The
Precepts of the Word of God
by J. C. Philpot
The IMPORTANCE of the
precepts
1. One very
simple proof of the importance of the precept is what we may call its BULK.
Let us examine this point by looking at several of the
epistles of the New Testament. We particularly mention these, because as
being addressed to Christian Churches, the precept occupies in the epistles
its distinctive and peculiar place as a harmonious part of the revolution of
grace and truth in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Take, then, as our first instance, the Epistle to the
Ephesians—the fullest and richest, and what we may perhaps call, the
highest in doctrine, of all that Paul, under divine inspiration, wrote to
the Churches. Out of six chapters in this epistle three are preceptive,
mingled indeed with and based upon doctrinal and experimental truth, for in
this channel the precept always runs; but assuming the form of clear,
positive exhortation, admonition, warning, and directive. Consider this
point, you ministers, who Lord's day after Lord's day preach nothing but
doctrine, doctrine, doctrine; and ask yourselves whether the same Holy
Spirit who revealed the first three chapters of the Epistle to the Ephesians
did not also reveal the last three? Is not the whole epistle equally
inspired, a blessed part of that Scripture of which we read—"All Scripture
is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and
training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped
for every good work." (2 Tim. 3:16, 17.) How, then, can you be complete as a
minister and thoroughly equipped for every good work—if you willfully
neglect any part of that Scripture which God has given to be profitable to
you, and to others by you?
But let us examine this point a little more closely. "I
therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy of the
vocation with which you are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with
patience, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity of
the Spirit in the bond of peace." (Eph. 4:1-3.) In the preceding chapters
the Apostle had set before the believing Ephesians their eternal election in
Christ, their predestination unto the adoption of children, their redemption
through the blood of Jesus, even the forgiveness of their sins, their
sealing by the Holy Spirit of promise as a pledge of their inheritance,
their being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, and that
for a habitation of God through the Spirit. What a cluster of heavenly
blessings, and all theirs as saints and believers in Christ Jesus!
What then? "I therefore." What a "therefore!" How
it throws us back upon those spiritual blessings with which God has blessed
us in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, (Eph. 1:3,) and brings them all to
bear upon our walk and conduct! "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord,
beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation with which you are called,"
etc. But not content with this general exhortation, the Apostle follows up
the precept for three successive chapters, pressing upon their heart and
conscience every godly fruit, such as humility, meekness, patience,
forbearance, love and union, mutual forgiveness; and mingles his
exhortations with solemn warnings against every sin, such as uncleanness,
lying, anger, theft, bitterness, wrath, evil speaking, etc.
Observe, too, how special and practical he is, taking up
not only our individual walk and conduct, but entering also into all our
family relationships, urging on husbands, wives, children, servants,
masters, every relative duty, and the whole grounded on the highest motives,
and based on heavenly and spiritual principles. Thus, in this epistle we
have the highest doctrine and the highest practice, the most exalted views
of the sovereign, eternal grace of God the Father, (1:3-12, 19-23,) of the
unspeakable love of God the Son, (3:17-19,) and of the quickening, sealing,
strengthening work of God the Holy Spirit, (1:13, 17; 2:1, 18, 22; 3:16.)
And following up this full and glorious exposition of the deepest doctrinal
truth we find the closest precept, bringing before our eyes, as the fruit of
all this sovereign grace, the most active obedience of heart, lip, and life,
with every inward grace and every outward fruit. Look at this point, dear
readers. Examine it for yourselves. You have your Bibles before you. You
need no learning, no great education to understand this. You only need two
eyes—the natural eye, the eye of the body, to read the letter, and the
spiritual eye, the eye of the soul—to read the spirit of your Bible. When,
then, you are a little favored in your soul; when you feel your heart
softened and melted by a sense of God's goodness and mercy, get alone for a
little while, enter your closet and shut your door—the outward and the
inward door, (Matt. 6:6,) and prayerfully read the Epistle to the Ephesians;
and as your faith embraces, with a holy joy and heavenly sweetness, the
glorious truths of the first three chapters, read on, and by the same faith
embrace the wise and holy precepts in the last three, which flowed from the
same Holy Spirit who inspired and indited the first.
