VeR 22.] SERMONS UPON 1 JOHN III. 207
is so obvious a truth, that it needeth not much confirmation. When God came to covenant with Abraham, Gen. xvii. 1, he saith to him, * I am God all-sufficient ; walk thou before me and be thou perfect ; ' that is, upright and sincere, as the word also signifieth, and is noted in the margin. That was the condition required of him. An absolute perfection human frailty doth not admit, and an impossible condition maketh the covenant void in the making, and so the transaction would be to no purpose. So elsewhere all the blessings of the covenant are entailed upon the upright : Ps. Ixxxiv. 11, 'For the Lord God is a sun and a shield ; the Lord will give grace and glory, and no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.' Once more, eternal hap- piness shall be their portion : Ps. cxl. 13, 'The upright shall dwell in thy presence.' Besides all the testimonies of God's love granted to the believer, he shall have everlasting fellowship with God in the world to come. David asketh the question, Ps. xv. 1, 2, 'Who shall abide ia thy tabernacle ? who shall dwell in thy holy hill ? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart ; ' that is, if I should take the boldness to interrogate thee, who art the Lord of heaven and earth, who shall be rewarded with eternal bliss hereafter ? the answer certainly will be this, He that walketh uprightly, he, and none but he, that goeth on in a course of uniform and steady obedience, that doetli all things sincerely and in the sight of God ; he it is that shall be accepted and admitted, not out of any worthiness in himself, but from God's love and promise to dwell ever- lastingly with him.
2. This walking uprightly comprehendeth true faith, and cheerful obedience to God's commandments ; that is to be righteous and up- right: 'To walk in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless,' Luke i. 6 ; for a care to avoid all known sin, and make conscience of all known duty, is certainly uprightness. It doth not imply a total exemption from sin, but an allowance of none ; they mourn for it, strive against it, and prevail so far that the contrary principle groweth, and doth mostly and generally command and influ- ence their conversations. Grace getteth the upper hand, not for a fit, but habitually ; therefore such may with comfort come to God, and have no reason to question their acceptance with him, for they are conscious to themselves of their faithfulness to God, and sincere desire to walk in his ways ; their own hearts do not reproach them, and God will not refuse them : Ps. cxix. 6, 'Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy commandments.' No cause to be afraid or ashamed to come to him ; there is enough to humble, but not to discourage them, for their hearts do acquit them of any allowance of sin or breach of God's law.
3. It is the true trial and proof of our sincere love to Christ, and therefore we may have confidence towards God, and this confidence, ' That what we ask we shall receive of him,' under the cautions and restrictions forementioned. I shall prove this argument by these con- siderations.
[1.] That true faith in Christ breedeth sincere love to God : Gal. iv. 6, ' Faith worketh by love.' The true office of faith is to persuade the soul of the astonishing wonders of God's love shown in the redemp-
208 SERMONS UPON 1 JOHN III. [SeR. XXIX.
tion by Christ: 'We have known and believed the love that God hath to us,' 1 John iv, 16. And why? Not only that we may gaze on it with amazement, but ' that we may love him again who loved us first,' ver. 19. That this love may make a due impression upon us, and melt us into all love and respect to God, who pitied us in our lost estate, and provided so full and costly a remedy for us. The gospel is an art or science to teach us to love God.
[2.] That the true proof of our love to God is our keeping his com- mandments, and doing the things which are pleasing in his sight. For God's love is a love of bount}^ ours a love of duty, a studying to please God according to his will : 1 John v. 3, ' This is love, to keep his com- mandments, and his commandments are not grievous ; ' John xiv, 21, ' He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me.' That is the love of Christ. It is a lazy love that only talketh of the great things he hath done for us, but doetli nothing for God again, or languisheth in complaints after sensible consolations. No ; do your duty ; love must be laborious, not idle, and one cannot be better employed than in doing those things which he hath given us in charge.
[3.] Obedience, as it is an evidence of our love to Christ, so it is a means of keeping up the sense and assurance of his love to us : John XV. 10, ' If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love, as I kept the Father's commandments, and abode in his love.' It is holy walking is a means that will not delude us, but give us a large share in his heart and love. God delighteth to vouchsafe the testimonies of his love and well-pleasedness with us : Jolm xiv. 15, ' Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you.' There is a double-tried friend, actively, passively. Actively, you show yourselves friends to Christ when to the uttermost of your power you set yourselves to do what he hath commanded. Passively, he will show himself a friend to you ; ye shall be dealt with as friends ; I will reckon you as friends ; all the world shall see I love you ; I will bountifully reward and gratify you : John xiv. 21, ' He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me ; and he that loveth me shall be beloved of my Father, and I will love him, and manifest myself to him;' ver. 23, ' If a man love me, he will keep my words ; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.' God delights to manifest himself to such, to own them, to bestow peculiar marks of favour upon them.