One-Hundred Forty-Five Sermons Upon John 17
2. Let this make thee afraid to affront this power, because it is his who will be thy Judge, before whose Tribunal thou art sure to be arraigned ; This should be a piercing argument: If this power were in him who had nothing to do with thee, as a Malefactor in one Country feareth not the Magistrate in another Country, because his power doth not reach to him, he is none of his Subject; But Christ hath an universal jurisdiction, we must all appear whether we will or no, and to give an account to him; Now what can be more dreadful then to think; This Judge I have dishonored, I have wronged, I have broken all his Commands, Oh if it were any other Judge I could hope to speed better; Oh if you have any love to your souls, lay this to heart; Thy wickedness, thy profaneness it hath been against Christ, It was he that commanded thee, he sent his Ministers to persuade thee, and thou saidst, Give me my lusts rather then Christ, the world rather then Christ, and this Christ is now come to be my Judge; What dost thou think or believe about these things? Why dost thou stop thy ear? Why dost thou stifle thy Conscience? Why dost thou labor to suppress these thoughts within? If that all this power will not pass by thee, though but one man, Think not what care I for this power, I will do well enough howsoever.
3. Consider its power that one day will be expressed only in a dreadful way ; Not the least drop of honey in this Ocean of gall; As yet indeed Christ who hath all power employeth much of it for the salvation of thy soul; He sends his Ministers who entreat you to be reconciled with God, and how should that melt you, for what are you, how despicable and unworthy that God should desire you to be reconciled to him, he needeth you not, he wants you not; This is true, but the time is coming when all his power will be manifested in a dismal condemning way; Then he commands his Gaolers the devils to take and torment forever; Then he comes in flaming fire of vengeance, cry then, if thou wilt, Lord, where is thy power to save? thy power to forgive? and he will say, there is no more time for such power any longer; Expect no more blessings, no more invitations, but now prepare for those torments thou art adjudged unto, Did we preach these things to Heathens and Pagans that do not believe the truth of them, it would be no wonder, if they did not regard them; But how is it that you who say ye believe these things, that you do not go out and weep bitterly.
4. This power is spiritual, it doth reach to the hearts and consciences of men; Oh be afraid lest upon thy wickedness he puts thee forth, lest he make thee a Cain, a Judas: Oh it's not all thy wealth▪ all thy jollity, all thy pleasures that are able to withstand these troubles and tempests, if Christ raise them up in thee; If he deliver thee to Satan, as some were, then Christ withdraweth all his comfort, all peace, and lets the devil be thy tormentor, and thy heart an hell, especially this is done sometimes in time of sickness, under fears of death, when nothing but outward calamity compasseth thee about, then he commands those black and thick clouds to cover thy heart, which are as a gulf between God's mercy and thee; There is no sinner so haughty, so jolly, so scornful, but Christ can quickly turn his Sun into a black night: Every thing shall bring thy sins and hell to thy mind, oh be afraid to live so, lest you provoke Christ to put forth this power.
5. It's a just and righteous power and therefore never expect impunity and freedom ; For what is the sweet poison that undoeth thee, Oh thou thinkest of mercy, thou dreamest of mercy, thou speakest of mercy, but shall not the Judge of the world be just also? And is it not the greatest justice in the world, that as thou wouldst not hear him speaking in the day of grace, so neither should he hear thee begging and crying in his day of justice; Is it not a most just thing that thou who saidst; Let me have my lusts though I be forever separated from Christ, that thy own desires should fall upon thy head? What shall Christ be refused, and that day after day, for every lust and sin, and shall this always be forgotten? Will Christ never be avenged for it?
Lastly, This power of Christ is to inflict eternal misery; It's everlasting fire, and everlasting burnings; It's a fire that never goeth out, worms that never die ; Now what power in the world is like this? Can any make thee miserable forever? Can any say, Be thou in torment to all Eternity? but this is the power we speak of: As the Apostle said, We count not those short afflictions equal to that eternal weight of glory, 2 Cor. 5.14. So ne • there do thou judge those pleasures equal to that eternal woe.
A second Use of Consolation, For this Doctrine is like the Be, it hath a sting and honey, Like the Ark that had Manna and a Rod, Now what unspeakable comfort ariseth from this to the godly, much every way.
1. The Children of God they are subject to sad temptations about the weakness of their graces and the strength of their lusts, David was not more fearful one day or other of being overthrown by Saul, then they are at last to be destroyed either by hypocrisy or apostasy, Now what surer remedy, what more precious cordial can there be then this Omnipotency of Christ, this plenitude of power? It was said of the Pope who pleaded for fullness of Church-power, that it was not plenitudo potestatis but tempestatis ; But it's otherwise with Christ, his fullness of sufficiency is for every want of thine in any spiritual way, he can as easily give thee spiritual things as temporal, if thou wantest bread, health, thou thinkest it's but Christ's command▪ and he can multiply the Loaves, now he is as willing to do this in heavenly things; It's but a word from his mouth and thy proud heart is humbled, thy unruly heart pacified, thy grieved heart comforted, yea, he is more willing to give us spiritual things, then Parents give Children their temporals, how much rather will he give the holy Ghost to them that ask him, Mat. 7. Oh then though all the world cannot help thee in this matter, yet Christ hath power to do it, and as for his willingness, what cause of doubt, seeing he was crucified and underwent voluntarily all that ignominy and curses, that he might be exalted to this power to help thee? Josephs Brethren were afraid because of their guilt, that Joseph now so much preferred would not help them, but he is Joseph, and will forgive wrongs, so also will Christ do to thee.
The second Temptation is about Pardon of sin and God's displeasure: Oh this is a restless Sea in which the godly are tossed up and down; This is the Whales belly that swalloweth up all, Oh but here is a blessed haven, here is one can command the winds and waves to be still, here is one can say, Son, be of good comfort, thy sins be forgiven thee.
3. The outward exercises of the godly are very many, They have many thorns in the flesh, They have deep waters to go through; Now what is an help but the power of Christ, I can do all things through Christ : None but Christ, None but Christ, said the Martyrs: Thou sayest, I have no power, I shall never be able to go through this condition or that, but hath Christ no more? There is power in his Death and power in his Resurrection; Every thing of Christ hath power; The Prophets dead body gave life to one, how much rather shall Christ crucified? Oh but you will say, These are words, These are Fancies, Though Christ hath all this power, I am not a whit stronger, I am as unable as any. I answer, Thank thyself for thy unbelief; All things are possible to the Believer, Christ hath power but the fruit of it is to him that believeth; You see all the cures he worketh, all the wonderful works he did, it was still believe and it shall be thus to you, according to thy faith, so be it to thee: If the Fountain be never so full, unless you come with your vessel you may be scorched with thirst: You see then how all this power and greatness of Christ may be yours; There is nothing in him, but it may profit you, and that is by relying on him, putting confidence in him because of his promise, and if thou sayest, how can I believe? that is also by Prayer to God: Even Christ he giveth this also, viz. to believe.
SERMON X. Of Predestination, or God's giving some of Mankind to Christ (not all) for him to redeem; And what unspeakable Grounds of Comfort to God's People flow from thence.
JOH. 17.2.
THis latter part of the Verse containeth the use and exercise of Christ's Power, which he had from the Father, and therein you may consider,
- 1. The Fruit and benefit of it.
- 2. The Subject on whom this is to be bestowed.
The Fruit is described in the nature of it.
1. Its Life, As Death is the King of Terrors, so life must be the King of joys.
2. The Property of this Life, it's Eternal; This natural life in the midst of the joys that may accompany it, hath this bridle and check; It's but for a short uncertain time.
In the next place you have the manner of obtaining it, Its given ; There is no merit, no antecedent worth but it's given. O this is the benefit.
The Subject who is to partake of this gift, is limited and restrained by this qualification, To as many as the Father hath given him ; So we translate it, regarding the sense, otherwise if it should verbatim according to the Greek, it would be hardly sense to an English ear, For thus it is, That everything which thou hast given him, to them he should give Eternal Life ; Neither indeed is it pure Grecisme, but an Hebraism, where sometimes the Nominative case beginneth the sentence, and then the sense is so cast afterwards, that it quite loseth its Verb, as here, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , There is also the Neuter gender for the Masculine; Or else it's used emphatically to show, that not so much totus homo as the torum hominis, the everything of a godly man is given to Christ, not his soul but his body also; This phrase is several times used especially Joh. 6.37. where it is said, All that my Father giveth me cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out, and will raise him up again ; Where that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 everything implieth body as well as soul, because it's said, he will raise him up; Now when the Father is said to give some of mankind to Christ, that is not to be understood of his divine nature, for so he hath all things as God, but as a Mediator and Redeemer, so that the sense is, God the Father gave some of Mankind • to Christ, committed them to his care and trust, that he should be their Mediator, and obtain everlasting Salvation. From whence Observe,
That not all, but some only of Mankind are given by God the Father to Christ, to be a Mediator for them ; Though Christ have a sufficiency and fullness in him to obtain Salvation for all, yet some only are given to him intentionally by God's Decree to be their actual Savior and Mediator, To as many (saith the Text, as the Father hath given him ; This place doth batter to the ground that pleasing opinion of Universal Redemption, for by that not some but all are given to Christ by the Father, and if so, then all must be saved, for mark that place, Joh. 10.28, 29, speaking of his Sheep, They shall not perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand, for my Father which gave them me is greater then all : We need not a clearer place for these two things, 1. That there are but some that the Father hath given Christ. 2. All those that are given they are sure to have eternal life, because none is greater then the Father, So that those two dangerous doctrines, Universal Redemption, and the total and final apostasy of the true Saints are evidently confuted by that place. This is so clear that we need not matter their many distinctions to obscure the truth. That there are some whom the Father hath thus committed to Christ to be their Mediator, appeareth by this expression, used at other times ; The forementioned place, Joh. 6.37, 39. is considerable; The occasion of that expression was from the unbelief of the Capernaits, who though they had seen Christ's wonders yet believed not, but it was no wonder, for saith he, All that is given me of my Father shall come unto me ; If you had been thus given to me you would believe; Now because it's invisible and altogether a secret, known only to God, who they are that are given to Christ, he showeth a sure and certain fruit of this, They will in time come to him, i. e. believe in him and receive him, so that we may invert the Saying, all that do truly believe in Christ they are given unto him of the Father, and for their encouragement he saith, He will in no wise cast them out, a Metaphor from the Master that takes a Scholar though dull and weak, yet he will forbear and not cast him out, and lest it should be thought that though it be well with them, thus for the present, yet for the future they may be undone, he addeth v. 39. It's the Fathers will, of all which he hath given me, I should lose nothing, but raise it up again at the last day ; Oh the divine and unspeakable consolations that are here treasured up for the godly, So Joh. 10.29. which you heard before; One place there is that may be a stumbling-block, and seem to weaken all, Joh. 17.12. Those that thou gavest me I have kept, and there is none lost but the Son of Perdition : But the answer is, The Apostles are said to be given to Christ in a twofold respect, 1. Of sanctification and glorification, and thus Judas was not. 2. In respect of their Office and calling, as when he said, Have not I chosen twelve, and one of you is a devil? Joh, 6.10. So that there was a twofold giving of some to Christ. The one of Justification to eternal life, the other of office and service, and that this is meant here is plain, because he is called the Son of perdition, implying the reason why though he was given to him, yet he was not saved because he was never so given, but he remained a Son of perdition still: Thus it is answered by some, but the full discussion of it will be when we come to that verse. Let us explain the doctrine.
And first we see here, that God the Father hath power to appoint and determine concerning the everlasting salvation and damnation of men : It's plain, for you see it is as the Father wills, whom he chooseth he giveth to Christ, and others they are left by him, Rom. 8, 19, 20, You see there the Apostle purposely pleading this Sovereign power of God, and withal checking these bold and curious cavils, that men may make against it; Hence Eph. 1. and in other places, Election of some to Eternal life is attributed unto him, before the foundation of the world, and this was not for any good thing foreseen in us, but according to the counsel of his good will, which expression is often used otherwise, as Austin observed, a notable Patron of the Truth against Pelagians, as the Apostle said, It is not of him that willeth or runneth, but of him that showeth mercy, Rom. 9.16. He might have said the contrary, It's not of him that showeth mercy but of him that willeth and runneth. This disparity of God's grace choosing some and leaving others, is plainly asserted by Scripture, Mat. 11. where Christ maketh a solemn acknowledging of it: Yea, we see the means of grace denied to those of Tyre and Sidon, who would have repented in sackcloth and ashes, yet vouchsafed to those of Chorazin, who abused and contemned this; This is dreadful to consider of, But Austin, and after him others do excellently curb this bold Interrogation, Why God the Father draweth this man and not the other, do not (say they) search curiously if thou wilt climb higher, caveat precipitium ; And again, if this Answer of the Apostle, Who art thou O man, that repliest against God? will not satisfy, Quaerat doctiorem, sed caveat, ne inveniat presumptiorem. Take we then this Truth for a foundation, it is in the sovereign power of God to choose whom he pleaseth to Salvation, and to leave the rest in their damnable estate: Neither is this any cruelty or injustice in God, for he might have forsaken all mankind, and not recovered one of them, why then should we so wickedly murmur at God's secret but righteous dispensation of these things, and not rather admire the grace of God that any are saved?
