Category: David’s Digest (Page 5 of 15)

Verse 21. – Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

Obs 5. From that word filthiness. Sin is filthiness. It sullies the glory and beauty of the soul, defaces the image of God. This expression is often used, “Filthiness of flesh and spirit” (2 Cor. vii. 1), where not only gross wickedness, such as proceeds from fleshly and brutish lusts, is called filthiness, but such as is more spiritual, unbelief, heresy, or misbelief, etc., nay, original corruption is called so, “Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?” (Job xiv. 4.) “How can man be clean?” (Job xv. 14.)

Nay, things glorious in the eyes of men: duties they are called dung, because of the iniquity that is found in them: “I will spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts” (Mai. ii. 3).

So it was in God’s eyes. The Spirit of God everywhere uses comparisons taken from things that are most odious, that our hearts may be wrought into the greatest detestation of sin. Certainly they are much mistaken that think sin an ornament, when the Spirit of God calls it dung and excrement. But more especially I find three sins called filthiness in Scripture:

[The Solution:] Well then, all that hath been said is an engagement to us to resist sin, to detest it as a defilement. It will darken the glory of our natures. There are some spots that are not as “the spots of God’s children” (Deut. xxxii. 5). Oh! let us get rid of these “filthy garments”, (Zech. iii. 4, 5), and desire change of raiment, the righteousness of Christ. Ay, but there are some lesser sins that are spots too: “The garment spotted by the flesh” (Jude 23); unseemly words are called “filthiness” (Ephes. v. 4), and duties “dung”.

Obs 6. From that superfluity of wickedness. That there is abundance of wickedness to be purged out of the heart of man. Such a fulness as runs over, a deluge of sin; “All the imaginations of the heart are evil, only evil, and that continually” (Gen. vi. 5). It runs out into every thought, into every desire, into every purpose. As there is saltness in every drop of the sea, and bitterness in every branch of wormwood; so sin in every thing that is framed within the soul. Whatever an unclean person touched, though it were holy flesh, it was unclean: so all our actions are poisoned with it.

We read of the “overspreading of abominations” (Dan. ix. 27); and David said, “They are all become vile, and gone out of the way” (Psa. xiv.); all, and all over.

[The Solution:] Oh! what cause have we to bless God that there is “a fountain opened for uncleanness”! (Zech. xiii. 1.) Certainly conversion is not an easy work, there is such a mass of corruption to be laid aside.

Verse 20. – For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

Here he renders a reason of the last clause [vs. 19: Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:], why they should take heed of this indignation and rising of their hearts against the word, because the wrath of man would hinder them from attaining that righteousness, and accomplishing that duty, which God requireth in his word.

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Obs 1. From the context, the worst thing that we can bring to a religious controversy is anger. The context speaks of anger occasioned by differences about the word. Usually no affections are so outrageous as those which are engaged in the quarrel of religion; for then that which should bridle the passion is made the fuel of it, and that which should restrain undue heats and excesses engages them. However, this should not be.

Christianity, of all religions, is the meekest and most humble. It is founded upon the blood of Christ, who is a lamb slain. It is consigned and sealed by the Spirit of Christ, who descended like a dove. Both are emblems of a meek and modest humility; and should a meek religion be defended by our violences, and the God of peace served with wrathful affections, and the madness of an evil nature bewray itself in the best cause? Christ’s warfare needs not such carnal weapons; as Achish said, “Have I need of madmen” (1 Sam. xxi. 15), so hath Jesus Christ need of our passions and furies? Does the God of heaven need a “tongue set on fire of hell?” (James iii. 6.) Michael the archangel was engaged in the best cause against the worst adversary, with Satan about the body of Moses; and yet the purity of his nature would not permit him to profane his engagement with any excess and indecency of passion: “He durst not bring against him a railing accusation” (Jude 9).

And as the wrath of man is unsuitable to the matters of God, so it is also prejudicial. When tongue is sharpened against tongue, and pen against pen, what follows? Nothing but mutual animosities and hatreds, whereby, if we gain aught [anything] of truth, we lose much of love and goodness. Satan would fain [be glad to] be even with God. The devil’s kingdom is mostly ruined by the rage of his own instruments, and you cannot gratify Satan more than when you wrong the truth by an unseemly defence of it; for then he [Satan] seems to be quits [even] with Christ, overturning his [Christ’s] kingdom by those which are engaged in the defence of it.

Briefly then, if you would do good, use a fit means. The barking dog loses the prey: violence and furious prosecution seldom gain. Those engage most successfully that use the hardest arguments and the softest words; whereas railings and reviling, as they are without love, so they are without profit. Be watchful: our religious affections may often overset us.

Secondly, observe, the next way of lust [generally, any corrupt desire of the heart, not just sexual] is by flattery, being “enticed”; it comes lapped up in the bait of pleasure, and that mightily prevails with men: “Serving divers lusts and pleasures” (Titus iii. 3). That is one of the impediments of conversion; lust promises delight and pleasure. So “Wickedness is sweet in his mouth, and he hideth it under his tongue” (Job XX. 12). It is an allusion to children, that hide a sweet morsel under their tongues, lest they should let it go too soon.

Neither is this only meant of sensual [things pleasing the senses, not just sexual] wickedness, such as is conversant about meats, drinks, and carnal comforts; but spiritual, as envy, malice, griping plots to undo and oppress others. “They rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked” (Prov. ii. 14). Revenge is sweet, oppression is sweet, to a carnal heart: so “It is a sport to a fool to do mischief” (Prov. x. 23): they are enticed with a kind of pleasure of that which is mischievous to another. Well then,

1. Learn to suspect things that are too delightful: carnal objects tickle much, and beget an evil delight, and so fasten upon the soul. It is time to “put a knife to the throat,” when you begin to be tickled with the sweets of the world. Your foot is in the snare, when the world cometh in upon you with too much delight.

That which you should look after in the creatures, is their usefulness, not their pleasantness: that is the bait of lust [any corrupt desire]. The philosopher could say, that natural desires are properly “to what is necessary.” Solomon said, “Look not upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth its colour in the cup, when it moveth itself right” (Prov. xxiii. 31).

You need not create allurements to your fancy, and by the eye invite the taste. There are stories of heathens, that would not look upon excellent beauties, lest they should be ensnared. Pleasures are but enticements, baits that have hooks under them. The harlot’s lips drop honey in the greeting, and wormwood in the parting (Prov. vii.); like John’s book, honey in the mouth and wormwood in the bowels. God has made man of such a nature, that all carnal delights leave impressions of sorrow at their departure.

2. Learn what need there is of great care: pleasure is one of the baits of lust [corrupt desire]. The truth is, all sins are rooted in love of pleasure; therefore be watchful: noon-day evils are most dangerous, and such things do us most mischief as betray us with smiles and kisses.

Heathens were out that advised to pleasures, that by experience we might be weaned from them; as Tully said of youth, by use of pleasures let us learn to disdain them, as the desires are deadened and flattened to an accustomed object. But alas, this is the bait of lust, rather than the cure. Poor souls, they did not know a more excellent way! It is true, some curiosity is satisfied by experience; but, however, the spirit grows more sottish and sensual [run by pleasing the senses].

Wicked men, when once they are taken in that snare, are in a most sad condition, and think that they can never have enough of sensual pleasures [those aimed at the senses], all delight seems to them too short; as one wished for a crane’s neck, that he might have the longer relish of meats and drinks; and Tacitus spoke of another glutton, that though he could satisfiy his stomach, yet not his fancy or lust; his womb was sooner filled than his eye.