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Morality not to be relied on for life. Or, A brief discourse, discovering the one thing wanting, which leaves the legalist short of life eternal. Delivered in a sermon on the lecture in Boston, May, 23d. 1700. / By Samuel Willard, teacher of a church in Boston. ; [Four lines from Titus]
printed by B. Green for Benjamin Eliot, 1700
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
7. The reason of this is, because the man, notwithstanding his Morality, wants one thing to render his person and obedience acceptable to God. Out of doubt God hath the disposal of life and death in his own hands: his loving kindness is better than life, and his Wrath carries in it death and ruin to all such as must finally undergo it. Let a man take never so much pains in his Services, and be at never so much cost in the doing of them, yet, if at the last God will not accept of them at his hands, but reject both them and him, they will nothing avail him. Now it is certain, that there is that which is defective in the most operose and specious service of the Moralist, which renders it far from pleasing God, so as to crown it with a reward of happiness, & thereby renders it unserviceable to him in order to eternal life, and that we may find out what this one thing is, and not be mistaken about it, we may trace the thing it self, and be satisfied about the reason of its deficiency in this regard, in the following Assertions.
7. The reason of this is, because the man, notwithstanding his Morality, wants one thing to render his person and obedience acceptable to God. Out of doubt God hath the disposal of life and death in his own hands: his loving kindness is better than life, and his Wrath carries in it death and ruine to all such as must finally undergo it. Let a man take never so much pains in his Services, and be at never so much cost in the doing of them, yet, if at the last God will not accept of them at his hands, but reject both them and him, they will nothing avail him. Now it is certain, that there is that which is defective in the most operose and specious service of the Moralist, which renders it far from pleasing God, so as to crown it with a reward of happiness, & thereby renders it unserviceable to him in order to eternal life, and that we may find out what this one thing is, and not be mistaken about it, we may trace the thing it self, and be satisfied about the reason of its deficiency in this regard, in the following Assertions.
1. In that moral obedience to which life was engaged in the First Covenant, there was required an exact conformity to the Rule therein given to man, which none of fallen men can attain unto. There was not only a morality required of man by the precept, for so there is still, and will be as long ⟨p. 17⟩as the special Government of God continues: but a constant life of happiness was Entailed upon it by promise, in case man had complied with it: but this was in the Covenant of Works, the language whereof we are told, in Rom. 10.5. Moses describes the Righteousness which is of the law; that the man which doth these things shall live by them. But then, the Obedience on which this promise might come to be claimed, was such as entirely answered the Law in its full demands, without any the least defect; for we are told, Jam. 2.10. Whosoever shall keep the whole Law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. That Covenant did not run in such a strain, let the man do the best he can, and that shall be accepted of him, and he shall live; though it is certain that it required nothing more than man could then do, inasmuch as the Law was adequate to the powers that God put into man, and the Image of God which he then had upon him, contained in it a power commensurate with his duty: but yet, it commanded entire and perfect conformity to the will of God; and therefore it is a vain thing for sinful men to say, they do to the best of their power, and what more can be expected of them? for, if by sin they have lost that power which God once gave unto man, less then which will not do to enable him to perform entire obedience ⟨p. 18⟩to the precept, should he say true, that he doth to his utmost, it signifieth nothing, as long as that is short of the command. But it is certain that none living hath such an ability remaining in him The Apostle saith, in 1 Joh 1.8. If we say that we have no sin▪ we deceive our selves, and the truth is not in us; and the wise man makes that challenge, Prov. 20.9. Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin? Yea that is true of the best of men here, Jam. 3.2. In many things we offend all; and this leaves every man that stands related to that Covenant under a Curse, according to, Gal. 3.10. As many as are of the works of the Law, are under the Curse;
for it is written, Cursed is every one that continues not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them.