As there is but "one Spirit" and "one faith," (Eph. 4:4,
5,) depend upon it, if the blessed Spirit enlightens the eyes of your
understanding to see the doctrine, and anoint your heart to feel the power
of sovereign grace, the same blessed Spirit will anoint your eyes and heart
to see and feel the power of effectual grace; and will shine upon the
inspired precept as well as upon the inspired promise. Nor will your faith
which embraces salvation be less willing to embrace the things which
accompany salvation. (Heb. 6:9.) We know, indeed, that to do this requires a
spiritual mind; but we write for spiritual readers—for those who know
something of the power of the word upon the heart, as well as the meaning of
the letter of the word in their understanding.
Take next the Epistle to the Colossians, which we
may call a sister epistle of that to the Ephesians, as written about the
same time, (A.D. 61, when Paul was a prisoner at Rome,) and dwelling chiefly
on the same glorious truths. This epistle contains four chapters. Of these,
two are preceptive, that is, half of the epistle. Is not this a significant
fact? and can it be safe or consistent with becoming reverence to the word
of God's grace tacitly to set aside half an epistle as of little or no
significance? Next look at 1 Thessalonians. This contains five
chapters, of which the last two are wholly preceptive; and if, instead of
reckoning by the chapters, we count the verses, we shall find that somewhat
more than half (46 out of 89 verses) are devoted to the subject of practice
and the claims of Christian obedience.
But an objection may be here started, that we have
picked the epistles, and have omitted two of the longest and most
important, that, namely, to the Romans, and that to the Hebrews, to neither
of which our test of bulk will apply. It is perfectly true that in neither
of these epistles is the proportion of precept to doctrine, measured by
bulk, so great as in those which we have examined. But there is a sound and
valid reason for this apparent disproportion in both cases. In setting
forth, for instance, the grand doctrine of justification by faith in the
blood and righteousness of the Son of God, which forms the chief subject of
the Epistle to the Romans, it was necessary to be full and ample,
that so important a truth might be placed upon a broad and permanent basis.
A short epistle, like that to the Philippians, could not have adequately set
forth, in all its various bearings, that foundation doctrine which Luther
calls "the article whereby the Church stands or falls." A certain degree,
therefore, of drawn out, argumentative proof (for the doctrinal part of the
Epistle to the Romans is a most masterly and logical piece of sustained
reasoning) was necessary to place upon an unshaken foundation the Church's
grand bulwark against error for all time.
Similarly the priesthood of the Lord Jesus, which forms
the subject of the Epistle to the Hebrews, could not be treated in
all its fullness and bearings except at considerable length; for it was
necessary to trace in it the fulfillment of the Levitical dispensation, with
its types and sacrifices, in the Person and work of the God-man Mediator. We
see, therefore, at once, from these considerations, sufficient reasons why
these two epistles form an apparent exception to our test of bulk. And yet
in both of them the precept, if measured, not by actual bulk but by weight,
by quality not by quantity, which surely is an admirable test, is not less
strong and powerful.
Read, for instance, Romans 12, 13, 14. What a weight of
precept; how condensed, and yet how comprehensive. What firm and strong
gospel principles are laid down. The mercies of God; (12:1;) the property
which Christ has in us; (14:7-9;) our membership with him and with one
another; (12:4, 5;) the spiritual nature of the kingdom of God; (14:17, 18;)
the example of Christ; (15:3-6;) the claims of brotherly love; (13:8-10;)
the near approach of full and final salvation; (13:11;) and our
accountability to God; (14:12;) what a foundation is thus laid. And upon
this broad basis of Christian privilege what a godly superstructure of
Christian precept. Read from Romans 12:1 to 15:7. What a weight of precept.
How close and condensed, and yet how full is chapter 12; and with what a
weighty, influential principle it begins—"I beseech you, therefore,
brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living
sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And
be not conformed to this world; but be transformed by the renewing of your
mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will
of God." The body to be presented a living sacrifice unto God;
non-conformity to the world; but a transformation of the renewed mind into
the image of Christ, with a sensible experience and proof thereby of the
perfect will of God. What a foundation for all vital, practical godliness.
But we must not forestall our subject, as these things
will have to be considered at length as we proceed. Let it suffice for the
present to ask ourselves this simple question, "Can it be right, can it be
safe, can it be scriptural, to treat all this fullness and weight of precept
with no more attention than an obsolete Act of Parliament? or, to speak less
harshly, to receive it as the word of God much as we might do the last
chapters of Ezekiel, which we little read and less understand, though we
have no doubt of its being a part of the inspired Scriptures?"
