02.01a. A Cabinet of Choice Jewels, cont'd

A new heart and a new spirit

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will place My Spirit within you and cause you to follow My statutes and carefully observe My ordinances." Eze 36:26-27

A true child of God has the law of God written, not only in his understanding—but also in his heart and affections. And this is that which makes his obedience to be pleasing and delightful to him.

If he might be free from the injunctions and directions of the word—he would not value such a liberty. He would not swear, nor lie, nor be drunk, nor whore, nor dissemble, nor cheat, nor run into all excess of riot if he could—because in his soul he has a principle of grace, and an inward contrariety and antipathy against evil. He would not cease to hear, to read, to pray, to meditate if he could—because his soul takes a pleasure and sweet delight in these things.

There is a principle within him agreeable to the precepts of Scripture, which makes all pious performances to be easy and pleasurable to him.

Look! as the eye delights in seeing, and the ear in hearing, so a gracious heart (except when it is under a cloud of desertion, or in the school of temptation, or under some grievous tormenting afflictions, or sadly worsted by some prevalent corruption) delights in obedience.

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One continued web of wickedness

"No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God." 1Jn 3:9

That is, they do not allow themselves in the practice of any iniquity. Gracious souls do not live in the service of sin, they do not live in an ordinary practice of any iniquity. He who has the seed of God, the seed of grace and regeneration in him—he cannot allow himself in a way of sin, he cannot give himself over to a voluntary serving of sin, he cannot make a trade of sin.

But now the whole trade, the whole life of formal and carnal professors, is nothing else but one continued web of wickedness; there is no wicked unregenerate person in the world—but lives in the daily practice of some known sin or other—but allows himself in some trade or way of wickedness or other.

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Sin and they would never part

Carnal men, in times of sickness and distress, or in times of horror and terror of conscience, or when death, the king of terrors, knocks at their doors, or when they see hell gaping to devour them, and God as a solemn judge standing ready to pass an eternal doom upon them—only then they are willing to cast overboard their pleasures, their drunkenness, their swearing, their cursing, their lying, their flesh-pleasing, etc. But not out of any hatred to their lusts—but out of love to themselves, and out of fear of being damned, etc.; for could they but enjoy their sins and heaven too—sin and they would never part.

A graceless heart is more abundantly willing to be freed from punishment—the effect of sin; than it is willing to be freed from sin—the cause of punishment.

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What sin is so sweet or profitable, that is worth burning in hell for—or worth being shut out of heaven for?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Whom God loves once

"I have loved you with an everlasting love!" Jer 31:3

O sirs! the covenant of grace is founded upon God’s everlasting love, upon God’s unchangeable love, upon God’s free love. John 13:1, "Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end." Whom God loves once—He loves forever. God can as well cease to be—as He can cease to love those whom He has taken into covenant with Himself.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ No man can subdue his sins—but by the power of the Holy Spirit!

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Spiritual vomit

"He who covers his sins shall not prosper; but whoever confesses and forsakes them shall have mercy." Pro 28:13

True penitential confession is joined with reformation. That confession of sin which carries forgiveness of sin with it, is attended with serious desires, and earnest endeavors of reformation. Confession of sin must be joined with forsaking of sin—or all is lost. God will never cross the book, He will never draw the red lines of Christ’s blood over the black lines of our transgressions—unless confessing and forsaking of sin, goes hand in hand. He who does not forsake his sin, as well as confess it, forsakes the benefit of his confession.

Indeed, there is no real confession of sin, where there is no real forsaking of sin. It is not enough for us to confess the sins we have committed—but we must peremptorily resolve against the committing again the sins we have confessed. We must desire as freely to forego our sins, as we do desire God to forgive us our sins.

Confession of sin is a spiritual vomit. Now you know, a man who is sick in his stomach, is heartily willing to be rid of that load on his stomach; and so a man who is real in his confession of sin, is as heartily willing to be rid of his sin, that lies as a load upon his conscience, as any sick man can be heartily willing to be rid of that load that lies upon his stomach.

The penitential confessor does as heartily desire to be delivered from the power of his sins—as he does desire to be delivered from the sting and punishment of his sins.

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Saving repentance

Saving repentance includes contrition or grief of heart for sins committed. Now this is sometimes called—godly sorrow, 2Co 7:10; a contrite spirit, Isa 66:2; a broken and contrite heart, Psa 51:17; the afflicting of our souls, Lev 16:29; the humbling of the heart, 2Ch 7:14, Lam 3:20; a mourning, Zec 12:10; a weeping, Mark 14:72.