2. The Apostasy hath made man a debtor to Revenging Justice, for which his personal Obedience cannot satisfy. The Covenant of Works, under which man was at first placed, had not only in it, a promise of life made to perfect Obedience, but also a threatening of death denounced in case of Disobedience. We are therefore told, in Rom. 6.23. The wages of sin is death; it was due to man upon agreement, in case that he should transgress; and this Sanction of that Covenant was of equal force with the former, and God stands in Justice as much obliged to this as to that; accordingly the threatening ⟨p. 19⟩was delivered with the greatest asseveration, Gen 2.17. In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. So that now the case is quite altered with the man, in regard of that Covenant, from what it was at the first: for, although the Relation of all men, whiles they remain in their natural estate, which they bear unto that Covenant, abides, and they are to be tried and judged according to the tenor of it, and as they come under this or that Sanction of it: yet the promise of life, as it was made on the Hypothesis of perfect obedience, doth not abide, nor is any longer to be used as an encouragement to fallen man. Once God said, This do, and live; but he doth not say so now; for the man is come short of this, being by sin fallen under the threatening, and is utterly lost as to the promise; so that not only is it in vain for him to think to do and live, in regard of that impotency which is fallen upon him, leaving him without strength; but upon the supposal that he could now henceforward do, as perfectly as Adam could before he lost his power, yet there is no life for him by that Covenant, Gal. 3.21. If there had been a law given which could have given life; (i. e. to fallen man) verily righteousness should have been by the Law. And the reason is, because a Curse is upon him for disobedience; and all his doing can never expiate it; it is but his present quit rent, and will not
3. The acceptableness of the imperfect obedience of sinful men, is derived through a New-Covenant, to which the Moralist is a stranger. Though the First Covenant accepted of nothing but what was in all points perfect, yet the Covenant of Grace doth. It is certain that there are some whose not only persons but services too are received by God, and he smells a sweet savour in them. This is not because they have recovered a sinless perfection, or that any of their duties are without defects attending them; no; they profess the quite contrary, so did he, Phil. 3.12. Not as if I had already attained, either were already perfect; and hence is fain to deprecate a law trial, as knowing that he is not able to stand it, but it will condemn him, Psal. 143.2. Enter not into judgment with thy servant, for in thy sight shall no man living be justified. For this acceptance therefore he must be removed from the Old Covenant, which speaks nothing but terror to him, and be brought under a new one; which is therefore called, the bringing in of a better hope, Heb. 7.19. This Covenant hath declared a way which God hath found out to cover the imperfections, and accept of the sincerity of such as are ⟨p. 21⟩in it, consistent with the Justice of God, and for the manifestation of his Grace. Now the moral man, as such, hath no claim to the spiritual and saving privileges of this Covenant, nor doth he desire it, counting that he can do well enough without it; however he may, by an external relation, have a claim to Gospel privileges in the outward dispensation of them; yet he is really under the Law, and therefore must stand or fall according to the sentence of it.
3. The acceptableness of the imperfect obedience of sinful men, is derived through a New-Covenant, to which the Moralist is a stranger. Though the First Covenant accepted of nothing but what was in all points perfect, yet the Covenant of Grace doth. It is certain that there are some whose not only persons but services too are received by God, and he smells a sweet savour in them. This is not because they have recovered a sinless perfection, or that any of their duties are without defects attending them; no; they profess the quite contrary, so did he,
4 In this Covenant there is a new principle requisite, from which all acceptable Obedience must flow, viz. Faith. We are told, in Heb. 11.6. That without faith it is impossible to please God. And hence, all the truly commendable and acceptable services, are said to be done by Faith. For this therefore it is necessary that not only there be a principle of saving saith in the man, else he can do nothing believingly, but there must be the exerting of it in every act of New obedience, if ever God will receive it. A man may pray as formally, and use as suitable and pathetical expressions in it as can be, but if he do not pray in faith, all is lost, and his prayers are but howlings: hence that direction and caution, Jam. 1.5, 6, 7. Let him ask of God; but let him ask in faith, nothing wavering; for let not such a man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord; and Mat. 21.22. All things whatsoever ye shall ⟨p. 22⟩ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. A person may hear the word with great attention, and receive it with much affection, the stony ground hearers, received it with joy, Mat. 13.20. But it will not profit him, unless he receive it mixed with faith, Heb 4.2. And the like may be said of all other duties.