The same observations will apply to the Epistle to the
Hebrews. Measured by bulk, the amount of the preceptive part of the epistle
falls short of the doctrinal; but who that reads the two last chapters can
deny the weight of exhortation, admonition, warning, and direction with
which these are filled, but which our limits will not allow us to do more
than point out?
But it will be observed that we have merely indicated
bulk as one proof of the importance of the precept. If our readers feel
disposed to follow up our argument, let them examine in this point of view
the Epistle to the Galatians, of which two chapters out of six (5, 6) are
preceptive; the Epistle to the Philippians, in which precept is so prominent
a feature, and so blended with doctrine, (1:6; 2:5-11; 3:20, 21,) and with
experience (1:21-23; 3:7-14,) that it may be called a model of preceptive
writing; the Epistles to Timothy and Titus, which are nearly all precept;
and the Epistles of Peter and James, which are filled with precept from
first to last. The amount of precept in the epistles, measured only by the
simple test of quantity, would surprise a person whose attention had
not been directed to that point, if he would but carefully examine it. But
it is sad to say how little the Scriptures are read among us with that
intelligent attention, that careful and prayerful studiousness, that earnest
desire to understand, believe, and experimentally realize their divine
meaning, which they demand and deserve, and which the word of God compares
to seeking as for silver, and searching as for hidden treasure. (Prov. 2:4.)
2. But the importance of the precept will be evident from
another consideration. Were
there no precepts in the New Testament, we would be without an inspired rule
of life, without an authoritative guide for our walk and conduct
before the Church and the world. We
rightly discard and reject the 'law of Moses' as the believer's rule of
life. What, then, is our rule? Are we a set of lawless wretches who may
live as we desire, according to the libelous charge of the enemies of truth?
God forbid! We have a divine, authoritative rule of life, a code of
directions of the amplest, fullest, minutest character, intended and
sufficient to regulate and control every thought, word, and action of our
lives; and all flowing from the eternal wisdom and will of the Father,
sealed and ratified by the blood of the Son, and inspired and revealed by
the Holy Spirit.
When, then, it is thrown in our teeth that, by discarding
the 'law of Moses' as our rule of life, we prove ourselves licentious,
lawless Antinomians, this is our answer, and let God and his word decide
whether it be not a sufficient one. Not so. We have a rule of life as far
exceeding the 'law of Moses' as the new covenant of grace and truth in the
glorious Person of the Son of God exceeds and outshines the old covenant of
works; and as much as the ministration of the Spirit, of life, and of
righteousness excels in glory the ministration of the letter, of death, and
of condemnation. (2 Cor. 3:6-11.) In a word, the precepts of the New
Testament, in all their fullness, minuteness, and comprehensiveness, are our
rule of life.
But mark what would be the consequence if the preceptive
part of the New Testament were taken out of its pages as so much useless
matter. It would be like going on board of a ship bound on a long and
perilous voyage, and taking out of her, just before she sailed, all her
charts, her compass, her sounding-line, her chronometer; in a word, all the
instruments of navigation needful for her safely crossing the sea, or even
leaving the port. But you may say, "If there were no precept, the Church
would still have the Holy Spirit to guide her safely over the sea of life to
her heavenly haven." It is true; and so the first Christians, as Stephen the
martyr, who lived before the epistles were written, had the Holy Spirit to
guide them, in the absence of the precept. But in those early days, first,
the Holy Spirit was poured out in large measure, and, secondly, they had in
their midst apostles and prophets, (1 Cor. 12:4-11; 14; Eph. 2:20; 4:11,
12,) directly and immediately inspired to guide and direct them, which gifts
have been withdrawn since the canon of Scripture was closed. Besides which,
as the Holy Spirit, who then wrought immediately by the lips of inspired
men, (1 Cor. 14:21,) now works mediately by the inspired page, the argument
is neither sound nor safe that we could do very well without the letter of
the precept as still having the Spirit. The question is not what God
might do, but what God does; not what we think, but what
God says. If God has mercifully and graciously given us rules and
directions whereby to walk, let us thankfully accept them, not question and
cavil how far we could have done without them.