2. This Truth although it be not wholly to be buried, yet it ought to be preached with much sobriety and circumspection, that so no just offense be given ; It ought to be preached though there are those that would have this light under the bushel, For we see the Apostle Eph. 1. and in many other places doth greatly encourage and comfort the godly with that mercy of God in choosing of them before the Foundation of the world, Certainly if this be not known, we cannot set forth the riches of his glory and grace, as the Apostle implieth. The godly are hindered from much of their duty and much of their comfort, while they do not attend to this, yet because this is not milk but strong meat, we must regard the auditory and subject to whom it is preached; It's Nazianzens excellent Rule, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , two or three qualifications as so many battlements he must build to this roof, lest men fall down, as 1. That notwithstanding this predestination, the Fathers giving of some to Christ, yet as every man is saved by the grace of God, so every man is damned from his own proper fault and demerit ; So that we see the Scripture is clear in these three things, that God from all Eternity did choose some to eternal salvation, which cannot be frustrated, and that these he will in time effectually call, and change their hearts, nothing shall prohibit or hinder their conversion; and 3. Those who die and are damned, have cause to blame none but themselves, Thy destruction is of thyself, Death and hell is always made the Wages of sin : Now if you say, how can God's Election and converting grace in time be reconciled with the use of means, this is clear, the Scripture asserts one and commands the other, and if we could not untie this knot, it were our weakness, not any disparagement to the Truth.
Therefore 2. This is so to be preached as that all diligence and care is to be used in the means ; For we cannot think that the Scripture speaks contradiction so notoriously; For in the Epistle to the Ephesians, the beginning of the first Chapter is to describe this great work of God from all Eternity, yet in the latter part he exhorts them to put off all sin, and to be diligent in all their relation graces, and at another time Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it's God that worketh in you ; Yea, Paul who was so ashamed of his Election, and that the Arminians grant he had an absolute Election, yet he kept down his body that he might not be a Reprobate, 1 Cor. 9.27. This indeed is the difficulty how to reconcile these, that absolute Election is not opposed to the means, nor the use of means contradict an absolute Election is affirmed by the Orthodox, several ways have been attempted by the Learned for the concord of them, but suppose we could not be so comprehensive, as Cajetan, and some of the Schoolmen confess it an unsearchable Mystery, and therefore adviseth Preachers to teach their people to submit to it, as to the Mystery of the Trinity, yet seeing the Scripture affirmeth one and commands the other, it's plain they are consistent and compossible one with another, though we could not find out the manner how.
3. Nor to dwell at this time long on this Subject which is but obliquely touched on, God's giving of some only to Christ, is so to be preached, that it doth not discourage any humble Penitent, or troubled man for sin, that seeks and thirsteth after the grace of God ; The weakness of this Doctrine lieth here as it is thought; Therefore the adversaries thereof do continually batter at this place; As if like Pharaoh we demanded bricks, and gave no straw, commanded duty, when at the same time they are excluded by God, Therefore say they, this casteth into the bottom of despair, for the troubled heart may think I am none of those that are given to Christ, though I pray and seek for pardon, yet I may be a dog and not a child, and so none of the Children's bread belongs to me; To this we easily answer, that all those who thus repent of sin and seek after God's favor, they are to be ashamed that this is an effect of their being given to Christ, as you heard, Joh. 18.6. To be given unto Christ is indeed a secret Mystery transacted in heaven, but to come unto Christ, that is the sure effect of those that are given to him, and those that come to Christ he will in no wise cast out ; So that the grieved contrite spirit ought to be so far from having any trouble herein, that he ought exceedingly to rejoice at it, for the efficacy of all the promises will be to such, They are blessed that hunger and thirst after Righteousness, Mat. 5.
These things premised, let us consider what admirable treasures are bound up in this Truth, that God the Father hath given and betrusted some with Christ, that he should be their Mediator, and some things are considerable from the Father, and some things from Christ.
From the Father,
First, That the Original and Fountain of all the good and happiness God's People partake of is from the Father. This primary and first Root was so far from being merited by Christ, that Christ himself is a fruit thereof; God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that he that believeth in him should have eternal life, Joh. 3.16. Howsoever therefore Christ be the meritorious cause of all the fruits of Election, conversion, justification and salvation, yet of Election itself, or that will of God to bestow eternal life on some, and for this purpose to send his Son, this is only from the Father: The impulsive cause was the only good pleasure and counsel of God, yet this love you must know was not a Law of reconciliation or amor amicitiae, for so God is reconciled with us only in Christ, but benevolentiae or beneficentiae, a will to do good, and for that end to ordain efficacious means thereunto; so then if we go to the Spring and root out of all those glorious privileges Believers partake of, it will be found the mere good-will and pleasure of God, and certainly this should greatly enlarge us in thankfulness, that when we could not have any thoughts concerning ourselves, when we could not so much as desire, yea, when we lay in the womb of nothing, that God had a gracious purpose to us, yea, before the world was made, God's thoughts were upon thee; The Apostle doth often mention this.
Secondly, This doth imply that God the Father hath chosen some from others, and given them as a charge, or trust to Christ, so that he doth expect their Salvation and happiness by Christ's means: They are called God's Jewels, They are called his hidden ones, all the other part of mankind is but as refuse, dross, these are his Pearls, These are his Stars, his peculiar people, Though all the earth be his, and all the men in the world under his dominion, yet these have a peculiar interest; No marvel then if God make such comfortable promises to them, if all Angels must be their guardians, If all things shall work to their good, for God hath set his seal on them; Oh the transcendent happiness of those that are thus dignified!
Thirdly, Hence it is that there is no cause of doubt to be made by the people of God, whether God the Father will accept of Christ's Mediation for them, for it is as amongst men ; as if he should offer to lay down a sufficient prize to redeem such a captive, considering that all this agreement came originally from the Father; So that Christ saith, The Father gave him these to he a Mediator to them, yea, that the Father loveth him, because he laid down his life for his Sheep: This followeth unquestionably, that whom Christ presents to his Father, the Father will not refuse; Oh then stand and admire at the felicity which the Scripture hath assured thee of; Those whom Christ brings to the Father, it was his will and antecedent purpose that Christ should mediate, and is there any doubt then whether God the Father will embrace thee or no?
Fourthly, Those whom the Father giveth to Christ, that they may know this mercy by the effects of it, shall assuredly one time or other find this glorious work upon them, that they shall come to Christ. Though their temptations be never so great, their oppositions never so many, Though of all men in the world you would think such were the farthest off from Christ, yet Joh. 6. They shall come to him, God will so wonderfully change their hearts, mollify and soften them, he will so overcome and conquer all contrary resolutions, that of unwilling they shall be made willing; Oh that is a commanding expression, He shall come unto me, and lest we doubt of it, again it is said, None can come unto me unless my Father draw him ; So the Father will draw him to Christ, that is, he will certainly and surely so overpower his heart, that he will not, he cannot withstand any longer the motions of grace upon his soul.
Lastly, In that God the Father giveth some to Christ and not other, we see all works, all merits, any supposed good or worth in us falls to the ground ; No wonder then if the Scripture doth so diligently exclude all the works that we have done, giving all to grace, for you see the great business of our salvation was accomplished between the Father and our Mediator, before we had any being or knowledge of it; O that even such pestilential doctrines full of pride and haughtiness should ever get footing in Christ's Church, for though the Scripture pleads the necessity of works, yet wholly excludeth the causality of them.
In respect of Christ the Mediator; There is observable,
1. The transcendent love of Christ who did willingly undergo this charge ; For when the Father gave them to Christ it was on those hard terms that he should live so meanly and die so ignominiously for their salvation; This was a bitter cup for him to drink, which made him pray, If possibly it might pass away, Mat. 26.42. howsoever he submitted to his Fathers will, What is man or the salvation of man to Christ that he should so prize it? Could their salvation have been as easily obtained, as Christ made all things, by a word, it had been something but it cost him many agonies, He became a curse for us, he seemed to be forsaken both of God and man, so then stand and admire the terms upon which these are given to Christ, God the Father saith thus to him, I will that thou procure the salvation of these men, but it can be no otherwise then by thy own blood, whatsoever curses justice would have inflicted on them, thou must undergo; Oh the tongue of men and Angels is not able to express this; Were we not such cold clods of earth, this love of Christ would set our hearts all on fire, who would not part with his lusts, with his sins, for Christ who hath thus loved us to the death of the Cross? Shall he part with his blood, and wilt not thou with a sin which will breed nothing but torment hereafter? Though it be now honey in thy mouth, yet it will be gravel in the belly.
2. This supposeth the security and safety of the godly, Nothing can hinder them of this salvation, Our life is hid with Christ in God, Col. 3.3. They must pull Christ out of heaven overthrow the power of God the Father ere they can be destroyed, and their security stands upon a twofold bottom. 1. His faithfulness to discharge his trust; What doubt may be made seeing Christ hath undertaken the work of thy salvation, Not that thou shouldst live in ease, and eat and drink, and take no care for thy soul; This is to add honey to poison, but in respect of the meritorious and satisfactory part, so Christ hath undertaken all, when thou art required to believe and repent, it is not to merit, to satisfy, it's upon other grounds; Now then will it not be blasphemy to say, Christ will be found unfaithful in his trust? To say that Christ should lose any of those jewels that were put into his custody? indeed if our salvation and happiness were in our keeping, we should be prodigal of it every day, we are found unfaithful in every temptation, but so is not Christ: As he is yea and Amen▪ the same yesterday, and today, and forever, so is thy salvation sure to be; It must needs be sure because of the power of Christ, Joh. 19.30. I and my Father are one, said Christ, even to this particular, Now none is greater then my Father, None can pluck them out of his hands, Consider that they are in God's hands, he keeps them always as a precious jewel, and he that will destroy them must pluck them out of God's hands whether he will or no, he must be stronger then God that can do this; It was Caesar's boast that he had ten Legions of such valiant Soldiers that could vel ipsum coelum diruere, pull down even heaven itself, a vain and wicked boast, but no power of men or devils are able to take these treasures out of God's hands.
Use of Examination, Try whether thou art one of those that are thus given to Christ ; and in this I mean not thou shouldst climb up into heaven, see whether thy Name be written in the Book of Life, but know this by the infallible property of him who is thus given to Christ, and that is to come to him ; What my Father hath given me will come to me, and the Father will draw him; Now coming to Christ is not pedibus but affectibus, Dost thou take him for thy Lord and King? Art thou willing to renounce all those lusts and sins which have had dominion over thee? Dost thou cry out and say, Oh blessed Lord, my sins, my oaths, my pride, my uncleanness, have kept me from thee? Conscience bid me come, the Word of God bid me come, but still this sin or the other kept me back; But now Lord I have broken all the snares, here I am to do what thou wilt have me, oh it's to be lamented with bitter lamentations to see how few come to him though he giveth such encouragements.
SERMON XI. Treateth of Eternal Life in the Nature and Properties of it,
JOH. 17.2.
HAving dispatched the Subject to whom this fruit of Christ's power is to be vouchsafed, we come now to the Fruit and benefit thereof, and that is Eternal Life ; In which we will also comprehend the manner of obtaining it; viz. by way of gift, He will give ; The greatness of the gift though it may be apprehended, yet it cannot be comprehended; Though we had the tongue of Angels, and the understanding likewise, yet we should but speak as a child, and think as a child, when this matter of Divinity is our Theme. Every thing is inviting; Its life, No rich man, no poor man, but desireth this; It's Eternal Life, and so can be much less rejected, and it's by way of gift, Nothing can be more welcome; It's life, there is the necessity of it; It's eternal life, there is the excellency of it; It's given, there is the freeness of it, so that this gift here supposed is not within this Horizon, nor is it made for this Meridian, but it extends to the world to come; The wisest of the Philosophers were in a misty darkness about this matter; It was much debated whether any happiness did remain after this life, and although sometimes confused thoughts did work on them, as on that man who reading a Book of Immortality, was so transported, that he killed himself immediately to enjoy it, yet these were but general indigested notions, only the Scripture doth give us a distinct and accurate account of this blessedness after our lives in this world, so then we see here an unspeakable privilege, and that most certainly to be bestowed on them, whatsoever their lives be here, though poor, though miserable, though afflicted, though troubled, yet they shall have an eternal life.
