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THE IMPORTANCE OF INWARD INTEGRITY
MANKIND at large are chiefly observant of their outward conduct; but the child of God cannot rest in externals: he is anxious about the internal habits of his soul; and desires to have them conformed to the mind and will of God. The words before us strongly express this idea. By many indeed they are interpreted, as if David intended in them to aggravate yet further the guilt he had contracted, which had been in direct opposition both to the profession he had made, and to the light he had enjoyed [Note: In this case, the last clause is read in the past tense; “Thou hast made me to know.”]. But we conceive that the words, as they stand in our translation, convey the true meaning of the Psalmist; and that they relate, not to his sins, but his repentance for them. The sense of them appears to be to this effect; “Thou requirest me to be truly sincere in my present humiliation; and, if I am, as I desire to be, thoroughly sincere, thou wilt make this whole dispensation a source of the most important instruction to my soul.” In this view of the words, they are an humble address to God, declarative of,
I. The disposition He requires—
“Truth,” is a conformity of our feelings and actions to our professions: and this God requires of us in the whole of our spirit and conduct. He requires it,
1. In our acknowledgments—
[We confess ourselves sinners before God. But such a confession is of no value in his sight, unless it be accompanied with suitable emotions. Think then, what becomes us, as sinners: what deep sorrow and contrition should we feel for having offended Almighty God! what self-lothing and self-abhorrence for our extreme vileness and baseness! what ardent desires after mercy! what readiness to justify God in all that he may be pleased to inflict upon us in this world, whatever means or instruments he may see fit to use; yea, and in the eternal world also, even if he cast us into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone, and make us everlasting monuments of his wrathful indignation! This should be the state and habit of our minds: we should have “our hands on our mouths, and our mouths in the dust,” “crying, Unclean, unclean!” In a word, we should adopt from our inmost souls the language of Job, “Behold, I am vile! therefore I repent and abhor myself in dust and ashes.” In proportion as we feel thus, we are upright, and have “truth in our inward parts:” but so far as we are wanting in these feelings, we are hypocrites in heart,” drawing nigh to God with our lips in a way belied by our hearts [Note: Mat_15:7-8.].”
2. In our purposes—
[We profess, as persons redeemed by the blood of our incarnate God, to give up ourselves to him, and to live unto Him who died for us: and, if we are sincere in this, our determination is fixed, that, with God’s help, nothing shall ever keep us from executing this intention. We have deliberately counted the cost. We are aware, that “if we will live godly in Christ Jesus, we must suffer persecution:” but we are prepared to meet it, from whatever quarter it may come, yea, though “our greatest foes should be those of our own household.” We are ready to sacrifice our reputation, our interests, and our very lives also, rather than in any respect deny our God, or suffer ourselves to be diverted from the path of duty. We are determined, through grace, to put away every thing that may retard our progress heavenward, and to aspire after the highest possible attainments in righteousness and true holiness. Now God requires, that we should be acting up to this profession, “setting our face as a flint against the whole world,” and standing in the posture of Daniel or the Hebrew Youths, willing to have our bodies consigned to a den of lions, or a fiery furnace, rather than violate our duty by any sinful compliance. If we are halting or hesitating, we have not truth in our inward parts.]
3. In our endeavours—
[Purposes must be judged of by the exertions that are put forth in order to carry them into effect. A diligent attendance therefore on all the means of grace must of necessity be required of us: in the public ordinances, and in our private chambers, whether we be hearing, or reading, or meditating, or praying, we must be like men in earnest, even like the man-slayer fleeing from the pursuer of blood, that scarcely stopped to look behind him, till he should reach the appointed sanctuary, the city of refuge. Remissness in such a cause argues a want of real integrity: if truth be indeed in our inward parts, we shall run as in a race, which leaves us no time to loiter: and wrestle with all our might, lest we be foiled in the contest; and fight as those who know that there is no alternative but to overcome or perish. In all the interior workings of our minds we shall resemble the Corinthians, who were “clear in this matter [Note: 2Co_7:11.].”]
That we may not be discouraged by the strictness of God’s requirements, let us consider,
II. The benefit he will confer—
There is a wisdom that is to be gained only by experience: what has its seat in the head, may be learned by the head: what dwells in the heart, must be learned by the heart: and of the heart there is but one teacher, even God; according as it is said, “Who teacheth like God [Note: Job_36:22.]:” and again, “There is a spirit in man; and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth him understanding [Note: Job_32:8.].”