All repenting sinners are mourning sinners. David repents—and waters his couch with his tears. Hezekiah repents—and humbles himself for the pride of his heart. Ephraim repents—and Ephraim bemoans himself. Mary Magdalene repents—and weeps, and washes Christ’s feet with her tears. The Corinthians repented—and were made sorrowful after a godly manner.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ A hound, a hawk, a horse, a harlot

Every man on earth whose heart is void and empty of grace—sets a higher value and price upon his lusts, or upon his relations, or upon his honors, or riches, or pleasures, or upon this or that worldly enjoyment—than he does upon grace. Yes, how many thousands are there who set a higher price or value upon a hound, a hawk, a horse, a harlot, a good trade, a fair estate, a rich inheritance; yes, upon the very toys and trifles of this world—than they do upon God, or Christ, or grace!

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They are not quite slain

Though pride and envy have received their death’s wound at the soul’s first conversion—yet they are not quite slain in a believer. The best of men are but men at the best, and there are still those bitter roots of pride, vain-glory, self-love, envy, etc., remaining in the godliest believer.

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Beautiful abominations

Let a man’s profession be ever so glorious, let him be ever so abundant in the performance of duties, let his desires after this and that holy thing be ever so strong —yet if his ends and aims are wrong, all his pretensions and performances are but beautiful abominations.

Did David pray three times a day? So did the pharisees. Did David and Daniel fast? So did the pharisees—and that twice in the week. Did Cornelius give alms? So did the pharisees. Did Abraham pay tithes? So did the pharisees; they tithed their very mint and rue. But their ends and aims being wrong—their time was lost, and their pains were lost, and their duties were lost, and their alms were lost, and their souls were lost—and that forever. God writes a zero upon all those services wherein men’s ends are not right.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The devil’s donkey

The devil makes the proud person his donkey, to ride in triumph upon.

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Stone him to death!

"If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, ’Let us go and worship other gods (gods that neither you nor your fathers have known, gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, from one end of the land to the other), do not yield to him or listen to him. Show him no pity. Do not spare him or shield him. You must certainly put him to death. Your hand must be the first in putting him to death, and then the hands of all the people. Stone him to death, because he tried to turn you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery." Deu 13:6-10

This Scripture tells us, that if father, or mother, or brother, or sister, or kinsman, or friend, should go about to draw a man from God, his hand should be first upon him to put him to death. Now, bosom sins, darling sins—they seek to draw a man’s heart from God, and therefore a gracious soul can’t but rise up against them, and do his best to stone them, and to be the death of them!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The choicest saints

Such is the universal corruption of human nature, that the souls of the best, of the purest, and of the holiest men in the world—do from day to day, yes, from moment to moment, contract some filth and uncleanness. The choicest saints can never acquit themselves from sins of infirmity—which do inevitably and inseparably cleave unto the best of men, who still carry with about them, corrupt flesh and blood.

Godly men may fall again and again into the same sin; and no wonder, for though their repentance be ever so sincere and sound—yet their graces are but weak, and their mortification but imperfect in this life, and therefore it is possible for a gracious soul to fall again and again into the same sin.

Grace may be prevailed against by Satan’s temptations, and by the strong, secret, and subtle workings of sin in our hearts.

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Common grace

Common grace never works a man thus to fear sin—but renewing grace does. Common convictions carry the soul out to look more on the evil which follows sin, rather than on the evil which is in sin. And hence it comes to pass, that souls under common convictions are more affected and afflicted at the fear of hell and dread of wrath and damnation—than they are affected or afflicted at the vileness, odiousness, and heinous nature of sin.

When an unsanctified person is angry with sin, and chides sin, and fights with sin, and makes some headway against sin—it is either because it has cracked his credit, or clouded his honor, or hindered his profit, or embittered his pleasure, or provoked his friends, or incensed the magistrate, or enraged his conscience, or exposed him to shame, disgrace, or contempt here—and hell hereafter. But never because a holy God is dishonored, a righteous law transgressed, a blessed Savior crucified, or the blessed Spirit greatly grieved. The child will not touch the coal because it will burn him, and the prudent man will not touch the coal because it will smut him. A gracious heart rises against sin because of its defiling and polluting nature—but an unsanctified heart rises against sin because of its burning and damning nature. A sanctified person hates sin, because it pollutes his soul—but an unsanctified person hates it because it destroys his soul. A sanctified person loathes sin, and abhors sin—because it fights against God’s holiness. But an unsanctified person loathes sin, and abhors it, because it provokes and stirs up God’s justice. A sanctified person detests sin, because of the hell that is in sin. But an unsanctified person detests sin, because of the hell that follows sin, etc.