See, too, what a wide field would be laid open for wild
enthusiasm to range in, were there no direct and positive lines laid down,
as we now have them in the precept. How every deluded fanatic might come
forward as inspired by the Holy Spirit to instruct us how to act, and what
to do, and how to live, how many wives he might have, and how much money we
must give to keep him and them in luxury and ease. What a mercy for us that
we have God's precepts and not man's; God's holy, wise, and gracious
directions how to glorify him in heart and life, how to walk in love and
union with his dear people, how to keep ourselves unspotted from the world,
how to know his will and do it, with his own blessed approbation in our
conscience; and thus, by taking heed to our way according to God's word,
(Psalm 119:9,) not become the prey of every vile Mormonite, every sleek
impostor, every wily monk or crafty nun, every Papist, Puseyite, or sister
of mercy who might seek to impose upon us with their pretended revelations,
or bind us hard and fast with their stern, austere rules of fleshly
holiness. What heavy burdens would they fasten on our shoulders, as we see
in the case of the Pharisees of old, who made the word of God of none effect
by their traditions, and in the self-imposed austerities of the Trappist and
Carthusian orders among the Papists, and the Fathers and the Brothers
Ignatius now among us, with their sandals and Benedictine dress, like "a
rough garment to deceive."
Left to such blind or wilfully-deceiving guides, we
would, but for the precept as the rule of our lives, as the inspired guide
of our steps, have no word of the Lord to set against their delusions or
their hypocrisies, and would pass our lives in continual bondage and fear,
awed by their pretended revelations, or bowed down by their austere
regulations. We have enough, God knows, of those would-be teachers and
directors of conscience; some coming with their crafty impostures to
deceive, others with their forms and ceremonies, preparations for the
sacrament, manuals of religious instruction, practices of piety, aids to
devotion, all drawn out to rule and pattern, to teach us how to live and how
to die; and all as full of error as a blind understanding can devise, and as
full of legality and lip-service as a superstitious, self-righteous,
Pharisaical heart can make them. What a torrent of Popery seems fast coming
in under what is now called "ritualism;" that is, a setting up of rites and
ceremonies, mediaeval observances, and traditional rules, instead of the
doctrines of grace and the precepts of the gospel. What a mercy, then, for
the living Church of God that we have not only the Holy Spirit as our inward
Teacher, to show us by his divine light these errors and delusions, but that
the same blessed Spirit has given us in the word of truth the sweetest,
soundest, safest directions to lead us into, and keep us in the way of
eternal life; and that he from time to time sheds upon them his own
benevolent unction, grace, and savour to make them spirit and life to our
soul, and thus become a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. What a
holy, happy liberty; what a free service; what a tender, affectionate,
filial obedience do the precepts of the gospel set before us, as far removed
from legal exactions and Pharisaic righteousness as from Antinomian
licentiousness and loose, careless ungodliness.
O you, who see and feel these things, and have tasted the
blessedness of serving God in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of
the letter, (Romans 7:6,) lift up your heart and hands with the writer of
these lines, and say with him, "Bless God for the precept." May grace be
given us more clearly to understand it, more carefully to heed it, more
closely to obey it.
But here for the present we pause, lest we should not
only engross too much space for our own pen, but, by dwelling upon one
subject at too great length, rather weary than edify our readers.
In our last paper we attempted to direct the attention of
our readers to the importance of the preceptive portion of the word of
truth, as being well convinced that if we could but once establish that
point firmly in their hearts, it would, with God's help and blessing, much
prepare the way for a close and careful consideration of the whole subject,
both on their part and our own. A moment's thought will make this
sufficiently obvious. If any part of God's truth be viewed as of little
importance by writer or reader, by minister or hearer, the almost necessary
consequence is that it becomes either wholly neglected, or is loosely and
carelessly slurred over by both. Why need we devote time or thought to a
matter of little moment? Why carefully and prayerfully examine a subject
which will scarcely repay us for the trouble of our attention? We might,
from a reverence to the word of God, forbear such thoughts or such
expressions, and yet the practical effect might be what we have pointed out.
But, on the other hand, if, through the teaching and testimony of the
blessed Spirit, any portion of the word of truth is opened with divine light
to our understanding, or laid with peculiar weight and power upon our heart,
its solemn importance is at once seen and felt; it engages the whole of our
attention, and we wonder how we could have been so blind to what is now so
clear, or treated with neglect what is now so weighty.