4 In this Covenant there is a new principle requisite, from which all acceptable Obedience must flow, viz. Faith. We are told, in Heb. 11.6. That without faith it is impossible to please God. And hence, all the truly commendable and accptable services, are said to be done by Faith. For this therefore it is necessary that not only there be a principle of saving saith in the man, else he can do nothing believingly, but there must be the exerting of it in every act of New obedience, if ever God will receive it. A man may pray as formally, and use as suitable and pathetical expressions in it as can be, but if he do not pray in faith, all is lost, and his prayers are but howlings: hence that direction and caution,
5. This faith hath Christ for its object, on whom it entirely relies for Salvation. As we are saved by grace, so it is through faith, Eph. 2.8. And without this faith there is no Salvation to be obtained by us, for he that believeth not shall be damned, Mark 16.16. Which faith is not a bare credit of the truths recorded in the Word of God, & those Theological Doctrines that are revealed therein, though this also be necessary unto it; but it centres upon Christ as the object that is therein revealed, and offered in the promise, on whom it placeth its whole dependence for life and salvation; and is therefore called a believing in him, and to the so believing, eternal life is secured, Joh. 3.16. Whosoever believeth in him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life; which dependence must be limited to him, and not be divided with any other, because our salvation is from him alone, Acts 4.12. Neither is there salvation in any other.
5. This faith hath Christ for its object, on whom it entirely relies for Salvation. As we are saved by grace, so it is through faith, Eph. 2.8. And without this faith there is no Salvation to be obtained by us, for he that believeth not shall be damned, Mark 16.16. Which faith is not a bare credit of the truths recorded in the Word of God, & those Theological Doctrines that are revealed therein, though this also be necessary unto it; but it centers upon Christ as the object that is therein revealed, and offered in the promise, on whom it placeth its whole dependance for life and salvation; and is therefore called a believing in him, and to the so believing, eternal life is secured, Joh. 3.16. Whosoever believeth in him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life; which dependance must be limited to him, and not be divided with any other, because our salvation is from him alone,
6. The influence of this faith into our moral Obedience, to render it acceptable unto God, and serviceable to our salvation: is mainly in these three respects.
1. It makes us sensible of our own self-insufficiency, & drives us to Christ alone, for his strength to enable us. The Moralist doth all his duties in his own strength, nor is he concerned to seek any out of himself: but the true believer doth his in the strength of Christ, he saith as Paul, Phil. 4.13. I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me. By the eye of faith he sees that as he hath no sufficiency of his own for any thing, so that he must have it all from him, 2 Cor. 3.5. Not that we are sufficient of our selves, to think any thing as of our selves, but our sufficiency is of God. He therefore dares not to set about any thing, without looking up to him for his aid: all his undertakings are with such a reference, Psal. 119.32. I will run the way of thy Commandments, when thou shalt have enlarged my heart, Cant. 1.4 Draw me, we will run after thee. If he resolves upon any thing, it is with a reliance here, Psal· 71.16. I will go in the strength of the Lord God. And if he doth any thing well, he pays the acknowledgement of it hither, 1 Cor. 15.10. Not I, but the Grace of God which was with me.
1. It makes us sensible of our own self-insufficiency, & drives us to Christ alone, for his strength to enable us. The Moralist doth all his duties in his own strength, nor is he concerned to seek any out of himself: but the true believer doth his in the strength of Christ, he saith as Paul, Phil. 4.13. I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me. By the eye of faith he sees that as he hath no sufficiency of his own for any thing, so that he must have it all from him, 2 Cor. 3.5. Not that we are sufficient of our selves, to think any thing as of our selves, but our sufficiency is of God. He therefore dares not to set about any thing, without looking up to him for his aid: all his undertakings are with such a reference,
2. It convinceth us of the imperfection of our best duties, so as to remove our dependence on them, and make us to seek a pardon of their short coming, through' the blood of Christ. Faith makes us apprehensive that we can be accepted only in the beloved Eph. 1.6. It makes us to confess with the Church, ⟨p. 24⟩Isa. 64.6. All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and profess with Paul, Phil. 3.8. I count all things but loss, and dung that I may win Christ. It lets us see, that if we rely upon them for their own worth, we are undone: that there is enough to be alleged against them, and that therefore there is a pardon to be sought in order to acceptance, according to, Psal. 130.3, 4. If thou, Lord, shouldst mark iniquities, who should stand? but there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayst be feared. We therefore carry them to Christ, that they may be offered up with his sweet Incense, that so the dung of them may not procure them to be rejected.
