Use 2. Is information. It informeth us of two important truths ; the one concerneth the ministry, the other all christians.
1. If there be such a manifest difference between the children of God and the childrea of the devil, then ministers must carefully make the distinction, and convince the one sort and comfort the other : Jer. xv. 19, ' If thou shalt take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth ; ' that is, thou by thy teaching put a difference between the godly and the wicked, by confirming and comforting the one, and soundly convincing and reproving the other ; as if I myself had spoken it. The contrary is charged on a corrupt ministry : Ezek. xiii. 22, ' With lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad ; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked ways, by promising him life.' This is to turn the ordinances of Christ to the service of the devil, and to gratify his children ; as usually those that are indulgent to the wicked are severe against the godly, and traduce them with wrong imputations ; as the naughty steward 'did eat and drinkwith the drunken, and smite his fellow-servants,' Mat. xxiv. 49 ; uphold the wicked in their carnal life ; but the serious are sure to meet with a buffet from them, and smart for it.
2. The other concerneth all christians, and that is, to show us the lawfulness, yea, the necessity, of trying our estate, and taking comfort in our estate, from marks and signs of grace, taken from our works or conversations. Many think this is to lead them off from Christ to themselves, but vainly ; for this is the method the Holy Ghost directeth us unto.
[1.] What comfort can we take in the promises if we must not look at ihose evidences in ourselves which may prove our interest in them ?
80 SERMONS UPON 1 JOHN III. [SeR. XVI.
All privileges have their conditions annexed, and our right is suspended till the condition be performed, and our comfort till we know that it belongs to us. For instance, God hath said, John i. 12, ' To whom- soever have received him, even to as many as believed in his name, God hath given this power, that they should become the sons of God.' Now how will you know that you have this power but by knowing that you are a true believer ? and how will you know that but by marks and signs of faith ? If you say. No man can know that he is a true believer, you make the promise vain ; for what good will it do any man that adoption is promised to believers, if we cannot know whether we be believers, yea or no ? If it may be known, we must look after the qualification, which must evidence it to be our privilege. Will you apply the promise to all, or some, or none ? If to none, then it is in vain ; if to all, then you deceive the most ; for though some be of God, the whole world lieth in wickedness, and the most are the children of the devil. If to some, what is the reason of the restraint ? How will you know who they are, but by being believers, or doing righteousness, and loving our brother ?
[2.] It informeth us that if conscience be a judge and witness within us, in order to our joy and comfort, then we must judge by what we are, or what we have done, or how we have lived ; for conscience can take notice of no other things. Now it is certain that conscience hath a great hand and stroke in our comfort, assurance, and peace : Acts xxiv. 16, ' And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence towards God and towards men ; ' 2 Cor. i. 12, ' For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that, in simplicity and godly sincerity, we have had our conversation in the world ; ' 1 John iii. 20, 21, 'If our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts, and knoweth all things. If our hearts condemn us not, then have we confidence towards God.' Much dependeth on its verdict and testimony.
[3.] We shall be judged according to these things by God, and there- fore we should judge ourselves by them; for we cannot judge by a lighter way than God will judge, whether our estate be good or bad. Now this is the way of God's procedure : Kev. xx. 12, ' All of us shall be judged according to our works.'
[4.] If the Lord hath propounded this Avay as a likely course to produce solid consolation, surely man should not murmur against it, and gratify the cavils of the loose professor. But even so it is : Gal. vi. 4, 'Let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.' Many rejoice in this, that others are worse than they ; but they should try their own work and carriage by the rule, for otherwise they do but rejoice in the sins of others. No ; prove so as you may approve your own work, that is, your own state and actions.