Chap. XVI. thereof, are devised by men, out of blind zeal, or upon any pretence of good intention b. II. These good works, done in obedience to God's commandments, are the fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith: and by them believers manifest their thankfulness, strengthen their assurance, edify their brethren, thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? Rom. xii. 2. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. Heb. xiii. 21. Make you perfect in every good work, to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. b Mat. xv. 9. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. Isa. xxix. 13. Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their beart far from me, and their fear towards me is taught by the precept of men. 1 Pet. i. 18. Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers. Rom. x. 2. For I bear them record, that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. John xvi. 2. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. 1 Sam. xv. 21. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal. Ver. 22. And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice; and to hearken than the fat of rams. Ver. 23. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry: because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king. II. James ii. 18. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Ver. 22. Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? d Psal. cxvi. 12. What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me? Ver. 13. I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. 1 Pet. ii. 9. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. e 1 John ii. 3. And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. Ver. 5. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: Hereby know we that we are brethren, adorn the profession of the gospel, stop the mouths of the adversaries, and glorify God, whose workmanship they are, created in Christ Jesus thereunto; that, having their fruit unto holiness, they may have the end eternal life1. are in him. 2 Pet. i. 5. And be sides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith, virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; Ver. 6. And to knowledge, temperance; and to temperance, patience; and to patience, godliness; Ver. 7. And to godliness, brotherly-kindness; and to brotherly-kindness, charity. Ver. 8. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ver. 9. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see far off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Ver. 10. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall. f 2 Cor. ix. 2. For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many. Mat. v. 16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. 8 Tit. ii. 5. To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. Ver. 9. Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again; Ver. 10. Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they 5 III. Their may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things. Ver. 11. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men; Ver. 12. Teaching us, that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world. 1 Tim. vi. 1. Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour; that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed. h 1 Pet. ii. 15. For so is the will of God, that with well-doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. i 1 Pet. ii. 12. Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that whereas they speak against you as evil-doers, they may, by your good works which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. Phil. i. 11. Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God. John xv. 8. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit, so shall ye be my disciples. k Eph ii. 10. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. 1 Rom. vi. 22. But now being made free from sin,, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. III. m John III. Their ability to do good works is not at all of themselves, but wholly from the Spirit of Christ". And that they may be enabled thereunto, besides the graces they have already received, there is required an actual influence of the same Holy Spirit to work in them to will and to do of his good pleasure: yet are they not hereupon to grow negligent, as if they were not bound to perform any duty unless upon a special motion of the Spirit; but they ought to be diligent in stirring up the grace of God that is in them °. III. m John xv. 4. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. Ver. 5. I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing. Ver. 6. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. Ezek. xxxvi. 26. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. Ver. 27. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. n Phil. ii. 13. For it is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Phil. iv. 13. I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me. 2 Cor. iii. 5. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves: but our sufficiency is of God. o Phil. ii. 12. Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence; 6 IV. They work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Heb. vi. 11. And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence, to the full assurance of hope unto the end: Ver 12. That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who, through faith and patience, inherit the promises. 2 Pet. i. 3. According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue. Ver. 5. And besides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith, virtue; and to virtue, knowledge. Ver. 10. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure; for if you do these things, ye shall never fall: Ver. 11. For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Isa. Ixiv. 7. And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities. 2 Tim. i. 6. Wherefore I put thee in remembrance, that thou stir up the gift of God which is in thee, by the putting on of my hands. Acts xxvi. 6. And now I stand, IV. They who in their obedience attain to the greatest height which is possible in this life, are so far from being able to supererogate, and to do more than God requires, as that they fall short of much which in duty they are bound to do P. V. We cannot, by our best works, merit pardon of sin, or eternal life, at the hand of God, by reason of the great disproportion that is between them and the glory to come, and the infinite distance that is between us and God, whom by them we can neither profit nor satisfy for the debt of our former sins; but when we have done all we can, we have done I stand, and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers: Ver. 7. Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come; for which hope's sake, King Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews. Jude, v. 20. But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Ver. 21. Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. IV. P Luke xvii. 10. So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do. Neh. xiii. 22. And I commanded the Levites, that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath-day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy. Job ix. 2. I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God? Ver. 3. If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand. Gal. v. 17. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other; so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. V. Rom. iii. 20. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Rom. iv. 2. For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory, but not before God. Ver. 4. Now, to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. Ver. 6. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works. Eph. ii. 8. For by grace are ye saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. Ver. 9. Not of works, lest any man should boast. Tit. iii. 5. Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost: Ver. 6. Which he shed on us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour: Ver. 7. That, being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Rom. viii. 18. For I reckon that the sufferings of this E present done but our duty, and are unprofitable servants; and because, as they are good, they proceed from his Spirit; and as they are wrought by us, they are defiled and mixed with so much weakness and imperfection, that they cannot endure the severity of God's judgment *. VI. Yet notwithstanding, the persons of believers being accepted through Christ, their good works also are accepted in him; not as though they were in this life wholly unblameable present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Psal. xvi. 2. O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee. Job xxii. 2. Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself? Ver. 3. Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him that thou makest thy ways perfect? Job xxxv. 7. If thou be righteous, what givest thou him? or what receiveth he of thine hand? Ver. 8. Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art, and thy righteousness may profit the son of man. r Luke xvii. 10. [See letter P in this Chapter. Gal. v. 22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Ver. 23. Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. t Isa. Ixiv. 6. But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags, and we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. Gal. v. 17. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other; so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. Rom. vii. 15. For that which I do, I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. Ver. 18. I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not. Psal. cxliii. 2. And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified. Psal. cxxx. 3. If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, Ó Lord, who shall stand? VI. Eph. i. 6. To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved. 1 Pet. ii. 5. Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Exod. xxviii. 38. And it shall be upon Aaron's forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Is rael shall hallow in all their holy gifts: and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord. Gen. iv. 4. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock, and of the fat thereof: and the Lord had respect unto Abel, and to his offering. With Heb. xi. 4. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he |