Obs. That Christ will give to those that are his Eternal life.
I shall not enlarge myself according to the vast nature of this Subject, which cannot be well understood but by the fruition of it, and if you should ask what it is, we should desire time still to express it, as he did, what God was, yet I shall limit my Discourse to a threefold general head.
- 1. To speak of it positively what it is.
- 2. Comparatively to this temporal and present life.
- 3. Oppositely, to eternal death.
And these three particulars will tend to manifest the greatest excellencies of it; Though when we have fully satisfied▪ you with this bread, it will so multiply, that many fragments may be taken up.
First therefore positively, This Eternal Life doth essentially lie in the immediate fruition and enjoyment of God : This the Scripture doth often call seeing of God, for howsoever it be disputed by the Learned whether the bodily eye shall be elevated so supernaturally, that it shall be able to see the divine essence, though spiritual and immaterial, yet so far as seeing doth imply enjoying and immediate fruition of God, so far they are sure to partake of it; Now then consider how great a mercy this is, To have God the Object of all our love, joy, and delight, For he only is that universal and infinite object which can satiate and comfort the heart : All these earthly comforts they are too narrow, too little for the soul: Divines say, The soul of a man hath an infinite appetite, it desireth this, and it desireth that, and nothing but God is such an universal good that can fully replenish it; Now David even in this life he saith, Whom have I in heaven and earth but thee? Psa. 13.35. how much rather will this be true in heaven? God is the center of the soul, it is unquiet and restless till it fix there: Take all the men in the world, who have drunk deepest in the streams of these earthly comforts, yet still they thirst; There is a dropsy on them, still they would have more and other objects, They have a feavori • h heat with them, That makes them restless, whereas when we come to Christ we shall find rest to our souls, and He that drinketh of this water shall never thirst more, Jo. 4.14. so then we see what eternal life is, it's all the good that God is, What good is in God, that the believer hath, and how unreasonable is it to think that there is a better good then he; If the Creator cannot satisfy, can the Creature? From hence it is that the godly do so long for this time of enjoying him, I desire to depart, saith Paul, Phil. 2.23. The Church crieth for Christ to Come quickly : Those Patriarchs looked on themselves as Pilgrims, and desiring a better City then that of this world; so then you can but judge of this happiness by the footsteps, by the drops of it; If there be any attractive good in the creature, it's but a drop, God the Fountain he is the Ocean: Now in this object God enjoyed, there are these remarkable properties of his goodness.
1. He is the Universal good, he is the bonum in qua omnia bona, There cannot be any desirable perfection but it is in him; The Creatures have their particular limited goodness, health hath its, wealth hath its, learning its, but now God is the Jehovah, all beings are eminently in him; As the Psalmist argueth, He that made the eye, shall not he see? he that made the ear, shall not he hear? Psal. 94.9. He then that makes this and that thing desirable, is not he much more desirable? Is there a ground to love Father, Mother, Wife, or Children, and not much rather to love God? so that that Command Mat. 22. hath the greatest reason, where God willeth to be loved with all the heart, all the soul, all the might ; for there is nothing hath any good which is the Object of love, but it's in God, or from him, There is none good but God saith Christ, so then what are Stars to the Sun? The Stars cannot dispel the night, only the light of the Sun can do that; Thus only God and the light of his countenance can make the heart happy, as having all things.
2. That good which God is, it is an unmixed sincere good ; He is so good that there is no trouble in him, for that is the imperfection of all earthly good things, as there is a drop of honey, so there is a drop of gall; Every Rose hath its thorn; If God gives thee any mercy in this life, yet still there is a sting as well as honey, so that no condition, no mercy hath everything in it; Though they have this, yet they want another, and hence Solomon who gave himself to find out this Philosophers stone, to obtain an happiness if it could be in this world, yet upon experience he giveth this Motto of everything, Vanity of vanities, all is vanity Eccl. 1.1. But do the Saints in heaven, who have had the experience of enjoying God, pass such a sentence upon that happiness in heaven? Of this honey in the world we must not eat too much lest we surfeit; But there is fullness without nauseating; There is replenishing and yet always hungering, God is as much desired after millions of years as at the first moment in heaven; Hence this life is to be spent only in joy, in praises, and gladness of heart; Oh that we could affect our hearts more with this eternal life, it would be a great comfort in afflictions, and a quick spur to all duties.
Lastly, God who is thus the object of this Eternal life, is the proper, peculiar, and convenient good; No object is so suitable and adequate to the heart as he is, howsoever moral Philosophers say, good is the object of the will, yet they say, It's not good in the general or absolute, but that which is proportionable and convenient; The sick man desireth health, because it's the good proportionable to his wants, so the tormented man, ease; Thus although it be true that since man is fallen and corrupted with sin, God is not proportionable or suitable to him; Hence wicked men are said to hate God, Exod. 20. yet take we man according to his Creation, and the Image of God first planted in him, and so God was his ultimate end, in him only could he have full complacency, and so as far as we are regenerated and this holy Image restored in us, Nothing can satisfy us but God, We see David in many of his Psalm • , he discovers several extremities and necessities upon him, yet the only cure is the light of his countenance ; Let God look graciously on him, let him draw near to him, and then the troublesome waves are presently quiet.
2. This Eternal life doth positively consist in the beatifying the soul and the whole body, sanctifying it so fully that now it can enjoy God : For though God be never i • glorious an object, yet till the soul be made perfect he cannot enjoy God; No more then the Sun which is primum visible, yet because of its dazzling luster the eye is too weak to behold it steadfastly; Now in heaven the spirits of just men are said to be made perfect, and no corruptible thing can inherit the Kingdom of heaven ; This then, this eternal life is seen in that the soul, yea, the whole man is • o heavenly and holy, so perfected in everything, that it's made capable of all this happiness; The godly have communion and fellowship with God in this life, now they are no more capable of this, if not sanctified, then a beast can converse with a man; Hence because this sanctification is impotent, we know in part, we believe in part, We see him but in a riddle, not face to face, but then shall we know him even as we are known of him, 1 Cor. 13.12. It was a general received opinion, as appeareth by several examples in the Old Testament, that if God made any glorious appearance to man, he should presently die, so Manaoh and others argued, and whence rose that apprehension but because of the glorious Majesty of God, and the vain, weak, frail nature of man? Oh but in heaven where God is in all his glorious manifestation, and we shall behold him continually, yet there shall be no faintings, no fears within us, and all is, because the Saints are then glorified and perfected in soul and body; There's not the least spot or wrinkle of sin to put them to any shame or fear within.
3. This Eternal Life consists in a quick and lively apprehension of this happiness it hath, without which happiness could not be happiness ; A man in a Lethargy though he liveth, yet he is as good as dead, because he perceiveth not his own life, neither doth he take any pleasure in any earthly contents; Hence it is, that the inanimate creatures, Trees, and Rocks, though they should be free from pain, yet cannot be said to be happy, because they have no faculty of reflection, They cannot perceive or discern their happiness, but in this eternal life, The knowledge and assurance of their happiness is that which makes it indeed to be a blessed life; The Heavens are not happy though they shall abide ever, because they have not life, nor can they reflect upon what they are; A child in the womb, though heir to a vast inheritance, yet cannot take any comfort from it, because he hath no reason to discern it; But then our souls shall have the most accurate quickness, and there will not be the least circumstance that shall aggravate our happiness, but we shall apprehend it, we shall know how to improve every comfortable consideration; Alas, in this life the godly through their weakness of knowledge and faith, make not that advantage of Christ as they may: There are many blessed arguments to refresh their souls, and they know them not or attend not to them, but when we shall come to eat of this bread of life, we shall not lose one crumb of it; Then there is nothing shall be hid from our eyes, but according to our capacity we shall then love God and Christ, and enjoy them to the full.
Come we in the next place to the properties of this life, for we can better speak of them then the life itself, as we can better look upon the Sun-beams then the Sun itself.
And 1. It's a continued life of happiness ; There is no interruption or stop put to this joy and comfort, and that is a transcendent thing, for in this life two things intermit our joy.
1. Occurrent adversities, contrary miseries, our health is taken away by diseases, our wealth by poverty, our hopes by fears, so that every man's life hath more gall then honey.
And 2. If there were no opposite calamity, as there was not to Adam, yet there is a natural intermission of it by sleep, so that if we were never so happy, yet as often as we sleep our Sun would be eclipsed, but this happy life we speak of admits of neither of these Interruptions; There cannot be any misery or grief there, for God will wash away all tears from their eyes, and it must needs be so, because all the cause of misery which is sin, is there taken away, so that as there cannot be any thunder or lightning in the upper Region, because the vapors which are the materials of it cannot ascend so high, can have no entrance there, so because no unclean thing, no sinful thing can enter heaven, therefore no evil, no misery, or affliction can come there; This should make us all despise this valley of tears for that Mount of Vision or transfiguration, What is this Wilderness to that Canaan? What are these husks to that Manna? Why are we so hardly plucked out of this world that hath so many thorns and troubles with it, to enter into heaven? where there is no grief, no complaining or discontent at all.
Again, There is not the second intermission of this happiness ; for there is no night, no sleep nor drousiness, but it is a waking, joyful life to all Eternity: Alas, if here we should have the most desirable comforts that can be, yet we would call for a time to sleep, they could not keep us alive without this bodily Rect; but there the body is made so glorious a body that it's no more capable of sleep, then it is of hunger or thirst; Oh then happy and thrice happy is that life where thou shalt not for a moment be taken off from God. It's impossible for the godly in this life to have an actual love and complacency in God, never to be distracted or diverted by other thoughts, something or other comes and steals the heart away, and layeth the dead child in the room of the living one, but then we shall have a constant intuitive beholding of God, and nothing shall withdraw us from him, Thus it is not to be interrupted.
2. In this life there is an affluence and an accumulation of all things to make it blessed ; The very Philosophers thought happiness must be such a state wherein was an aggravation of all good things, so that if a man could have all good things, and want but one, he could not be called an happy man; Hence in the Scripture the Hebrew word for happiness is in the plural number, because it is not one or two, or twenty good things can make a man happy, but there must be all things; And for this reason it is that the Scripture hath so many variety of resemblances to represent this blessedness; To show you, that it hath all desirable things; It's called a Kingdom, a Crown of glory, a Feast and Banquet, a place of joy; Heaven is said to be paved with all precious stones; Now why doth the Scripture use such expressions? Not that we should conceive any carnal pleasures or worldly contents there, as Muhammad's Alcoran speaketh, of a brutish happiness altogether sensual, but from earthly things would lift up your hearts to heavenly, it would gather you a Posy of the finest flowers, and tell you, heaven is this, Do but abstract the imperfections of the creatures, and the perfection that is in heaven; Even as Divines say concerning the perfections of creatures, God hath them, but in an eminent manner abstracted from the imperfections, he hath wisdom but not the imperfection of man's wisdom, he doth understand, he willeth as well as a man, but not with the imperfection of a man, So it is here: Heaven is riches, heaven is health, heaven is glory, heaven is honor, but still without the imperfection of these earthly comforts.
3. This life is a glorious life ; Beside freedom from evil and a positive affluence of all good, there is external glory to make it yet more desirable; Our souls shall be made glorious souls, our bodies glorious bodies: Heaven is a glorious place ; The Angels are glorious, the Majesty of God will then be resplendent in all his glory; If the Queen of Sheba had no more spirit within her, beholding Solomon's temporal glory, how ravishing must this heavenly glory be? The Scripture everywhere speaks of the glory of this condition, now glory is that which exciteth all generous spirits, What did the Romans, the Pharisees do for glory? but it was a vain, empty glory; This is called by the Scripture, The exceeding weight of glory, 2 Cor. 4.17. It's a solid, substantial glory, glorious within and without also.