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Sin in a saint

It is one thing for a man to sin, it is another thing for a man to allow himself in sin. It is one thing for a godly man to step into a sin, and it is another thing to keep the road of sin. A real saint can neither allow of sin, nor wallow in sin, nor be transformed into the image of sin, nor mix itself with sin. It is possible for a sincere Christian to step into a sinful path, or to touch upon sinful facts, and now and then in an hour of temptation, to slide, to trip, and to be overtaken unawares. But his main way, his principal work, is to depart from iniquity; as a true traveler may now and then step a few steps out of his way—who yet for the main keeps his way, keeps the road. Or as a bee may now and then light upon a thistle—but her main work is to be gathering at the flowers. Or as a sheep may now and then slip into the dirt, or into a slough—but its main work is to be grazing upon the mountains.

Certainly, O soul, if sin is now your greatest burden, it shall never hereafter prove your eternal bane. God never yet sent any man to hell for sin, to whom sin has commonly been the greatest hell in this world. God has but one hell, and that is for those to whom sin has been commonly a heaven in this world. That man who hates sin, and who daily enters his protest against sin—that man shall never be made miserable by sin.

Sin in a wicked man is like poison in a serpent; it is in its natural place, it is delightful to a sinner. But sin in a saint is like poison in a man’s body, it is offensive, and the heart rises against it, and uses all divine antidotes whereby it may be expelled and destroyed. Nothing will satisfy a gracious soul—but the heart blood of his lusts. Now, he shall never be damned for his sins, whose heart is set upon killing his sins.

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Sin shall not have dominion over you

"Sin shall not have dominion over you: for you are not under the law, but under grace." Rom 6:14

What does the dominion of sin import, and wherein does it consist?

Sin is in dominion, when it has the universal and sovereign command of the soul, when it has an absolute power, when it has such an authority in the soul to command it as a king does his subjects, or as the centurion did his servants: Mat 8:9, "For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me; and I say to this man, Go, and he goes; and to another, Come, and he comes; and to my servant, Do this, and he does it." Now when sin has such a universal and easy authority and command over the whole man, body and soul, as that it can use them in the service of sin, when and where and how it pleases, then sin is in dominion. Where there is a peaceable, uncontrolled, willing, universal subjection of the whole man unto the commands of sin, there sin reigns.

Sin is in dominion, when in a course, when ordinarily, there is a quiet, free, willing, and total yielding of subjection to the authority, law, and command of sin. Mark, it is a full possession, a complete delight, and a constant contentment in sin, that speaks out the reign and dominion of sin, Rom 6:13-16. Dominion of sin imports a complete and universal resignation of the whole will and man to the obedience of it. That man who is wholly addicted and devoted to the ways of sin, that man is under the reign of sin—that man whose whole heart is universally married to his lusts—that man is under the dominion of his lusts. When a man does as freely, cheerfully, universally, and readily obey his lusts, as a child does his father—then sin is in dominion. When a man sins with greediness, when with Ahab he "sells himself to work wickedness," 1Ki 21:25, when he commits "wickedness with both hands," Mic 7:3, when he gives himself up or over "to all uncleanness and filthiness," Eph 2:3, when he freely and voluntarily resigns and surrenders up his body and soul to the obedience of sin—then sin reigns, then it keeps the throne.

Where the dominion of sin is erected, there it sits in the heart, as a king in his throne, and gives forth its laws and commands to the soul and body, and those commands are listened to, and consented to, approved and delighted in. A subject cannot in a course more freely, willingly, universally, and cheerfully obey the commands of his prince, than a sinner does in a course freely, willingly, universally, and cheerfully obey the commands of his lusts; and wherever this sad temper of spirit is—there is sin in dominion.

Sin is in dominion, when it commands in the heart as a king in his throne, or as a Lord in his house, or as a general in his army—freely, boldly, universally, cheerfully; and when the soul does as freely, boldly, universally, and cheerfully subject itself to sin’s commands. Where men commonly yield up their wills and affections to the commands of sin, there sin reigns; and this is the case of every unregenerate man.