Amongst the treasures of wisdom which God will impart to the truly upright, and the hidden things which he will cause them to know, are,
1. The deceits of the heart—
[These are very deep, and absolutely unsearchable [Note: Jer_17:9.]; yet in a measure will God discover them to those who have truth in their inward parts. The world at large know nothing of them: “they are calling evil good, and good evil; they put darkness for light, and light for darkness; and bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter [Note: Isa_5:20.]:” “they feed also on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned them aside, so that they cannot deliver their souls, or say, Is there not a lie in my right hand [Note: Isa_44:20.]?” They contrive to satisfy their minds that all is well with them, or at least to lull their consciences asleep with the hope that all will be well with them before they die. They have a thousand pleas and excuses which they urge in their own defence, and which they vainly hope will be accepted by their Judge. If we attempt to open their eyes, they reply, with indignation, “Are we blind also [Note: Joh_9:40.]?” Thus are they both blinded and “hardened” through the deceitfulness of sin. But those who are really “Israelites indeed, and without guile,” have their eyes opened to see what delusions they have cherished: and being thus “brought out of darkness into marvellous light,” they find that promise fulfilled to them, “They that erred in spirit shall come to understanding [Note: Isa_29:24.].” “Their eye being made single, their whole body is full of light.”]
2. The devices of Satan—
[The men of this world, though “taken in his snares, and led captive by him at his will,” have no idea of his agency. But he is a subtle adversary; and his “wiles” are innumerable. He can even “transform himself into an angel of light [Note: 2Co_11:13-14.];” and, when aiming a deadly blow at our souls, assume the garb of “a minister of righteousness.” His first device is, to persuade men that they are in no danger of the judgments they fear. If he fail in that, he will instil into their minds the notion that they have gone too far, and that there is no hope for them. If that snare do not succeed, he will draw them aside, after some points of less importance, or “matters of doubtful disputation.” Multitudes of false apostles has he at his command, who will gladly aid him in this accursed work [Note: 2Co_11:13.], and concur with him m his endeavours to “corrupt their minds from the simplicity that is in Christ [Note: 2Co_11:3.].” But, if we are following the Lord fully, he will not leave us “ignorant of Satan’s devices, or suffer him to get his wished-for advantage over us [Note: 2Co_2:11.].” He will arm us against that adversary, and enable us to withstand him [Note: Eph_6:11.]. He will give us “the shield of faith, whereby we shall ward off and quench all his fiery darts [Note: Eph_6:16.],” and be able so to “resist him, that he shall flee from us [Note: Jam_4:7.].”]
3. The mysteries of grace—
[“Great is the mystery of godliness,” and great the mystery of grace, whether we consider the work wrought for us by Jesus Christ, or the work wrought in us by his Holy Spirit. These constitute that “wisdom, which is foolishness with man,” and which “the natural man cannot receive, because it is spiritually discerned [Note: 1Co_2:7-9; 1Co_2:14.].” To know this, we must be taught of God: “We must receive, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, before we can know the things that are freely given to us of God [Note: 1Co_2:10; 1Co_2:12.].” And O! how wonderful a work does this appear, when “God shines into our hearts to reveal it to us [Note: 2Co_4:6.]!” How worthy of God! how suitable to man! how passing the comprehension, whether of men or angels! Verily, the man whose eyes are thus opened, seems to be brought into a new world: “old things are passed away, and all things are become new.” The ignorant world are amazed at the new line of conduct he pursues, just as Elisha’s servant was at his master’s confidence in the midst of danger. But, if their eyes were opened to see, as the Believer does, the invisible God [Note: 2Ki_6:15-17. Heb_11:27.] above him and within him, they would wonder rather, that there were any bounds to his transports, or any limit to his exertions.]