4. It is an holy life; For if you ask what shall be the employment of those who have this Eternal life: The Scripture tells us that both Angels and Saints are wholly exercised in this, in praising and glorifying God; The Angels Isa. 6. are brought in crying, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts : And this is that which makes wicked men so careless about it; They rather desire a brutish sensual life, Let us eat and drink, as if they were so many Swine, but as the life of a Beast is not comparable to that of a man, so neither are the pleasures and joys of the flesh like those of holiness; Hence it is that those who live holily have a taste and firstfruits of this eternal life; He that believeth hath eternal life, Joh. 6.54. He hath it already, both in respect of a sure Title and interest, as also of the taste and pledges of it in his soul; Wonder not then if you see men given up to their lusts, no ways diligent to obtain this life; The holiness of it is no motive to them, no more then a Pearl doth affect a Swine; They must be holy who desire such an holy life.
5. It's a spiritual life that differs from the former, because it's opposite to that animal life, we live here; The body is made a spiritual body, we shall there no more hunger or thirst, no more eat or drink: All those civil and natural actions will be done away; No more delight in Father, in Wife, in Children, for the soul is wholly swallowed up with the love of and delight in God: As when the Sun ariseth we cannot see the Stars, so when God shall come to fill the capacity and potentiality of the soul, no more earthly comforts can be discerned by us: It's a true Rule, that spiritual delights are far more transporting and affecting the heart then any bodily can be; As those who are in an ecstacy and rapture, they mind no worldly thing: Paul did not know whether he was in the body or out of the body, yea, the delight in study did so transport Archimedes, that he was drawing lines when Syracuse the City he was in, was taken, so that as David said of prevailing grief, some Philosophers could say of their delight in study, They forgot the time to eat their bread: Now spiritual delights must needs elevate higher then all these: Hence it is that Divines say, The beatifical vision or fruition of God makes it impossible for the Saints to sin, They cannot leave God so excellent and full to cleave to any creature; As a man that hath tasted honey doth not like the taste of other things, or as he who hath long gazed on the Sun hath his eyesight taken away to behold other things. The Apostle tells us, 2 Cor. 4.15. that while we behold the glory of the Gospel, we are transformed into his Image ; If faith in God in this life is so able to assimila • e us unto God, that he purifieth himself as God is pure; If Moses by speaking with God face to face had such glory communicated to him, that the people were not able to behold the glory of his face, what a Transmutation will that immediare beholding of God make in us? We see the Disciples in a transient sight of this were so transported that they said, It is good for us to be here, let us build Tabernacles ; They would never have gone to their former lives again; If a drop do thus work, what will the Ocean do?
Use Of Instruction to Inform us, That true happiness which is Eternal life cannot be had on this side heaven; It's said, the desire of happiness is imbred in all; No man can refuse the desire of it; Ask every man in the world what he would have, he will answer you, happiness ; Only here is the miserable corruption in us, we mistake where it is, we seek for it where it cannot be had; The voluptuous man would have it in his pleasures; The Ambitious man in honor and earthly greatness; All seek for it in this world; But how do you, like the blind Sodomites grope and feel after that which you cannot find? Go home and say, I am not yet happy, I am rich but not happy; I have worldly comforts, but this as no more happiness then a Landfloud is to the Sea, yea, for all this happiness thou hadst better never have been born, Every worm, every toad is happier then thou art; Oh then persuade thyself thou art not yet in the haven, Thou art in the Wilderness, not yet in Canaan; Nulla verior miseria quam falsa laetitia, and such joy, such comfort, such delight is all thou hast who hast not God.
SERMON XII. A Consideration of Eternal Life compared with this present life, And with its contrary, viz. Eternal Death.
JOH. 17.2.
ETernal life in the nature and some properties of it hath been treated on; There remains one more, which I shall mention, viz. that in the Text Eternal ; Therefore take the best wine at the last, That which crowneth all, and without which whatsoever happiness or glory might be had, it would in time fall as the leaf from the Tree, and this is Eternity ; And here again we must be more in our acclamations and divine amazements at it then descriptions of it. The Schoolmen they tell us, that Eternity is like a fixed star now, whose whole is altogether; There is no succession, no former or latter in Eternity, but all is together: I shall not perplex you with such intricacies, Eternity itself being only a fit space to know what Eternity is This only take notice of, That a thing may be said to be eternal in a twofold sense, 1. Absolutely and simply, so that it hath neither beginning or ending, and thus only God is eternal. Thus Deut. 33.27. God is called the Eternal God : Or else Eternal is used for that which had a beginning but never shall have an end, this is called Eternum a posteriori ; and so this blessed life is called eternal, for although it had a beginning, yet it shall never have an end, but after millions and millions of imaginary years, they are to continue in this life, as if it were the first moment; Let us then consider as much as we are able what an infinite and incomprehensible happiness this is, which shall be forever, Then shall we be with the Lord forever, saith Paul, 1 Thes. 4.17. Who is not put into ecstasies and raptures, while he seriously meditateth on these things? Alas in this life if we had the confluence of all desirable comforts, yet because our life is short and uncertain, our joy also can be no longer; But there, whatsoever glory thou dost once partake of, thou shalt never lose it; It will be thy Crown forever, thy Kingdom forever, thy glory is ever lasting glory; O the depth and unsearchableness of this grace and love of God: well might Christ say, he would give it, and Paul call Eternal Life the gift of God, Rom. 6.23. For who can think that these duties which we do here are meritorious of such eternal glory, for grant they were perfect, and had no dross in them, yet there is no proportion in the time, for thy faith, thy repentance, they were transient acts, such as do pass way, but this Eternity abideth forever. So in that it is eternal, the freeness of it is necessarily implied; What hath a cup of cold water given in the Name of Christ of condignity with an eternal reward: Oh then that by faith we could fix our hearts upon this eternal life, that we could say, what do we here? What is this life that we now live to that eternal life? Why have I not this more in my thoughts and desires? Why do I not rise and go to bed with hungerings and thirstings after this? especially let wicked men, who for to fulfill every base and unworthy lust, lose this eternal life, to go home weeping and how • ing, and making bitter Lamentations; For they for a lust that passeth in a moment, undo themselves to all Eternity.
Thus you have heard the properties of it: In the next place consider it comparatively with this present life, and you will see what a Mole-bill is to the vast heavens, that is, this life to eternal life.
For 1. This life is but short, fading, and fleeth away as a shadow ; It's not a life but a shadow of a life; We live but in a dream, We act a life upon a Stage, There is but a life represented not really lived; Hence the Scripture useth so many similitudes to express this nothing; Sometimes this life is called a flower, Psa. 90. which though sweet for a while, presently dieth; Sometimes a Flood, that makes a sudden noise, and is immediately swallowed up in the earth; Sometimes to a bubble, to a vapor, to a shadow, to a thread : Now why are all these expressions? but to tell us. This life is no life, it deserveth not the name of a life, and yet as poor and short as it is, what an imbred desire have we to it? Skin for skin, and all that we have we would exchange for it ; how welcome then and desired should eternal life be, which compared with this life, is like the Ocean to a drop? Now lay up both these lives together, this fading moment, and that enduring Eternity, and admire the madness of wicked men, who say, Give me this life, Let me here live in my pleasures and lusts, though I be deprived of eternal life, This foolish choice is made by every wicked man.
2. This life as it is short so it is full of troubles and miseries; Few and evil have my days been, said Jacob, Gen. 49.9. though a godly man who had sometimes the presence of God immediately refreshing him in this Pilgrimage. It hath been the saying of some, That if they were to live the life they have lived, over again; They would not accept of such an offer, because the water of it hath been more then the wine, the gall then the honey: Hence Job saith, Man that is born of a woman is for adversity as the sparks fly upwards, Job 5.7. Nothing is so connatural and proper for man as to be miserable: Compare then Eternity with this where all evil is done away: Nothing but glory and fullness of abundance; Eternal and happy may the Saints glorified say, their days are; Yet here again is a great discovery of every wicked man's madness, To have a few evil days, wherein thou hast more vexation then comfort, thou wilt lose this eternal blessed life, and if thou sayest, I hope not so, I do not intend to do so, that will not avail thee, for this eternal life is vouchsafed to none, but those that repent of, and wholly forsake their sins; Never then blind thy eyes, and delude thyself with vain hopes; Thou for thy sins sake dost voluntarily refuse this eternal life.
3. This life is full of fears, We are obnoxious unto death from principles of corruption within, as also from violence without; So that if we could suppose an universal good in this life, That we had mercies and no sorrow mingled with them, yet the fear of losing them or our death no longer to enjoy them, may justly be the death in the pot, or the root of bitterness in all our joys: There is no ground we can shadow ourselves under, but a worm will arise either from it, or from ourselves, or God will create one to destroy it, so that when all things are to our hearts desire, yet we are not able to say, I fear not the loss of it, neither death, or the violence of man can deprive me of it, but still we are subject every moment to an alteration, set we then this eternal life by it, and there we shall see how glorious that is comparatively, for as there is an universal good, so there is a quiet, full, and secure possession of it; There is no danger from within or from without: Adam though created happy, yet was mutable, The devil seduced him out of all his felicity; but now there is a confirmation of the Saints in heaven, if once in possession of glory there cannot be any to eject them, unless there could be a stronger then God: It's not so much happiness as security in happiness that makes a man blessed, Fear to lose it takes off from the enjoying of it, but it's not so with this eternal life, There is all quietness, all security, and ease, and certainly if the Apostle Rom 8. even in this life can make such a glorious charge: Who shall separate us from the love of God through Christ? Neither death, nor things present, nor things to come. How much more shall they in heaven triumph after this manner? If those that are tossed up and down in the Sea have such security, what may they have who are in the haven? Upon this account it is that our Savior bids them treasure up that wealth, Mat. 6.20. where thieves cannot break through and steal ; By that he means no secret craft or open violence can get away that treasure; Here again we see the madness of wicked and earthly men; They venture their souls, and God, and heaven and all to get this uncertain wealth, these uncertain pleasures, which when they have they may fear every moment that voice from heaven; Thou Fool, this night thy soul shall be taken from thee ; Thus they do when a secure, certain and permanent treasure is to be tendered to them: It's a rule which all commend for the wisdom of it, Tene certum, & dimitte incertum, and this they will keep too in earthly affairs, but then for heaven and eternal happiness, there they are devoid of all understanding.
4. This life is measured by time, as are all the things therein: There is a succession of comforts, we cannot have all comforts together: All these things in the world are in a swift motion, and nothing stands still: The comforts we had the last year, or the last day, or the last hour, they are gone, we cannot have them anymore; Thus everything in this world being measured by time is in a continual flux: There is the first, and the second, and so still all is passing, and what is past we have not, and what is to come we do not yet enjoy, so that there is nothing but the present advantages that we are properly said to possess, now put eternal life to this, and it's the clean contrary, even as Eternity is to time, for whereas time is in a continual transient being, Eternity is an whole and full possession of all together; There is no past, present, or to come in Eternity, but Eternity comprehends all these things together, even as the greater wheel comprehends at once all the motions of the less wheel within it, and certainly this consideration is able to swallow us up, Thy comforts do not flow and reflow, They do not pass and others come, but thou art in a stable, permanent way of enjoying all happiness together, Thou canst not be less happy at one time then at another; Thou canst not expect greater joy then thou hast, neither canst thou wish for any joy that is past, so great a matter is Eternity.
In the Last place, This Life is full of dissatisfaction, even in the vertical Point of all its blessedness; The heart of a man morally as well as naturally is always in motion, never lieth still: It's always hydropical, the more it drinketh the thirstier it is still: Solomon you heard that made it his study and endeavor to have content in this world, yet it could not be, he may as soon think to make an Oystershell hold the Ocean, as that these earthly things can fill the heart; What man is there who liveth a mere earthly life, that can say, he is satisfied, he desireth nothing? Indeed we read of Paul Phi. 4. saying, I have all things, and abound, but that is through grace, because enjoying of God otherwise, the Air can as soon fill the hungry stomach as earthly things the appetite of the soul; But compare this eternal life hereto, and there is all fullness and satisfaction▪ They never desire a change, they cannot wish it better with them; We see Peter but in a taste of it, yet cried out, It's good to be here, Let us dwell here, he would not have parted with joy; The soul in heaven is arrived at its haven, it's come to its journeys end, it's now fallen to its center, it cannot go any further; It now crieth out, Here is enough (Lord) here is enough, yet this fullness breeds not nauseating as they were weary of Manna: No, it exciteth desire and yet filleth it; It provoketh love, and yet satiateth it, so that this particular likewise proclaimeth the madness of all wicked men, for why is thy soul like the devil, compassing about the earth, seeking out for this comfort, and then for another; Even as children cry for this thing, and then quickly weary, cry for another, and in the mean while doth neglect that which would be instead of all.