When a man is usually insistent in his sinnings, in the face of all reprehensions and arguments which tend to dissuade him from sin—then sin is in dominion, Pro 29:1; Jer 5:3-4; and Jer 44:15-17. When the constant bent of the heart is inflamed towards sin, and when the desires of the soul are insatiably carried after sin, and when the resolutions of the soul are strongly and habitually set upon sin—then sin is in the throne, and then it reigns as a king. When God hedges up the sinner’s way with thorns—yet the sinner will break through all to his sin, Hos 2:6-7; when life and death, heaven and hell, glory and misery, are set before the sinner—yet the sinner will be insistent in his sinnings, though he loses his life, his soul, and all the glory of another world, then sin reigns, Deu 30:15-19; Deu 11:26-29.

When men ordinarily, habitually, commonly are very careful, studious, and laborious to make provision for sin, then sin reigns: Rom 13:14, "Make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof;" or, as the Greek has it, "Make no projects for the flesh," or "cater not for the flesh." When a man’s head and heart is full of projects how to gratify this lust, and how to satisfy that lust, and how to fulfill the other lust, then sin reigns, then it is in its throne. [David, in an hour of temptation, once made provision for his lusts, 2Sa 11:14-15. But this was not his course, his trade, etc.]

When sin is commonly, habitually sweet, and the soul takes a daily pleasure and delight in it, then it reigns; as you may see by comparing these scriptures. [Job 20:12-13; Pro 2:14; Amo 6:13; Zep 3:11; 2Th 2:12-13 Plutarch.] When a man daily takes as joyful contentment and satisfaction in his lusts, and in walking after the ways of his own heart, as he does in his highest outward enjoyments, or in his nearest and dearest relations, then certainly sin is in dominion. Such men as can go constantly on in a way of wickedness, merely to delight and please the flesh—such men are certainly under the power and reign of sin.

When men commonly take part with sin, when they take up arms in the defense of sin, and in defiance of the commands of God, the motions of the Spirit, and the checks of conscience—then sin is in dominion. He who readily, resolvedly, and habitually fights sin’s battles—is sin’s servant, and without all question under the reign and dominion of sin. When the inward faculties of the soul, and the outward members of the body, do readily resolve, and habitually take up arms to fight for sin—then and there sin is in dominion, as you may plainly see by consulting these scriptures. [Rom 6:19-20; Eph 2:2-3; Tit 3:3.]

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Blessed are those who mourn

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." Mat 5:4

"Blessed are those who mourn;" that is—such as who mourn for sin with an exceeding great mourning.

"Blessed are those who mourn;" that is—those who mourn for sin with a funeral sorrow, as the word signifies.

"Blessed are those who mourn;" that is—those who mourn for sin as a man mourns for the loss of his only son, Zec 12:10, or as Jacob mourned for Joseph, or as David mourned for Absalom, or as the people mourned for the loss of good Josiah, 2Ch 35:24-25.

"Blessed are those who mourn;" that is—those who mourn for secret sins as well as open sins.

"Blessed are those who mourn;" that is—those who mourn for sins against grace as well as for sins against the law.

"Blessed are those who mourn;" that is—those who mourn for sin as the greatest evil in the world.

"Blessed are those who mourn;" that is—those who mourn for his own sins, Eze 7:16; as David did, Psa 51:1-19; or as Ephraim did, Jer 31:18-19; or as Peter did, Mat 26:75; or as Mary Magdalene did, Luk 7:38

"Blessed are those who mourn;" that is—those who mourn for the sins of others as well as for his own, as David did, Psa 119:136; Psa 119:158; or as Jeremiah did, Jer 13:17; or as Lot did, 2Pe 2:7-8; or as they did in that Eze 9:4.

"Blessed are those who mourn;" that is—those who mourn under the sense of their spiritual needs.

"Blessed are those who mourn;" that is—those who mourns under the sense of their spiritual losses—such as loss of communion with God, loss of the favor of God, loss of the presence of God, loss of the exercise of grace, loss of the joys of the Spirit, loss of inward peace, etc.

"Blessed are those who mourn;" that is—those who mourn not only for their own afflictions and miseries—but also for the afflictions and miseries of other believers, as Nehemiah did, Neh 1:2-4; or as Jeremiah did, Jer 9:1-2; or as Christ did when he wept over Jerusalem, Luk 19:41-42.