But as snares await us on every hand, a temptation here
presents itself, from falling into which we must desire to be kept. As all
true wisdom is from above, the free gift of God, who gives to all who ask
him liberally, and upbraids not; (James 1:5; 3:17;) and as the very reason
why the Lord grants to any "a knowledge of his will in all wisdom and
spiritual understanding" is that they "might walk worthy of him unto all
pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge
of God," (Col. 1:10, 11,) we must watch against being betrayed into a
censorious spirit, lest, in our zeal for the precept, we ourselves be the
very first to break it. Thus, while we may accept with thankfulness any
communication of light, any opening of the word of truth for our comfort or
edification, we must carefully guard against making a rod for others out of
any grace to ourselves. That were not to use, but to abuse the goodness of
God, and to turn the grand precept of the gospel, the new commandment of the
Lord, that we love one another as he has loved us, (John 15:12,) into a
matter of strife and division. It is, in fact, the working of this
censorious spirit in the minds of most who have attempted to handle the
precept, which has made the whole subject distasteful to many of the real
children of God, they not being able clearly to distinguish between the
precept itself, and the carnal, legal way in which it has been thrust upon
them.
But if preserved from this snare, if in the spirit and
love of the gospel we can point out to our believing brethren from the word
of truth the importance of the preceptive part of the New Testament, and the
Lord shall be pleased to commend it to their conscience, we shall hope
thereby to approve ourselves to them, as not seeking to have dominion over
their faith, but as helpers of their joy. (2 Cor. 1:24.)
Our readers will remember that in our last paper we
pointed out to their notice two considerations, which seemed to us much to
establish the importance of the precept. One of these was drawn from the
large amount which it occupies in the Epistles of the New Testament, or, to
use our own words, its bulk and quantity. The second consideration
derived its weight from the fact that, in the absence of the precept, we
should have no authoritative rule of life.
3. Closely connected with the last point is another
consideration, to us of no less weight in establishing the importance of the
precept, to which we shall now call the observation of our readers. It is
this; that, as without a
special revelation of the precept in the word of truth we would not know
what was the will of God as regards all spiritual and practical obedience,
so, without it as our guide and rule, we would not be able to live to his
glory. As this consideration must be, to all
who fear God, a matter of deep importance, we shall endeavor to unfold it
somewhat fully, and especially to point out its connection with the
preceptive part of the word of truth.
As the glory of God is the grand end and object of all
the manifestations of himself in creation, in providence, and in grace, so
should it be the end and object of all our knowledge of him, of all our
faith in him, of all our obedience to him. Such was the end and aim of our
blessed Lord, the object for which he came, for which he lived, for which he
died, for which he rose again, and for which he now lives at the right hand
of the Father. He therefore could say, in his intercessory prayer before he
offered himself up—"I have glorified you on the earth; I have finished the
work which you gave me to do." (John 17:4.) And having thus glorified his
heavenly Father on earth by doing his will, (Heb. 10:7,) not seeking his own
glory, but the glory of him who sent him, (John 7:18; 8:50,) he is himself
now glorified in heaven, for he has "entered into his glory," (Luke 24:26,)
being glorified with the glory which he had with the Father before the world
was. If, then, he has left us an example that we should follow his steps; (1
Pet. 2:21;) if we are to glorify him here that we may be glorified with him
hereafter, it must be by our faith and obedience. How plain is this from the
word. But let us trace out its successive steps.
First, then, we "glorify God for his mercy;" (Romans
15:9;) that is, when we receive salvation as flowing to our guilty souls
from his pure mercy, we praise and bless his holy name, as sinners saved by
grace. We therefore read—"Whoever offers praise glorifies me." (Psalm
50:23.) This is the first step, as salvation by grace is the grand
foundation of our living to his praise. But as this mercy and grace are only
manifested in his dear Son, it may be said that the first step which we take
in glorifying God is when we believe in Jesus. By raising him from the dead,
and setting him at his own right hand, God has glorified him; (Acts 3:13;)
for he has highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every
name. (Phil. 2:9, 10; Eph. 1:20, 21; 1 Peter 1:21.) When, then, we believe
in Jesus by that faith which is of the operation of God, (Col. 2:12,) we
glorify the Father. We read of Abraham—"He staggered not at the promise of
God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God." (Romans
4:20.) As, then, we walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham,
(Romans 4:12,) we in our measure glorify God as he did.