Thus have we handled it comparatively, the last way is to consider it oppositely, for that is an old Rule, contraries put together, illustrate one another the more; The Sun is most glorious after the breaking out of a black thick cloud; Now the contrary to Eternal life, is eternal death, so that we may apprehend the good of the one by the evil of the other, and indeed man is so slavish and brutish that fear doth more prevail then love; Therefore though we propound all the joys of heaven, and invite to this eternal life, yet few make that Question, as he did to Christ, Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? but if we speak of eternal death in all the terror of it, then fear may for a while at least, awaken them, Let us then consider wherein the contrary to this eternal life consisteth.
And 1. That is in the deprivation of God, and an utter departure from him, and this privative part of eternal death is the great aggravation of it; At the day of judgment, that dreadful doom runneth thus, Depart from me, Mat. 25. 41. That is worse then the eternal fire they are cast into, you have heard that God was the fountain of all good, every creatures goodness is but a stream from that Fountain; At thy right hand (said David, Psa. 16.11.) are rivers of pleasure for evermore ; So that this eternal death takes thee from the light of his countenance; Thou art never to be admitted in his presence, and when God departs, all comfort, all hope departs with him: Oh that wicked men would lay this to heart, you that now bid God depart from you, you will have none of his knowledge, none of his commands, God will requite you in your own kind, he will then command you to depart from him: Were it not that Atheism and unbelief did reign in your hearts, this truth would make your ears to tingle, and your heart to tremble, while you hear it: Was it not death to Absalom to be kept from his Fathers presence? Why do ye not kill me, saith he to Joab, rather then let it be always thus, yet he was but an earthly Father, he could not give peace and joy to the consciences of men, but this heavenly Father is a Father of spirits, whom he bids Depart from him, all terror and horror immediately seizeth on that man; There is no quietness in his bones, Michah had lost but an Idol-God, Judge. 18. and he wringeth his hand, and crieth out bitterly; Oh but what roarings and yellings when we shall have lost the true God and his favor forever.
2. This eternal death brings all the positive evil that can be feared or imagined upon a man ; For as here we told you, was not one kind of comfort but an aggression of all, therefore the Scripture delights to represent it under several desirable good things, so neither is hell one kind of misery, one kind of torment, but the Scripture represents it under everything that is terrible, Because death is so much feared, therefore it's called death, because fire and brimstone are so terrible in burning it's called that; Because a dark dungeon and prison with chains in the darkness are so miserable, It's resembled to that, because men in extremity of pain and misery do use to weep and wail, and gnash their teeth, therefore is hell set out by all these dreadful things, so that as the glorified in heaven have everything they can desire, there is no good they want; Thus the damned in hell have everything they fear; There is no torment or pain imaginable but they partake of it, and this they are filled with, having not the least ease or respite: Dives desired but a drop of water to cool only the top of his tongue, and he could not obtain so much; Oh that men who give themselves up to the pleasures of sin would remember these torments; These howlings to all Eternity: What are we preaching follies and fictions to you? If you believe the Scripture, you must believe those things to be the portion of every unreformed sinner; O what a vast difference will there be between thy pleasures here and eternal torments hereafter, and not to have a drop of ease in all thy misery.
3. This eternal death as it hath fullness of torment so likewise Eternity ; For heaven and hell have no period; There is no time set when the fire of hell shall go out, called therefore unquenchable fire, So that these two properties easeless and endless might startle and amaze every ungodly man, Why wilt thou buy these eternal torments at so dear a rate, for a moments pleasure to have everlasting woe? So that here are two Eternities before thee, an Eternity of happiness, an Eternity of misery, Sin saith, and the devil saith, taste of the honey of sin, God saith, There is eternal gall for this; Now which wilt thou believe, either sin tempting, or God threatening? Was not Eve at first undone? because she would hearken to the devil against God; What fruit or profit had Judas for thirty pieces, procuring to himself eternal horror and trembling?
Thus you have seen eternal life in the contrary to it, We have been upon the Mount of Blessing, and upon the Mount of Cursing; If good things will not allure, let dreadful things astonish and terrify; Only you must know the grand difference between eternal life and eternal death in the manner of coming to it: So you see in the Text it's given by Christ, and it's called the gift of God, but eternal death comes by desert, It's the wages of sin, Rom. 6. ult. Our sins deserve hell, but our graces do not heaven, and whereas it might be thought an unjust thing in God for a transient sin to inflict eternal torments, yet that is no wonder.
For 1. We see amongst men, that Malefactors for a crime committed by them, which was acted in a very short time, do yet suffer death, which as to this world is their eternal destruction, they can never come back to live here again. 2. All sin being committed against God who is of infinite glory hath thereby an infinite guilt, and so deserveth eternal damnation. Hence it is that D • vines say, Omne peccator punitur citra condignum, Even hell itself is not a punishment adequate to the nature of sin, for God's honor is more worth then ever our sufferings can make up again: And lastly, There is no injustice because all those torments can never make any satisfaction; For hence it is that thy misery is eternal, because thou canst not pay the utmost farthing; Thou art never able to discharge the debt, therefore thou must forever lie in prison: Thus there is justice in every man's damnation, and there is only mercy in every man's salvation.
For 1. Those graces and good works thou dost have no proportion to this Eternal and glorious reward. The Apostle did not account his suffering which seem to be the most efficacious for salvation, any whit comparable to that eternal weight of glory; If a man should have the whole world given him for lifting up a straw, that is not so great a disproportion as to give heaven for Martyrdom, the highest act of love to God.
And 2. It's only of grace, because he who giveth the Crown giveth us legs and strength to run in the race: Coronat dona sua, non merita nostra ; so that we are so far from meriting by good works, that the more we do, the more we are beholding to the grace of God.
Use Of Invitation, Who is there of you that hath heard of the nature and properties of this eternal life that is not brought in love with it? Who is there that hath heard of this pearl, that will not sell all, throw away every sin to enjoy it? If there were nothing but this it might work on thee: Hast thou any lust that will be equivalent to eternal life, that will be instead of that to the • ? What wilt thou do when a mortal disease hath surprised thee? thy friends weeping, thy children crying, and thou dying, Will these lusts then help call to them and see if they can give thee eternal life? What, wilt thou be worse then Balaam? he wished, Oh that I might die the death of the righteous, and his later end might be like his: And shall there be not so much as a desire, as a sigh, though, if there be no more, if thy life be not the righteous man's life, thy death cannot be his.
SERMON XIII. Weighty Considerations upon Eternity.
JOH. 17.2.
ETernall Life is the glorious gift mentioned in the Text, and though I was concluding this verse, yet the consideration of this glorious matter shall make me once more endeavor thoroughly to possess your hearts therewith. It was the fault of one of the Kings of Israel that he did not strike arrows often enough to the ground, 2 King. 13.19. for then he should have obtained more victories. It shall therefore be my endeavor, if possible, that the arrows of this truth may be stricken often even through and through your hearts. And that I may further quicken you hereunto, consider these particulars, as so many effectual conclusions upon this subject.
And first, The chief and most principal and necessary question which everyone should seriously propound, ought to be that Luk. 18.18. What shall I do to inherit eternal life? Not indeed upon such a corrupt opinion as he did, who thought by his own works merely to obtain this eternal life; No, that cannot be, it's the gift of God: and when we have done all, this eternal life is of grace, not merit, but in a right sense, viz. what way ought we to walk in, what is to be done that at last we may not eternally perish. This (I say) is a most noble and necessary question, if this were more studied and practiced, it would advantage the soul ten thousand times more then other unnecessary and impertinent disputations. The best method in moral Philosophy is to begin first with the end, because that is the chiefest, there must be first a knowledge and desire of that: Now all Divinity agreeth with moral Philosophy in this, it's wholly practical. The first thing then in your thoughts and meditations should be, What is that end for which I was made? how may I obtain that eternal life for which I came into this world? Oh why are we busy in unnecessary things? for what end and purpose were you made? Was it to heap up wealth? To satisfy the lusts and pleasures of the flesh? No, it was at last to enjoy this eternal life. The Heathen did well call man the orizon of time and eternity; for in respect of his body, he partaketh of time, in respect of his soul eternity: So then the chief and more excellent part of thee, that which makes thee differ from a beast, it is that which relateth to eternity, so that the first and the last thing thou hast to think on is, how to come to this eternal life. The Apostle useth an emphatical word, 1 Tim. 6.12. Lay hold on eternal life ; as a man that runneth in a race, at the end thereof streacheth out himself to lay hold on the garland; so that as he who runneth in a race neglects all the pleasant objects he runneth by, and hath his eye only upon the prize: Thus it ought to be with us, neither riches, honors, friends or earthly advantages ought to be inordinately minded by us, but eternal life that is the prize, upon that our eye is to be, after that we are to pray and strive: But who may not blame himself, and judge himself for neglect herein? Oh how little is this eternal life in thy affections and hopes; thy cares about thy body, about thy estate will greatly condemn that sluggishness about eternal life.
2. As this ought to be the great question we are to rise with and go to bed with, so we must take the right way to answer it. It's not enough to make the question as Pilate did to Christ, What truth was? and never matter an answer; but we are to be restless in our souls till we have a full answer, till we know the way. Now that we can only be instructed in from God's Word, John 6.68. Whither shall we go, thou hast the words of eternal life. The Scripture then is this Tree of Life, the fruit thereof and the leaves likewise are for eternal healing. Hence our Savior in the next verse tells us, what is the way to have this eternal life, even by knowing of God and Jesus Christ. As all the Heathens were in dark confused thoughts about immortality, so they were in Egyptian darkness, or like the blind Sodomites, groping and feeling for a way to it, but could never get in. Wouldst thou therefore be resolved in this, How may I have this eternal life, betake thyself then to the Scriptures, make them thy counselors; do not attend to the ways of the world, matter not what they say, or what they do, for that telleth thee the way to heaven is clean contrary to the manners and practices of the world. If you do not rectify yourself by the Scripture, and resolve to follow the light of this star, though you should hear many hundred Sermons of eternal life, yet they would do you no good; say then, let me consider what way the Scripture would put me into, my life I yet live is wholly repugnant to God's Word, whatsoever course that prescribeth, though never so contrary to my lusts, to my former practices, yet I will gladly renounce all. Do this and then expect eternal life.
3. Consider this deeply, that upon this little moment we have here depends all eternity. Thou hast a short brittle life in this world, and upon the good improvement of this depends all eternity. Oh the searchings and turnings of heart this particular should make in you; My everlasting condition, that estate which is to be forever and ever, it wholly hangs upon this uncertain life. It may be thou hast but a day, an hour to live longer, and all thy eternity depends on this: Oh men foolish and unwise, who will not lay these things more to heart. God hath given us a candle to work by, a short day we have to improve, and if this pass over thy head, then comes unchangeable eternity. As at thy death thou art cast for eternal life or everlasting torments, so it must be without ever any recovery or alteration. Oh how precious should thy time be, how dear should every day every hour be, all this hath influence into eternity. Well might the Apostle, Ephes. 5.16. command us to redeem the time. Time is the most precious jewel in the world, eternity depends on it, and therefore wilt thou let thy lusts or wicked companions steal away this jewel that is more worth then all the world? Oh let us so live every day, every hour as those that say, as I do now, so will eternity be to me.
4. Consider this, that the most of men even called and enjoying the means of grace, shall miss of this eternal life. What is a thunderbolt if this be not, Luk. 13.24. There are few that enter into the strait gate, and many are called, but few chosen ; our Savior used that apothegm more then once. How formidable and dreadful should these words many and few be unto us! Many perish in the broad way, few enter in the strait way: What will make thee cast off presumption, security and negligence, if this do not? The number of those who shall have this eternal life is very few, a little flock they are comparatively to those many millions that are cast into everlasting flames. Oh how long shall we hear these things and yet be void of all spiritual understanding. If such an asseveration should be used concerning any temporal misery or calamity, Many shall die of the plague, few shall escape; Many shall be cut off by famine or the sword, and a very few shall be preserved, who would not fear lest he should be one of the many? And yet in these things many are as idle, having ears they hear not, and hearts they understand not.