"Blessed are those who mourn;" that is—those who mourn because they cannot mourn for these things; or who mourn because they can mourn no more; or who mourn because God has so little honor in their hearts, or in their house, or in their life, or in the world, or in the churches.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The old man

In every regenerate man, there are two men—an old man and a new man; or if you please, flesh and spirit. Rom 7:1-25.

The old man, the fleshly part, will incline the soul, and bias the soul, as well to sins against the gospel, as to sins against the law, and to great sins as well as small sins; witness Noah’s drunkenness, Lot’s incest, Asa’s oppression, David’s murder and adultery, Solomon’s idolatry, and Peter’s blasphemy.

The old man, the fleshly part, is as much in the will as in any other part of the regenerate man; and therefore, when he falls into heinous sins, he may fall into them with consent, delight, and willingness, so far as his will is unrenewed. Though a real Christian is changed in every part—yet it is but in part and imperfect.

The old man, the fleshly part, is in a regenerate man’s members, as well as in his will, and therefore they may be exercised and employed in and about those sins they have consented unto.

High sinnings injure and wound the conscience of a regenerate man, and lay him open to the sore rebukes of God, and call for great repentance, and fresh and frequent applications of the blood of Christ.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The pure in heart

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." Mat 5:8

Dear hearts! As we truly say, that gold is pure gold, though much dross may hang about it; and as we truly say, that such and such an air is pure air, though at times there are many fogs and mists within it; and as we truly say, that such and such springs are pure springs, though mud, and dirt, and filth may are lying at the bottom of those springs; and as we truly say, that face is a fair face, though it has some freckles in it; so we may as truly say, that such and such a heart is a "pure heart," though there may be much sinful dross and filth cleaving to it.

Beloved! the best, the wisest, the holiest, and the most mortified Christians on earth, do carry about with them a body of sin and death, Rom 7:22-23; they have in them a fountain of original corruption, and from this fountain sin will still be arising, a-bubbling and a-boiling up as the scum in a pot over the fire.

But mark, as in wine, or honey, or water, though scum and filth may arise—yet the wine, the honey, the water, will be still a-purging and purifying itself, and a-working and casting it out. So though sin, though corruption, though spiritual filth may, and too often does, arise in a gracious heart—yet there is a spring of grace, a spring of living water in him; there is a holy cleansing and purifying disposition in a regenerate person, which will still be a-working and casting it out.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ He is the blessed soul!

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness." Mat 5:6

He who sees an absolute necessity of the righteousness of Christ to justify him, and to enable him to stand boldly before the throne of God; he who sees his own righteousness to be but as filthy rags, Isa 64:4; to be but as dross and dung, Php 3:7-8; he who sees the Lord Jesus Christ, with all his riches and righteousness, clearly and freely offered to poor sinners in the everlasting gospel; he who in the gospel-mirror sees Christ, who knew no sin, to be made sin for him, that that he may be made the righteousness of God in Christ, 2Co 5:21; he who in the same mirror sees Christ to be made wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption, to all who are sincerely willing to make a venture of their immortal souls and eternal estates upon him and his righteousness; and he who sees the righteousness of Christ to be a most perfect, pure, complete, spotless, matchless, infinite righteousness; and under these apprehensions and persuasions is carried out in earnest and unsatisfied hungerings and thirstings, to be made a partaker of Christ’s righteousness, and to be assured of his righteousness, and to put on his righteousness as a royal robe, Isa 61:10—he is the blessed soul! And he who hungers and thirsts after the righteousness of Christ imparted, as well as after the righteousness of Christ imputed; after the righteousness of sanctification, as well as after the righteousness of justification—he is the blessed soul!, and shall at last be filled. The righteousness of sanctification, or imparted righteousness, lies in the Spirit’s infusing into the soul those holy principles, divine qualities, or supernatural graces, that the apostle mentions in that Gal 5:22-23. These habits of grace, which are distinguished by the names of faith, love, hope, meekness, etc., are nothing else but the new nature or new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness, Eph 4:24. He who hungers and thirsts after the righteousness of sanctification, out of a deep serious sense of his own unrighteousness; he who hungers and thirsts after the righteousness of sanctification, as earnestly as hungry men do for food, or as thirsty men do for drink, or as the hunted deer does after the water brooks—he is the blessed soul, and shall at last be filled.