4. The beauties of holiness—
[All who are warped by their prejudices, or blinded by their lusts, are incapable of estimating aright the beauty and blessedness of true piety: it appears to them little short of madness. And even those who make a profession of godliness, but possess not truth in their inward parts, have very erroneous conceptions of true holiness. Some place it in a confident espousal of certain principles, or a zealous attachment to a particular party: others, inclining more to practical religion, make all duty to centre in some one point, such as the mortification of the flesh, or almsgiving, or penances of man’s invention. Even those who are more enlightened, are apt to regard only one particular set of graces that are more congenial with their own feelings, and to neglect those which are of an opposite aspect; one despising every thing in comparison of zeal and confidence; another leaning altogether to the side of prudence and timidity. But the man into whose hidden part God has put true wisdom, views holiness, not with prismatic partiality, separating one grace from another, but all embodied, as light in the sun; every grace tempering its opposite, and all combining to the production of perfect beauty. He discards neither the vivid nor the darker ray: but, having all in united exercise, sorrow with joy, and fear with confidence, “the beauty of the Lord his God is upon him [Note: Psa_90:17.],” and he shines in the Divine image in righteousness and true holiness [Note: 2Co_3:18.].]
From this subject we may learn,
1. Whence it is that men get so little insight into the Gospel—
[Many hear the Gospel during their whole lives, and never attain any just knowledge of it. How shall we account for this? We suppose the Gospel to be preached with all possible fidelity, and yet it seems never to convey any light to their minds. The reason is, that they never take any pains to apply it to their own souls, or to get any one truth realized in their own experience. They assent to every thing they hear; but they are content with being hearers, without ever once attempting to become doers of the word they hear. They “see perhaps their face, as in a glass, for the moment; but they go away, and forget what manner of men they are [Note: Jam_1:22-25.].” But our blessed Lord has told us, that we must aim at doing his will, in order to get any just insight into what he has revealed [Note: Joh_7:17.]: and, as this desire is altogether wanting in the persons we are speaking of, they never derive any solid benefit from the Gospel. O Brethren! you must “be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own souls.” You must apply the word to your own hearts: when you hear your sins pointed out, you must endeavour to humble yourselves for them in dust and ashes: when you hear of Christ as the one only Saviour of a ruined world, you must endeavour to flee to him for refuge: when the Holy Ghost is set forth as the one great source of all spiritual life and motion, you must cry to God the Father for his dear Son’s sake to send the Holy Spirit into your hearts, that the whole work of grace may be wrought within you. It is your neglect of thus harrowing in the seed by meditation, and of watering it with tears, that has given Satan an opportunity of taking it out of your hearts as soon as ever it has been sown there [Note: Mat_13:4; Mat_13:19.]. Get the “honest and the good heart,” which truly desires to make a just improvement of the word, and God will yet cause the seed to spring up in your hearts, and to bring forth fruit to the salvation of your souls.]
2. Whence it is that many who profess the Gospel are so little ornaments to it—
[It is a melancholy fact, that many who profess godliness walk very unworthy of their high calling. Like Ezekiel’s hearers, they are gratified with the preaching of the Gospel, as persons are with “one who plays well upon an instrument; but their heart still goeth after their covetousness [Note: Eze_33:31-32.],” or some other besetting sin. But this is owing to their not having “truth in their inward parts:” if they had, they would not be satisfied with professing the Gospel, and talking about it, and looking with pity (or perhaps with contempt) on those who do not understand it: no; they would look to their spirit, that it should be meek and humble; they would look to their conduct also, that it should be blameless and without guile: they would “give no occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.” Ah, Brethren! think what God requires of all, and of those who make a profession of religion more especially: and beg of God to endue your souls with truth and wisdom, “that ye may be sincere and without offence until the day of Christ.” You may fancy that you “know all the depths of Satan [Note: Rev_2:24.]:” but if your professed “hope in Christ does not purify your souls as Christ is pure [Note: 1Jn_3:3.],” you are yet blinded by him, and utterly deceiving your own souls [Note: Jam_1:26.].]
3. How to get the whole work of God perfected in our souls—
[Come to the Gospel with hearts tender and contrite, that they may be to it as wax to the seal. Then shall you have in your own souls “the witness” of all its most important truths [Note: 1Jn_5:10.]: and shall be able to answer from your own experience that question which God puts so triumphantly to all the world: “Doth not my word do good to him that walketh uprightly?” You are not straitened in God: be not straitened in your own souls. Desire much: ask much: expect much: and God will supply your every want “according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”]