5. Desire to have such thoughts and resolutions now, as if thou wert already in eternity: For if the damned in hell that see no escape from those everlasting flames were asked, what they thought of their sin, how they loved it? would they not make miserable howlings, it's that which hath undone us, oh that is the sting that enters into the very bowels, that's the scorpion which pierceth to the very heart: Oh we mad men and void of all understanding, who though forewarned of this, and threatened about it, yet regarded nothing, believed nothing; but now, oh now, after millions of years in this tormented place, we are as unlikely to come out, as at the first. Think you they are not then altered and changed, do they not cry out of those bitter sins which were once so sweet? Should God give them leave to be here again upon the earth, would they not repent in sackcloth and ashes? would they not day and night mourn after God and his forgiveness? Oh that every wicked man, who finds pleasure and delight in his sins, would think and say, Do the damned in hell judge it so? Do they feel sin so sweet? And thus also desire to have the same enlarged affections and delight in God, as those glorified Saints in heaven have. Dost thou find thy heart worldly, unruly, distempered, say, Do those in eternal life rejoice no more? have they no more enlivened flames of zeal for God then I have? Thus to judge as those who are in eternity, would be an excellent spurr to all piety.
6. Remember this likewise, that it's far better thou hadst never been born then to miss of this eternal life. It had been far more easy to have been an abortive, or that the womb had been thy sepulcher and grave, then to live here, and at last to die thus eternally. Shall Job and Jeremiah so passionately curse the time of their lives, and wish there had been no day or sun, and only because of some temporal extremity, which yet did not endure very long? what outcries and wishes shall these have who are to die eternally, and yet shall never die? Job speaks of some that desire death, Job 3.21. but cannot have it; thus shall all those deprived of eternal life call to mountains and hills to cover them, bite the tongue with madness, and call for death to devour them, but it cannot be. Though Judas could make away himself out of this hell he had here, yet he cannot out of the hell afterwards.
7. Consider with thyself, how unable thou art to bear any extreme pain, though it be but for a night or day: what tossings and tumblings, when it's night wishing for day, and when it's day wishing for night: Now if a moments pain be so grievous, what is eternal? If thou art not able to endure the sudden scorch of fire, what then to be in everlasting fire, Isa. 33.14. Who amongst us shall dwell with the everlasting burnings. Oh how should this meditation even swallow us up; If we are not able to endure the rod, how shall we the scorpion? If the gout, the stone be thus grievous, what is everlasting torment? Should not we judge him a mad man, that to have one night of quiet rest and sweet sleep, would all his life after be tormented with restless nights and terrifying dreams? such folly is in all wicked men, They to have this short life of pleasures and jollity, which is but a dream, will undo themselves forever in this endless and easeless woe: Oh remember this eternity is so incomprehensible by thee, that when thou hast thought and thought ten thousand millions of imaginary years, yet it is to hold as long as at the first beginning. Some have represented it thus, Imagine, say they, that all that vast space which is between heaven and earth were full of sand, and once in every thousand year, no oftener, a bird carry away one crumb of it in her bill, what a long while would it be ere this vast huge heap would be carried quite away; yet if the damned in hell might have ease at the period of such a time, though so infinitely long, yet there would be some hope; but now it's everlasting fire, it's a fire that cannot be quenched, but as long as God is God, so long shall they be in their chains of darkness. God you heard was properly eternal, because he had neither beginning or end; therefore he was said by the Heathens to be a circle, whose center was everywhere, his circumference nowhere. Hence the Heathens represented his eternity by a snake, or a ring, that hath no beginning or end. The Romans built their Temples round, and Pythagoras rule was when to worship, turn thyself round: Here they had confused notions about eternity; but the Scripture doth most clearly affirm his eternity: Now our life is eternal only because it shall have no end, and so for the future it will abide forever, and never change: What a great word is this, never to change; thy happiness will never change, thy misery will never change. These things duly pondered will be of great use. But thou wilt say, this subject is indeed very necessary, this eternity is a wonderful and transcendent point, oh that I could rise with it and walk with it; how then shall I possess myself with it, how shall I be affected with it? Do these things.
[ 1] In the first place, Exercise a firm and strong faith about it, that there is such a thing. This is a good and necessary foundation, for as long as Atheism or unbelief is in thee, and thou thinkest there is nothing after this life, thou doubtest whether there be any such eternity or no, as long as this wicked disposition is on thee there cannot be any good in thee. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, Heb. 11. so that this eternal life which is the great hope and expectation of the godly, by faith is made really to subsist in the heart, it doth as lively embrace it, as if it were already in eternity. Oh then let a firm and divine assent over-rule thy heart, say, I do believe it more then anything of sense or of reason, more then that I breath or live▪ For the Word of God is so punctual and positive in affirming such a condition of eternity hereafter, that faith must needs bear witness to it. Now this Divine faith of such a thing would be like so many sparks of fire in our breast, it would make us speak and live and do all for this eternity, we do so certainly believe it.
[ 2] And 2. Do not only believe, but accustom thyself to frequent and serious meditations about it. Meditation in the Word of God is made a blessed thing, and certainly this is a duty, though much neglected, yet wonderfully necessary, to set thyself to meditate and think over and over some main points of Scripture truth, whereof this eternity is not the least. Meditation is like the birds sitting upon her eggs, if she should not be constant upon them, there would never be warmth enough to cause living young ones; thus it is here: It's not a transient thought, it's not a sudden motion, but it must be a constant serious meditation upon eternity; certainly if thou wert careful in this, thou wouldst find it raising up thy heart, heating thy affections, and making of thee earnestly desire this eternal life.
[ 3] 3. Consider this, that one great end why God hath thrown so many bitter roots in everything here below, why there are so many sad exercises and afflicting troubles, it is to seek after eternal life. Thou hast not perfect health, thou hast not full content, every day hath some evil or other, and why is all this? because eternal life should be desired by thee. God seeth thy mouth cannot be brought off from sucking the breasts of the creatures, therefore they are rubbed with wormwood to wean thee. As God therefore suffered the Egyptians to afflict and oppress the Israelites, that so they might be weary of Egypt, and long for Canaan, thus it is here, God makes this world a valley of tears and fears, a valley of death, there is no ground but some worm or other devoureth it, and all this, that thou shouldst long for an haven, who art tossed in this restless sea of the world: Look then upon all the afflictions, pains, miseries, or whatsoever bitter thing it be that thou art to grapple with, and say, The Lord doth this to make me undervalue these things below, it's to make me esteem a better life. If everything were here as I would have it, heaven would not be so welcome: Had the Prodigal not met with husks and extreme hardship, he would not have resolved to go back to his Father again. Think and practice these things, so wilt thou be greatly affected with eternity: And to encourage thee herein, consider the blessed effects which a lively meditation of eternity, accompanied with a firm faith, will put thee upon.
For first, Who so hath this eternity set upon his heart he will not be immoderately and inordinately desirous after these things below. As the beams of the sun will put out the fire, so will the thoughts and affections about eternal things, overcome temporal. The Apostle, 1 Cor. 7. presseth all upon an hard duty, To marry as if we married not, to buy as if we bought not; Why so? because the time here is short, eternity is coming upon us: And thus those holy Patriarchs mentioned Heb. 11. they accounted themselves pilgrims and strangers, and they sought a City to come, not built with hands. Thou complainest thy heart is so full of deadness, dullness, so full of the world, the cares and distractions thereof devour thee up, there is nothing will help thee against this temptation, then often thoughts and affections about eternity.
2. As the thoughts of eternal life will thus moderate our affections, so it will work in us 〈◊〉 longing for and hasting of the coming of Christ, who then will bestow this eternal life upon us. We wonder how Paul should be lifted up above all these earthly comforts, as to desire to depart and to be with Christ, Phil. 1. It seemeth very difficult to us, that any hasten in their prayers and desires Christ's coming, but all this is because our hearts are not as full of hope and expectation of eternal life as theirs were: Alas, many of us know no better, and so cannot desire any better then what may be had in this world, and therefore the thoughts of death and the coming of Christ are unwelcome to us: Whereas to The godly, it's the coming of the bridegroom, and they are to lift up their heads with joy, when that approaches, Matth. 26. Let then that godly soul which doth so complain that it loveth life too dearly, and feareth death too immoderately, let that be strengthened and comforted with the sure hopes of this eternal life: If an heavenly frame of heart were powerful in us, this very world would be a wilderness, it would be tedious to us to be kept so long from that home we have in heaven. The Saints have a rest provided for them, and who doth not desire to be at his rest? Oh blame yourselves more, that you have not David's exclamation, and now Lord, what long I for? truly my soul waiteth for thee, As the heart panteth after the water brooks, so doth my soul after thee O God, Psal. 42.1. David spake this but of enjoying God in the Ordinances in this life, Oh but how greatly must the soul be inflamed for the life to come.
3. Powerful thoughts of Eternity will quiet and wonderfully calm the soul under any afflictions and troubles. No such antidote as this; Paul abundantly witnesseth that we account not the light afflictions of this life comparable to that eternal weight of glory, 2 Cor. 4. so this Eternity made him not value or regard any temporary affliction: It was this that made the Martyrs joyfully take the spoiling of their goods, and the loss of their lives: Thus in every affliction and exercise, if sanctified to thee, how sweetly and joyfully mayest thou dwell in heaven while thou art on earth; Thou mayest be in heaven every day, even while thy condition is beset with many troubles; It's thy sin and unbelief if thou makest thy house a prison, Thy self a torment to thyself, if thou set faith on work about this Eternity, it will put thee into heaven before thou comest to possess it: Eternal Life will give thee a better body, a better house, a better heart, oh this Eternal life, it's the health of our bones, the light of our countenance, a continual Feast, and a perpetual cordial; Hence the godly even in this life are said to have Eternal life, because of the right they have to it, and partly because they have the beginnings and first fruits of it upon their souls.
Use of Admonition, Take this Subject more into your thoughts, how many roving thoughts hast thou? but if placed on Eternity, it would be great profit; How many thoughts hast thou unbelieving, disquieting and troubling, if fixed on Eternity, they would all vanish, especially let the wicked man turn from all sin, saying, There is an Eternity; If it were only death, that would not so much trouble thee, but it's Eternity after Death.
SERMON XIV. The Necessity of Divine Knowledge, And Arraignment of Ignorance.
JOH. 17.3.
IN the Verse before we had the great privilege vouchsafed, viz. eternal Life, and the Subject to whom, viz. Those that are given to Christ In this Verse our Savior informeth of the manner or way how we may come to it; For to speak of eternal life and not direct to the enjoying of it, is to see Canaan, but to want a pillar of fire to guide to it, and although our Savior had described such as should inherit eternal life, yet because it's a secret written in God's Book, which no man can read, who are given by the Father to Christ, and who not; Therefore it's necessary we should be told the way, and that is done in the Text.
In the words you have then affirmed the way to this happiness, This is eternal life, this will make you have eternal life; None can ever attain it that take not this course, for 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 may either relate to 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , or else after the manner of the Hebrews be put absolutely for 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ; This phrase is like John 12.58.
Now therein Consider,
- 1. The way or duty enjoined.
- 2. The object of it.
The duty is To know. Among other distinctions, this is very obvious in Scripture to speak of a twofold knowledge.
1. That which is merely speculative and apprehensive; If ye know these things, happy are you if ye do them, Joh. 13.17.
2. Which is practical and operative, for it's a known Rule, that among the Hebrews, Words of Knowledge are put for all the affections and effects that use to follow such Knowledge ; Thus God is said to know the way of the righteous ▪ Psa. 1. That is, so to know as to approve and preserve the righteous, and in this sense To know the true God is taken so to know as to do all those things that are commanded by him, and the reason why the Scripture comprehends all under knowledge, is, because this is the Introduction and gate to all practical piety: Although to know here is more particularly taken for believing, for it's a good Rule that Divines have, whereas Faith hath three acts ingredient to it: 1. Knowledge. 2. Assent. 3. Fiducial application. The Scripture describeth the whole nature of Faith sometimes by one act, sometimes by another: In other places it's described by assent, and most frequently by trusting, but here by knowledge ; For whereas the Papists would make ignorance rather of the definition of faith then knowledge, they show plainly what an ignorant faith and Religion they would have people take up with.
In the second place there is the object which is twofold, 1. The only true God. 2. Jesus Christ That is both God in respect of his nature and attributes, oppositely to those Heathens who worshiped Idols; and 2. Jesus Christ, that is opposite to the Jews, who knew the true God but not Christ, and withal that the knowing of the true God as a Creator by the creatures is nothing at all without the latter: It must be, as he is Father in Christ, so that hereby is implied that the knowing of God absolutely is not saving, it must be relatively in the glorious dispensation and mystery which is by Jesus Christ.
