore, though the un- believer may secure his conscience while he liveth, yet when he hath had all the pleasure that sin can afford, he must lie down in the dust, and then what becometh of his carnal happiness ?