But this work of faith is internal—seen of God, but not
seen of men; and, therefore, though glorifying God, yet not giving him that
glory outwardly before the world which he deserves and demands. Here, then,
comes in the next step, which is Christian obedience, or that living to his
honor and praise whereby God is glorified in the world. The world cannot see
our faith, but it can see what that faith does. It cannot understand the
union between Christ and his people, but it can understand good fruit when
it grows on the vine. The Lord, therefore, said to his disciples, "Let your
light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify
your Father who is in heaven." (Matt. 5:16.) And again more particularly, in
his parting discourse—"Herein is my Father glorified, that you bear much
fruit; so shall you be my disciples." (John 15:8.) Thus also speaks the
Apostle—"Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus
Christ, unto the glory and praise of God." (Phil. 1:11.)
But now comes the connection between the precept, and
living to the praise and glory of God; and as this point is not often
explained, or at least not often insisted upon, we shall endeavor to set it
in its true and scriptural light. Be it, then, observed, and ever borne in
mind that, as the glory of God is the end of all our obedience, it must
be an obedience according to his own prescribed rule and pattern. In
this point lies all the distinction between the obedience of a Christian to
the glory of God—and the self-imposed obedience of a Pharisee to the glory
of self. Take a survey of the wide field of what are called religious
duties, religious observances, decided piety, active exertions, and the
whole movements of the religious world. What are they as weighed in the
balances of the sanctuary? What is there of God or of his word in them? When
God gave directions to Moses about the tabernacle and all its vessels, he
said unto him—"And look that you make them after their pattern, which was
showed you in the mount." (Exod. 25:40.) According to this pattern were all
the vessels made, and as such, and as such only, were they accepted and
approved. "The Israelites had done all the work just as the Lord had
commanded Moses. Moses inspected the work and saw that they had done it just
as the Lord had commanded. So Moses blessed them." (Exod. 39:42, 43.) So in
a spiritual sense it is now. The pattern for our guidance in doing the
will of God and living to the glory of God is laid down for us, not only in
the example of Christ—but in the rule of the precepts.
Thus we see that if there were no precept as our guiding
rule, we could not live to the glory of God, or yield to him an acceptable
obedience; and for this simple reason, that we would not know how to do so.
We might wish to do so; we might attempt to do so; but we would and must
fail, as Moses must have failed in building the tabernacle, for lack of a
guiding pattern. As, then, without a revelation of the doctrine of salvation
we would not know how a sinner could be saved, and thus could not glorify
God by our faith; so without a revelation of the precept we would not know
how to serve God, and thus could not glorify him by our obedience.
Look at this point, believing child of God. You long to
glorify God in your body and your spirit, which are his. (1 Cor. 6:20.) You
desire, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, to do all to the glory
of God. (1 Cor. 10:31.) There are times and seasons with you when you sigh
and mourn over your barren, unprofitable heart and life, and earnestly long
to think and speak, and act to his honor and glory who has done so much for
you in providence and grace. At least, if you have no such desires you are
no Christian, and are at the best but a poor, worldly, dead professor. When,
then, and how far do you live to God's glory? Only then, and only so far
as your life, and walk, and conduct harmonize with, and are guided by the
precepts of the word. For see the connection. We can only glorify God
outwardly by doing his will; we can only know that will, as regards our
practical obedience to it, by the express revelation which he has given of
it. Where is that revelation? In his word, and chiefly in the preceptive
part of it. It is this which makes it "a lamp unto our feet and a light unto
our path." (Psalm 119:105.) David therefore cried—"Order my steps in your
word;" "Make me to go in the path of your commandments;" "O that my ways
were directed to keep your statutes;" as feeling that it was only by walking
in the word and by the word that he could please God and live
to his praise. We find thousands in this land who, as they think, are doing
God service by plans and schemes of their own devising, priding themselves
on their good works. But we may say of all these their duties and doings
what Augustine said of the ancient Roman virtues, that they are but "splendid
sins"—or, to use the language of the 23rd Article of the Church of England,
entitled, "Works before Justification," "for that they are not done as God
has willed and commanded them to be done, we doubt not but they have the
nature of sin."
4. We are unwilling to weary our readers by dwelling too
long on one point, and yet we cannot forbear adding another reason to show
the importance of the precept.
On its fulfillment turns the main
test of distinction between the believer and the unbeliever, between the
manifested vessel of mercy and the vessel of wrath fitted to destruction.