I shall not explain further on this, only remove an Argument which the Arians and Socinians use to triumph in from this Text as their Achilles ; Oh say they here it's plain; That Christ is not a true God, because they are distinguished; God is the only true God, and therefore Christ is not; But this is absurd, That the only true God is opposed to Idols and to the heathenish gods which were worshiped by them, in which sense he is sometimes called The Holy One of Israel, and not to Christ, for if he were not God likewise how could eternal life be said to be both in knowing of God and Christ, and that Christ is truly God, take instead of many, two undeniable places, Rom. 9.5. Of whom after the flesh came Christ, who is over all God blessed for evermore ; And the other which is an excellent Comment upon this place, 1 Joh. 5.20. We are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ; This is the true God, and eternal life ; and then addeth, Keep yourselves from Idols ; So that God the Father is the true God and Christ the Son is the true God, and all other made gods are Idols.
This Answer is sufficient, and indeed the Socinians themselves may be convinced, for they grant this Rule, that the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 solus doth not exclude the inclusa or subordinate, for they acknowledge Christ to be truly God, though not essentially; Whereas by their Argument Christ as true God should be excluded, and nothing is more ordinary then to use the word solus, not to exclude what is concomitant or homogeneal but diverse, as Mat. 11.16. None knoweth the Father but the Son, where the Father himself is not excluded, nor the holy Ghost, for it's said, 1 Cor. 2.11. None knoweth the things of God but the Spirit ; Others of old made this order of the words, To know thee and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent, to be the true God, but this may seem too much forced. Lastly, Many answer that the restrictive word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , doth not determine the Antecedent te or Patr • m, but the true God, so that the sense is not, the Father alone is the only true God, but that he is the only true God, and then this expression doth not exclude the Son or holy Ghost▪ but because by other places it's evident they are also the true God, therefore they are necessarily included.
Obs. That by the knowledge of the true God and Jesus Christ we come to eternal life, 1 Tim. 2.4, God would have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth : Here you see the knowledge of the Truth is the way to be saved: I shall not now treat upon the nature of this knowledge, especially as it includeth faith, but shall first handle it in the general, as it is opposite to ignorance and error about the true God.
And to open this Consider,
1. That all men by nature are ignorant of God in a saving true manner, For although Rom. 1. it's plain, that God hath implanted 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , some imbred apprehension about a God, so that Divines say, there cannot be a natural Atheist, yet this knowledge is so confused and dimmed, that it is better called ignorance then knowledge.
Yet 2. This imbred knowledge may be actuated and perfected by the contemplation of the Creatures, as Rom. 1. None that observeth such a curious Fabric as the world is, can conclude it made itself, but it had some Creator; Even as when a man heareth curious Music upon some Musical Instrument, everyone will conclude there is some artificial hand playing upon it, that it doth not move itself: Thus the Heathens have many expressions concerning a God, whom they discovered no other way but by the creatures, although this was accompanied with some hesitancy and doubting; And their light was like that of the Moon and Stars, yea, not so much, for it was not able to direct them in any manner acceptable to him: Hence it is that the Scripture speaks of them as without God, Eph. 2. and such as know not God.
Therefore 3. The true and right knowledge of God is only had within the Church, That as God saith of his people, You only of all Nations have I known ; so they only of all Nations have known God, Hence the Samaritan Woman is said to worship she did not know what, Joh. 4.22. because Salvation was only of the Jews, viz. the knowledge and true revelation of it. Hence is that saying of Divines, Extra Ecclesiam non est salus ; As without the Ark everyone perished; For although some of the Ancients and others have been very prone to ascribe salvation even to a natural knowledge of God, as if God would require no more of them; Then in that condition thinking otherwise, that he would reap where he had not sown, yet this Text putteth out of all doubt as well as others, that the knowledge of the true God and of Christ is necessary to Salvation: Now whatsoever they might know of God, yet it is plain they could not by the Creatures know anything of Christ, his Nature and Offices, being of mere Revelation, and from hence likewise it is apparent that even among the Jews, though the knowledge of the Trinity, and of Christ seemed more obscure and implicit, yet those that were saved had some measure of the knowledge of it, for saith Christ, This is eternal life ; The way to it, and those in the Old Testament went in the same way to Heaven, as well as those in the new; You see then our Savior by this Proposition doth assure us that without the knowledge of God and Christ, there is no eternal life, and thereby that it is had only in the Church; There are no flowers can grow out of this garden, No gold sanctified that is not in this Temple.
4. Though the true knowledge of God and Christ is to be had in the Church, yet all true knowledge that is most plentiful and exact, is not presently saving knowledge ; Therefore in the Text when eternal life is said to be in knowing of God, and Christ, that is, with the due concomitants and genuine effects thereof, when we so know as that it is an acknowledgement of the truth after godliness, Tit. 1. This is good to be considered by those who have obtained some good measure of knowledge, how apt are men to be puffed up by it, They swell with this wind, as those in antiquity that were called Gnostics, because of the knowledge they gloried in, but this light may be and often is without any heat at all: Their heads are better then their hearts or their hands, so that they are a kind of a spiritual Monster, A man's head above, but brute beasts below, look then that with thy knowledge there be also a good conscience and a godly life, otherwise thy knowledge will serve but to make hell hotter for thee.
5. Though all knowledge be not saving, yet without knowledge there cannot be any salvation ; I speak not of Infants, They come not within the ordinary way of God's dispensation, For the Apostle saith, Faith cometh by hearing, Rom. 10.17. Even as Aristotle saith, Disciplina est ex auditu, the Ear is the organ of Learning; No knowledge, no faith; no faith, no godliness, and so no salvation, Isa. 23.11. They are a people of no understanding, therefore he that made them will not save them ; As without this there cannot be any salvation, so neither any true piety, Psa. 14.3. All the wickedness of man is because he doth not understand or seek after God, and Hos. 4.1. The Land was full of swearing, lying, and killing because there was no knowledge of God in the Land ; Knowledge then is the eye of the soul, the needle to draw in the thread, and to neglect this is willfully to refuse the Salvation of God offered to them.
6. Although this Knowledge be thus necessary, yet how woeful is the stupidity and ignorance of most people ; Who can take up Lamentations bitter enough? Who hath bowels tender enough to pity those ignorant and senseless people that are everywhere, who know nothing of God or Christ? we use to pity poor blind people that are not able to step one step without danger, but oh the sad and miserable estate of those who have these blind and darkened understandings! Every step they take they stumble and fall: If Paul Heb. 6. did so severely threaten those that were but in their first principles, and were not carried on to perfection: What danger remaineth for them who have not so much as attained to first principles, who have not yet laid a Foundation? yet this is the sad condition of many who though in the Land of Goshen have Egyptian darkness upon their hearts; Though baptized in the Name of Christ, yet know nothing of God or Christ, but are become like brute beasts that perish.
7. It's not therefore enough for a man to believe as others believe, or as the Church believeth, without some personal or explicate knowledge of his own ; He doth not say, It's Eternal life to know that others know, To believe that others believe, but he that would have eternal life, he himself must know the true God and Christ; So that this doth palpably condemn that strange but politique doctrine maintained in the Church of Rome, That the common people need no more faith then this, to believe as the Church believeth, Politique I call it, for hereby they keep the people in a blind obedience, They receive any kind of worship, any kind of doctrine, without trial or comparing it by the Scripture, and thus they commend darkness, because their deeds are evil; But the Apostles Exhortation is to all private persons as well as others, Prove all things, 1 Thes. 5.21. Believe not every spirit, 1 Joh. 4.1. Let the Word of God dwell plentifully in you, Col. 3.16. Indeed it cannot be denied but that God hath appointed Officers and Guides in the Church, and the people are commanded to hear them, and to submit to them, but all this is to be understood as Paul saith, Follow me, even as I do Jesus Christ. Phil. 3.17. We must take heed of extreme errors either to make the Ministry infallible, or else to account of it as nothing at all; No, there is a peculiar promise of assistance and direction to thee in their work, though not of infallibility, but this by the way to comm • nd ignorance, to praise blind obedience and devotion, is to offer God a Sacrifice without eyes: Do not then think, I am a poor ignorant man, I have no leisure to mind Religion, to inquire after the principles thereof; Let those that have learning mind such things, What is this but to say, It's not for me to look to salvation; It's not for me to be saved; It's for Learned men and knowing men to go to heaven, not for such as I am, certainly our voices are to sound like the Angels Trumpet at the day of judgment, to awaken men out of their ignorance, Men in the dark are usually afraid: Oh then why shouldst not thou be afraid who art all over darkness, Eph. 5, 8. as the Scripture calls thee; There are too many whom this truth concerneth.
Now let us consider why some measure of knowledge about God and Christ is necessary to salvation.
And First, In respect of the Object itself, there are many duties God and Christ require of us, which we are never able to perform without some knowledge of them. I grant that as the Stars do differ in their glory and light, so one man may far exceed another in knowledge, yea, God doth not require so much of some as he doth of others, such a degree of knowledge will God accept of in some, which he will not in others, so that according to the means and opportunities of knowledge more or less is required: We grant also some may know more then they can express through some impediments or other, but there is none can be saved who lay not in some measure a competent knowledge in Christianity, because there are several duties required, which he that knoweth nothing of God cannot perform acceptably.
As 1. Every man that will be saved must worship the true God and not the false : But without some knowledge this can never be; Why is the first and second Commandment so plain to have no other God but him, and to worship him in his way, and that he is a jealous God in this matter, like an Hu • band whose jealousy is his rage against his adulterous Wife; Why is all this but to show that of all sinners, an Idolater is sure to be excluded from the kingdom of heaven; Now the ignorant man worshippeth that which others do where he liveth, but whether it be God or an Idol that he understands not. The Athenians had an Altar dedicated To the unknown God, Act. 17.23. and Paul with much zeal doth reprove this their superstition and Idolatry, telling them they were out of the way to heaven, yea, the more devout and zealous a man is for that worship, he understandeth not, the more swift he runneth in the way to hell, so then where ignorance is, It's all one whether Christ or Mahomet be worshiped, whether an Image or the true God: So truly doth Seneca observe of the common people, Eunt qua itur, non qua eundem est, They do and go not whither they ought, but whither they see others before them, yea, by this means men come to worship the devil instead of God, Oh terrible and heavy aggravation! Thou that thinkest thou dost worship God, yet by thy ignorance going on in Idolatry dost worship the devils: Thus Jeroboam is said to set up calves to the devil, 2 Chron. 11.15. the people little thought so; and so those that would be at the Idolaters Feasts, they did partake of the cup of the Lord, and of devils, 1 Cor. 10. Now although it be true, that thou art brought up in that Religion where the true God is worshiped, yet this is all one to thee who hath no knowledge of God or Christ, for if it had been to Moloch, to Baal or Ashtaroth, had it been to Mahomet, or to Images and Idols in every high way, thou wouldst have done that as well as this, for any true knowledge or understanding thou hast, O pray then that God would give thee true knowledge. As it is thus for the generality of God's worship, so in more special manner ignorance doth wholly overthrow prayer unto God, which is more necessary then food or raiment, and is a duty to be performed to God every day; Now saith the Apostle, Heb. 11.1. He that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of those that seek him, but how can this be? when a man by ignorance is in a confused chaos, Oh that ignorant people would attend to this, They say, they pray, yea, they hope to be saved by their good prayers, when (alas) thou that knowest nothing of God or Christ canst not pray at all, Thou never didst pray acceptably to God all thy life time; If a Parrot be taught to say the Lord's Prayer, shall that be accounted a prayer? and is there not many that pray God's Name may be hallowed, his Kingdom may come, and yet understand not at all the sense of their prayer? Thus in Popery they do sinfully nourish people in their ignorant prayers, for seeing their prayers are in Latin, it's all one whether they pray good matter or blasphemy; The Apostle 1 Cor. 14. doth expressly argue against praying in an unknown tongue, saying for himself, He will pray in the spirit, and with understanding also. What terror then doth this proclaim? ignorant people, pray they cannot, they do not, no not when they pray; If that Question should be put to them which Philip put to the Eunuch, Understandest thou what thou readest? So Understandest thou what thou prayest? Were they able to say one word of knowledge to you? We may cry out, Be astonished O Heavens and the Earth at the ignorance and blindness of many people, and yet nothing will provoke them to get knowledge.
3. We cannot do that great and necessary duty which is the substance of all God's command, viz. to love him with all our heart, with all our soul and might, neither the consequents of this love, which is to desire after him, to delight and rejoice in the light of his countenance, without knowledge; for what a man knoweth not, he cannot love, Ignota nulla cupido ; Let ignorant people by this see the great gulf that is between them and heaven; Thou canst not love God nor desire him as long as thou dost not know him, so neither can you fear God if you know not his infinite Majesty, the greatness of his power, and his hatred against sin; What makes men so desperately wicked to commit sin without any fear or trembling? They know not God; Hence is that frequent expression in Scripture when God saith, he will bring such and such punishments. Then they shall know that I am God.