2. It convinceth us of the imperfection of our best duties, so as to remove our dependance on them, and make us to seek a pardon of their short coming, thro' the blood of Christ. Faith makes us apprehensive that we can be accepted only in the beloved Eph. 1.6. It makes us to confess with the Church, ⟨p. 24⟩Isa. 64.6. All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and profess with Paul, Phil. 3.8. I count all things but loss, and dung that I may win Christ. It lets us see, that if we rely upon them for their own worth, we are undone: that there is enough to be alledged against them, and that therefore there is a pardon to be sought in order to acceptance, according to,
3. It makes us to resolve our whole hope into the Righteousness of Christ, and a dependence on the free Grace of God. It makes us to do nothing at all with any opinion of meriting by it: we will do nothing, so as to expect that for the sake of our doing, we shall obtain any thing from God. Our Obedience is not put in the room of a Propitiatory Sacrifice, but only is presented as a Thank-Offering to God, in testimony of the infinite obligation laid upon us by his giving of his Son for us; we renounce all our own Righteousness in the bottom, that so we may be built upon that of Christ; as he, Phil. 3.9. Be found in him, not having mine own righteousness which is of the Law, but that which is through' the faith of Christ. We acknowledge that these ⟨p. 25⟩Services are so far from deserving a reward, that it is only free grace that receives them of us; and that it is for Christ's sake that we are so received.
3. It makes us to resolve our whole hope into the Righteousness of Christ, and a dependance on the free Grace of God. It makes us to do nothing at all with any opinion of meriting by it: we will do nothing, so as to expect that for the sake of our doing, we shall obtain any thing from God. Our Obedience is not put in the room of a Propitiatory Sacrifice, but only is presented as a Thank-Offering to God, in testimony of the infinite obligation laid upon us by his giving of his Son for us; we renounce all our own Righteousness in the bottom, that so we may be built upon that of Christ; as he, Phil. 3.9. Be found in him, not having mine own righteousness which is of the Law, but that which is thro' the faith of Christ. We acknowledge that these ⟨p. 25⟩Services are so far from deserving a reward, that it is only free grace that receives them of us; and that it is for Christ's sake that we are so received.
7. The legal Moralist is not only a stranger to, but an enemy of this faith. He acknowledgeth neither faith, but one that is Historical, and is contained in an Assent given to the Articles of Religion; as to the faith of recumbency on Christ, he looks upon it as a ridiculous thing, and entertains the Doctrine of it with scorn. He hath a Righteousness of his own, which he sets up in contradiction to the Righteousness of faith, that is revealed in the Gospel; and because these two are inconsistent, and the one of them will necessarily drive out the other; the pride of his heart maintains his own, and that will not suffer him to submit to the other. This was the folly and misery of those Jews, Rom. 10.•. They being ignorant of Gods Righteousness, and going about to establish their own Righteousness, have not submitted themselves to the Righteousness of God. And hence there is nothing more disgustful to such an one than the plain asserting of the Doctrine of such a faith, as carries the man entirely out of himself, and makes him to place his whole hope on the Righteousness of Christ for pardon and acceptance; and to rely altogether upon him for all the strength and assistance, whereby he may live and please God.
7. The legal Moralist is not only a stranger to, but an enemy of this faith. He acknowledgeth nother faith, but one that is Historical, and is contained in an Assent given to the Articles of Religion; as to the faith of recumbency on Christ, he looks upon it as a ridiculous thing, and entertains the Doctrine of it with scorn. He hath a Righteousness of his own, which he sets up in contradiction to the Righteousness of faith, that is revealed in the Gospel; and because these two are inconsistent, and the one of them will necessarily drive out the other; the pride of his heart maintains his own, and that will not suffer him to submit to the other. This was the folly and misery of those Jews, Rom. 10.•. They being ignorant of Gods Righteousness, and going about to establish their own Righteousness, have not submitted themselves to the Righteousness of God. And hence there is nothing more disgustful to such an one than the plain asserting of the Doctrine of such a faith, as carries the man entirely out of himself, and makes him to place his whole hope on the Righteousness of Christ for pardon and acceptance; and to rely altogether upon him for all the strength and assistance, whereby he may live and please God.
8. Hence it is for the want of this faith that his Morality must needs fail him, and leave him under condemnation in the great day. The absence of this spoils all the rest. Here then we have found out what is the one thing that is lacking, & in the lack of that, every thing else is deficient, and all his labour is lost. And the reason of all this is, because Christ is the Mediator of the New Covenant, who hath alone made the atonement, and opened the way to life by his obedience, so that Justice and Mercy may meet together in the Salvation of Sinners; which, according to the tenor of the New-Covenant, can derive to none but by Faith in him, whose perfect righteousness hath made way for the acceptance of the imperfect but sincere Services of true believers.
