[2.] It must be constantly exercised. A man may force himself into an act or two ; Saul in a fit may be among the prophets. A man is judged of by his course and walk. A child of God may be under a strange appearance for one act or two ; you can no more judge of them by those acts than you can of a bunch of grapes by two or three rotten ones, or of the glory of a street by the sink or kennels. So, on the other side, men may take on religion at set times, as men in an ague have their well days ; the fit of lust and sin is not always upon them. A man is judged perpetuafacioi-um serie, but God's works are best seen together. Gen. i. 31. Surely that breedeth peace of conscience and assur- ance of salvation : Ps. cvi. 3, ' Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousuess at all times.' When a man's conver- sation is all of a piece, his course is to please God at all times, not by fits and starts, and in good moods only. This is the mark of the con- text, ' Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin ; but his seed remaineth in him ; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.' An act of sin is as monstrous in him as for a hen to produce the egg of a crow. In an unsound heart there are very uneven and transient motions ; their lives speak contradictions. Saul at one time puts all the witches to death, at another time he himself hath recourse to one, namely, the witch of Endor. Jehu was zealous against Ahab's idolatry, against Baal, but not against Jereboam's idolatry, the calves in Dan and Bethel,
VeR. 19.] SERMONS UPON 1 JOHN III. 161
[3.] Self-deny ingly acted. Good words are not dear, 'Be warmed, be clothed,' The apostle speaketh of laying down our life for the brethren, of opening our hands and bowels for refreshing the hungry and clothing the naked. So proportionably when we take pains to instruct the ignorant, exhort the obstinate, confirm the weak, comfort the afflicted. Love of the brethren is the mark in hand, and produced liere as the fruit of a sincere faith ; for this showeth a hearty receiving of God's love, when it hath made some impression upon us, when we love the brethren sincerely and heartily, and can deny ourselves for God, Do 3'ou think that religion lieth only in hearing a few sermons, in a few drowsy prayers, in singing psalms, or reading a chapter, or some cursory devotions ? These are the means, but where is the fruit ? No; it lieth in self-denying obedience. These are the acts about which we shall be questioned at the day of judgment, Mat. xxv. Have you visited ? have you clothed ? do you own the servants of God when the times fjown upon them ? do you relieve them and comfort them in their distresses? 'Hereby we know we are of the truth,' Lip- labour and tongue-service is a cheap thing ; and that religion is worth nothing which costs nothing: 2 Sam. xxiv, 24, 'And the king said unto Araunah, Nay, but I will surely buy it of thee at a price ; neither ■will I offer burnt-offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing.' When we deny ourselves, and apparently value God's interest above our own, then our sincerity is most evidenced. And every one of us is to consider what interest God calleth him to deny upon the hopes of gloiy, and whatever it costeth us to be faithful to God, A cheap course of serving God bringeth you none or little comfort. And certainly a man cannot be thorough in religion, but he will be put upon many occasions of denying his ease, profit, honour, and acting contrary to his natural inclination or worldly interests. Those that only regard the safe, cheap, and easy part, do not set up Christ's religion, but their own: Mat, xvi. 24, 'Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me.' Without this it is but a Christianity of our own making.
1. That graces thus really, constantly, and self-denyingly exercised leave their notice and impression upon the conscience. The context speaketh of the value of the testimony of conscience. Certainly a man .should or may know the acts of grace which he putteth forth. It is hard to think that a soul should be a stranger to its own operations: 1 Cor. ii. 11, 'There is a spirit in man that knoweth the things of a man;' a privy spy in our bosoms, which is conscious to all that we do, and can reflect upon it, and judge whether it be good or evil ; it knoweth what we understand, or will, or purpose, or resolve, or do, much more when we do thus unifoimly and self-denyingly act for God ; and that ujjon a fourfold reason —
[1.] Because the acts of grace are the more serious and important actions of our lives. Many acts may escape us for want of advertency, they not being of such moment ; but when a man is to settle his eter- nal interest upon a sure bottom and foundation, and to establish his soul in the comfort and hope of the gospel, he would go advisedly to work, and considerupon what grounds and in what manner this work is carried