To show this point a little more clearly, let us examine the test which our
Lord in various places has given us between those who are really and truly
his by vital union and regenerating grace, and those who have a name to live
and are dead.
First look at the parable of the sower. Out of four kinds
of hearers of the word, one only is saved and sanctified thereby. Now, what
is the test given of this saved hearer? Is it not that he brings forth
fruit? "But he who received seed into the good ground is he who hears the
word, and understands it; which also bears fruit, and brings forth, some a
hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty." (Matt. 13:23.) Can any one deny, in
the face of these words, that the grand distinguishing test of the
good-ground hearer is, that he bears fruit—and that none of the others bear
it? But now comes the question, What is fruit? Is it not inward and
outward—the inward fruits of the Spirit in the heart, and the outward fruits
of godliness in the life? But what rule guides and regulates these fruits,
so as to distinguish them from the "splendid sins" of which we have been
speaking? Evidently the precept, for by that, and in harmony with that, the
Spirit works. Is there, then, heart fruit, such as "love, joy, peace,
long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance?" (Gal.
5:22, 23.) It is wrought by the blessed Spirit, according to the precepts,
"Walk in love, as Christ has also loved us;" (Eph. 5:2;) "Rejoice in the
Lord always, and again I say, rejoice;" (Phil. 4:4;) "Live in peace;" (2
Cor. 13:11;) "Be at peace among yourselves;" (1 Thess. 5:13;) "With
long-suffering, bearing with one another in love," (Eph. 4:2,) etc. Is there
not here a blessed harmony between the inward work of the Spirit and the
outward word of the precept? Again, is there outward fruit? It is needless
to show that this too is in harmony with the precept; for all will
acknowledge the practical character of the precepts of the New Testament.
But now take another test of a similar character from the
Lord's own lips, as brought before us in the parable of the Vine and the
branches. What distinguishes the branches in Christ by living union from the
branches in him by nominal profession? Fruit! "I am the true Vine, and my
Father is the Husbandman. Every branch in me that bears not fruit he takes
away; and he prunes every branch that bears fruit, that it may bring forth
more fruit." (John 15:1, 2.) The sentence against "every branch that bears
not fruit" is that the Father "takes it away"—casts it forth as a barren
branch. And how deals he with the branch that bears fruit? "He prunes it."
Why? "That it may bring forth more fruit." Who, with these words of the Lord
before his eyes, can deny that fruit is the distinguishing test of life, of
grace, of salvation? But this fruit must and will be in harmony with the
precept; for in the bosom of that is lodged all inward and outward
godliness, all spiritual and practical obedience.
Take one more test from the Lord's own lips. Read the
solemn conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount—that grand code of Christian
precept—"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into
practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came
down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet
it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who
hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a
foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams
rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a
great crash." (Matthew 7:24-27.)
What is the Lord's own test of distinction between the
wise man who builds on the rock, and the foolish man who builds on the sand?
The rock, of course, is Christ, as the sand is self. But the test, the mark,
the evidence, the proof of the two builders and the two buildings is the
hearing of Christ's sayings and doing them, or the hearing of Christ's
sayings and doing them not. We may twist and wriggle under such a text, and
try all manner of explanations to parry off its keen, cutting edge; we may
fly to arguments and deductions drawn from the doctrines of grace to shelter
ourselves from its heavy stroke, and seek to prove that the Lord was there
preaching the law and not the gospel, and that as we are saved by Christ's
blood and righteousness, and not by our own obedience or our good works,
either before or after calling, all such tests and all such texts are
inapplicable to our state as believers. But after all our questions and
cavilings, our nice and subtle arguments to quiet conscience and patch up a
false peace, there the words of the Lord stand, and, what is more, will
stand forever, backed as they are by that solemn declaration from the same
lips of eternal truth—"Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down
and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. "Not
everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but
only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 7:19-21)
To draw, then, our argument into a short compass; if
gospel fruit be the test of gospel grace; if, as God's workmanship, we are
as much "created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before
ordained that we should walk in them," as we are made new creatures in
Christ by spiritual regeneration, and are foreordained unto eternal life;
(Eph. 2:10;) if we are as much elected unto obedience as unto the blood of
sprinkling; (1 Pet. 1:2;) and if these good works and this obedience are all
in the closest harmony with, and regulated by the precept, nothing can be
more obvious than its great importance. And if it be thus important, it
certainly has the strongest claim upon our attention and obedience.