8. Hence it is for the want of this faith that his Morality must needs fail him, and leave him vnder condemnation in the great day. The absence of this spoils all the rest. Here then we have found out what is the one thing that is lacking, & in the lack of that, every thing else is deficient, and all his labour is lost. And the reason of all this is, because Christ is the Mediator of the New Covenant, who hath alone made the atonement, and opened the way to life by his obedience, so that Justice and Mercy may meet together in the Salvation of Sinners; which, according to the tenour of the New-Covenant, can derive to none but by Faith in him, whose perfect righteousness hath made way for the acceptance of the imperfect but sincere Services of true believers.
Hence what caution had Gospel Ministers need to use in their preaching up of moral duties? That it is their duty to preach them, and press them upon their hearers, is certain; otherwise they cannot be faithful in declaring the whole Counsel of God: and yet if they so preach them as to revive the Covenant of Works, to advance the Righteousness of man, and depreciate the Righteousness of Christ, they are far from being the Ministers of Christ, and are indeed the very betrayers of Souls to destruction, as far as in them lieth. Nor indeed do I know of ⟨p. 27⟩any thing which doth more threaten the undermining of true Christianity, and the bringing in of another Gospel, than the putting of Moral Virtues into a legal dress, and without any more ado, to commend them to us as the Graces of our Christian Religion. He who when he hath told men all the moral duties required in the Law of God, and laid them out according to the nature of them, as they were enjoined on them in the First Covenant, saith to them, this do and live, and doth not endeavour to show them that there is something more wanting, without which they are undone, will be found an enemy of Grace, and a murderer of Souls: nor would I have such a Ministers account to give in the last day for a thousand worlds.
Hence what caution had Gospel Ministers need to use in their preaching up of moral duties? That it is their duty to preach them, and press them upon their hearers, is certain; otherwise they cannot be faithful in declaring the whole Counsel of God: and yet if they so preach them as to revive the Covenant of Works, to advance the Righteousness of man, and depreciate the Righteousness of Christ, they are far from being the Ministers of Christ, and are indeed the very betrayers of Souls to destruction, as far as in them lieth. Nor indeed do I know of ⟨p. 27⟩any thing which doth more threaten the undermining of true Christianity, and the bringing in of another Gospel, than the putting of Moral Vertues into a legal dress, and without any more ado, to commend them to us as the Graces of our Christian Religion. He who when he hath told men all the moral duties required in the Law of God, and laid them out according to the nature of them, as they were enjoyned on them in the First Covenant, saith to them, this do and live, and doth not endeavour to shew them that there is something more wanting, without which they are undone, will be found an enemy of Grace, and a murderer of Souls: nor would I have such a Ministers account to give in the last day for a thousand worlds.
2. The Apostasy hath made man a debtor to Revenging Justice, for which his personal Obedience cannot satisfy. The Covenant of Works, under which man was at first placed, had not only in it, a promise of life made to perfect Obedience, but also a threatning of death denounced in case of Disobedience. We are therefore told, in Rom. 6.23. The wages of sin is death; it was due to man upon agreement, in case that he should transgress; and this Sanction of that Covenant was of equal force with the former, and God stands in Justice as much obliged to this as to that; accordingly the threatning ⟨p. 19⟩was delivered with the greatest asseveration, Gen 2.17. In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dy. So that now the case is quite altered with the man, in regard of that Covenant, from what it was at the first: for, although the Relation of all men, whiles they remain in their natural estate, which they bear unto that Covenant, abides, and they are to be tried and judged according to the tenour of it, and as they come under this or that Sanction of it: yet the promise of life, as it was made on the Hypothesis of perfect obedience, doth not abide, nor is any longer to be used as an encouragement to fallen man. Once God said, This do, and live; but he doth not say so now; for the man is come short of this, being by sin fallen under the threatning, and is utterly lost as to the promise; so that not only is it in vain for him to think to do and live, in regard of that impotency which is fallen upon him, leaving him without strength; but upon the supposal that he could now henceforward do, as perfectly as Adam could before he lost his power, yet there is no life for him by that Covenant, Gal. 3.21. If there had been a law given which could have given life; (i. e. to fallen man) verily righteousness should have been by the Law. And the reason is, because a Curse is upon him for disobedince; and all his doing can never expiate it; it is but his present quit rent, and will not ⟨p. 20⟩make up former arrears; hence that advice, Luk. 17.10. When ye have done all those things that are commanded you, say, we are unprofitable Servants; we have done that which was our duty to do.