4. Those that serve God ought to be full of fervency and zeal ; For all duties without zeal are like a Sacrifice without fire, a Bird without wings, a Messenger without feet, Now all zeal without knowledge is refused by God; They have a zeal but not according to knowledge, Rom. 10.2. Ignorant people may be very zealous as those that offered their children to Moloch, That did cut and lance themselves in calling upon Baal, but this fire of zeal was like that of hell, calidus and not lucidus, hot but not light.
Use, If Eternal life be to know God, then this is eternal death not to know God; This is eternal damnation to be ignorant of him ; It was God's promise that all should know him from the greatest to the least, Jer. 31.34. but how few find the fruit of this promise? How many Families, how many persons are there, who do all they do to the unknown God? yet these hope to be saved, yet these say, They have a good heart, when nothing can be good while ignorance is predominate, neither a good faith, or good love, or good duties, or a good heart, and as ignorance is damnable of itself, so much more when it is where the means of knowledge are, where the Sun shineth, where the Ministry is instructing; Oh what woe and woe again will befall such men.
SERMON XV. More Reasons of the Necessity of Divine Knowledge; And the Causes of Ignorance,
JOH. 17.3.
THe Doctrine observed was, that without the knowledge of God and Christ there cannot be any eternal life obtained; The first ground or reason of this was from those several duties that are required of us towards God, which without some knowledge could never be acceptably performed.
The second ground shall be from those duties we owe to Christ ; And herein damnable ignorance will far sooner possess us then in the former, for there are some common notions and dictates about a god, which made Tertullian cry out, O animam naturaliter Christianam ; But in respect of Christ, we have not the least implanted notion about him, so that the doctrine of Christ is far more supernatural then that about God, for the hoti quod si Deus is, I discovered by natural light, but who he is, and how to be worshiped this is merely supernatural, but concerning Christ both the quod sit and the quid sit : That there is a Christ, and what he is are both by divine manifestation; So that whatsoever we have of Christ, it must only be by the Revelation of God, and in this respect though most people may have some general apprehensions about God, yet about Christ they have none at all unless by hearsay: It behooveth us therefore who are called Christians to know what that Christ is whom we worship, and trust in for salvation, and the great ignorance of Christ is present death; He is the door, he is the truth, the way, and the life, Joh. 14.6. All that miss of him are carried violently to death and destruction.
For 1. Where this ignorance of Christ is, there cannot be any historical faith, which is the least degree of faith that can be, and where there is no historical faith there cannot be any justifying, for how can a man trust in Christ for salvation, whom he doth not believe to be, so that historical, or as some call it dogmatical faith, whereby we believe that there was a Christ both God and man, is the first stone that must be laid in our Christian building, and without this we have not so much as learned the Alphabet of our Religion, yet this is the case of thousands that have no explicit formal faith in this fundamental Point, I grant they have a traditional form, whereby they say they believe in Christ, but they have no express faith concerning the person and natures of Christ; Now that traditional form is not a reasonable worship of God, as the Scripture expresseth it, Rom. 12. where we are commanded to give up ourselves as reasonable sacrifices, But here men are as brute beasts in respect of any express, formal faith, insomuch that hundreds of people if they be asked what they believe concerning Christ, they cannot give any knowing or express answer; Oh how near are such foolish and stupid persons to the very brink of hell • and if you should say, If it be Faith then it cannot be knowledge, Ubi rides, non est fides, and by all faith and knowledge are opposed, but that is to be handled afterwards, viz. how that Faith doth necessarily require knowledge, and yet there is some kind of knowledge that Faith is opposite unto, for the present we conclude, that where there is not some knowledge of Christ there cannot be so much as a bare historical faith, They have no faith that have no knowledge, I know whom I have believed, saith Paul, 2 Tim. 1.12.
2. Where gross Ignorance is, if there cannot be historical Faith about Christ, much less can there be saving and justifying Faith, a fiducial relying and resting of the soul upon him as the Mediator appointed by God : The Scripture doth often speak that we are justified by faith, Rom. 5.1. that we have remission of sins through Faith in Christ's blood, Rom. 3.25. So that Justification and Faith are inseparably joined together, but where ignorance of Christ is, there cannot be any of this saving faith, for can any man trust in that which he doth not know of; yea, though such ignorant men say they trust in Christ, yet because they know not Christ, these are but traditional and customary words; They speak falsely and say they do not know what; Philosophers say there is actio hominis, and actio humana, an human action is that which comes expressly or impliedly from reason, but actio hominis is that which is done by a man, but not as a man, as the moving of the foot or lifting up a straw which came from the imagination merely, So truly we may say, there is actio Christiani, and actio Christiani, a Christian action is that which comes from knowledge and faith, either directly or indirectly, but that is an action of one that is a Christian in name and profession only, that doth such actions as others do, but not from any knowledge or faith within, only from custom and mere tradition; if then knowledge be in all the historical and justifying acts of Faith, where shall the stupid and ignorant man appear?
3. The gross ignorant man cannot admire, bless, and praise God for Jesus Christ the Medtatour ; This is evident, he that knoweth not the nature, office, and use of Christ, what he was, and why he came into the world, what was that which he did for us, it's impossible he should ever be affected with the love of God, or with the love of Christ, This made the Apostle pray that they might know the breadth and depth of the love of God through Christ, Eph. 3. For without this knowledge all God's love and Christ's love is disregarded; We read of Paul's divine raptures, and holy ecstasies, because of Christ, I desire to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified, 2 Cor. 2.2. It is impossible in a lively manner to know this divine truth of God the Fathers love in sending his only begotten Son to die for us, and not break out in heavenly praises and admirations, but the blind ignorant man seeth nothing of this admirable mystery; As he said, it fell out ill with Artificers, when ignorant men judged of their works; Thus certainly God loseth much of his glory-Christ much of his honor, when ignorant men only speak of this Doctrine, As Christ Joh. 4. said to the woman of Samaria, If thou hadst known who it is speaketh to thee, thou wouldest have asked for the water of Life ; So here, if thou hadst known what is in this love of God and Christ, if thy heart did meditate and study on it, thou wouldst be more affected and enlarged in thy affections to Christ.
4. Where gross Ignorance is of Christ, there cannot be any improving of him for all these blessed effects to which he is appointed by God. Christ is of God unto us wisdom, righteousness, and sanctification, 1 Cor. 1. Of his Fullness we all receive grace for grace, Joh. 3. But the ignorant and unwise man cannot make any advantage of this, The ignorant man knoweth not the virtue and good use may be made of such herbs as grow in the field, but the wise Artist doth, Solomon asketh, Why is a price put into the hands of a Fool, seeing he knoweth not how to make use of it? If the man in the Parable that found a Pearl had not known it to be a Pearl, he would not have sold all to have bought it; So then let there be never so much fullness and sufficiency in Christ, yet he is a Fountain sealed up, and a garden enclosed to the ignorant man, and this must necessarily exclude such from heaven, because in Christ is all our salvation, whatsoever conduceth to our happiness is bound up in him, now the ignorant man not knowing this treasure must needs perish in his sins.
5. Where a man is ignorant of Christ, he must needs be in a damnable condition, because thereby he is also ignorant of himself, he knoweth not his own sinfulness and misery, and so cannot desire a remedy: These two are necessarily known together, or unknown, Christ the Physician, and sin a desperate disease; Christ a Savior, and the sinner that is lost; But the ignorant man not knowing the one must necessarily have the other hid from his eyes: Can there be any hope of that man's cure who knoweth not and feels not his disease? Thy Ignorance of Christ argueth thou art also ignorant of thyself, for didst thou know thy own poverty and guilt, nothing could hold thee till thou mightest get some interest in Christ, pain of body will make a man cry out for ease, but pain of soul through sin, much more; Thus you see the ignorant man is in the plain way to hell.
Thirdly, Grosse Ignorance must needs be damnable, because it's immediately opposite to the sanctified and appointed means that bring to God and Christ, viz. the Ministry : The Preaching of the Word is instituted by God to bring us to understanding and faith about these things; Therefore they are called the Light and Guides ; But where there is gross Ignorance there commonly the Preaching of the Word hath least effect and fruit, as the Sun-beams do no good to the blind man, For seeing the Word of God is a moral Instrument, and though potent by the power of God, yet it doth by argument convince and persuade, where men are brutish like beasts, what improbability is there of doing good? Indeed the Word doth give eyes to the blind, and understanding to the simple, where God useth it efficaciously, for nothing can resist it then because it takes away the actual obstinacy, yet the Ignorance of men is that which of itself would make all Preaching to drop like the water upon the rock, where no fruit can grow; For what doth the ignorant man understand? what can he remember? what can he meditate upon when he is gone hence? Take a knowing though profane man in his life, yet we have something to work upon, we speak to wise men that will judge what we say, but to the blind man day and night is all one, Preaching and no Preaching; To the deaf man Thunder and a still voice is all one: Consider then lest thy ignorance doth not damn thee, in that all the means and instituted ways of God become altogether unprofitable unto thee, That makes all preaching in vain: I shall not further enlarge on this.
Here is an Objection will presently be made, Doth not ignorance quite absolve a man from guilt? Is he not to be pitied rather then blamed? I • t doth not excuse a toto, yet a tanto, He doth not sin so much as knowing men do, which doth greatly encourage and comfort them.
We may answer this by that known distinction, of an Ignorance merae negationis and pravae dispositionis : It's true mere negative Ignorance doth excuse; The Heathens and Pagans that never heard of Christ, though they have other sins they are damned for, yet the mere ignorance of Christ who was never revealed to them, doth not condemn them, Infidelitas negativa non damnat, but then there is an affected and willful Ignorance, this doth not excuse but accuse and aggravate, and such is the Ignorance of all those that live under the means of grace, and where the Name of Christ is preached; It's thy willful and wicked disposition in thee that makes thee thus blind; You say, as those in Job, let the knowledge of the most High depart from you, Job 21.14. Seeing you will not see, and hearing you will not hear, Therefore your condemnation is the greater. It's disputed among Casu • sts, whether God may not have mercy upon natural fools, that cannot know anything of God or Christ because of a natural incapacity; But thou art a voluntary fool, and dost willfully deprive thyself of all knowledge, and how then shall God be gracious unto thee? In the next place you may say, If the estate of an ignorant person be thus dangerous, how comes it about that there are so many ignorant persons? Why cannot all say with the Apostle, We know that we know? 2 Cor. 8.1. There are some outward causes or inward causes, or causes from the ignorant man himself, or in respect of others.
[ I] First, Many are therefore so ignorant in matters of Religion, because they understand not the damnable estate this ignorance puts them into ; So that the ignorance of their dangers makes them also ignorant of the remedy; As Austin said of Original sin, It was peccatum causa peccati, and poena peccati, the same is true of Ignorance; It's a sin in its own nature, because contrary to that command of God, which doth so often require that we should know him, and then it's a cause of sin, yea, of all sin; It's because men do not know God, that therefore they are so bold to transgress his Laws. Lastly, It's the punishment of sin for all that black darkness and confusion we are in, is, because of our revolt from God, Ignorance then keeping man off from the true understanding of his misery, makes him the more secure and content in it: If thou didst know what curses hang over thy head, If thou didst know what a gulf is between God and thee, In what utter darkness thou art in here, which will be rewarded with utter darkness hereafter, thou wouldst have no rest within thyself.
[ 2] 2. Another cause of Ignorance is Slothfulnesse and negligence ; They strive not, they pray not for knowledge, whereas this cannot be obtained without prayer and diligence: Then shall ye know if ye follow on to know the Lord, Hos. 6.3. and Solomon bids us seek after it more then for gold, or the richest treasures, Pro. 2.3. & 8.10. to love it as thy Sister or Mother, many people complain they are ignorant, God help them, for they have little knowledge, and where is the fault all this while? Is it not thy negligence, thy slothfulness? May we not produce many instances of those who have been very ignorant and stupid, yet by prayer and hearty endeavor have obtained to a competent measure of knowledge: for human knowledge shall there be so much labor taken, sudavit & alsit, said the Poet, and for Christian knowledge wherein is our happiness and eternal life, shall we not be as industrious? Why dost thou not rather cry out of thyself every night? I go to bed, and yet have got no knowledge: I understand such and such things in the world, but nothing at all about God and Christ; Thus the sluggards Field is full of briars and weeds; At the day of judgment when God will call for an account of every day and hour, thou wilt bewail thy folly, that time was not more redeemed to get knowledge.
[ 3] 3. Earthly and worldly affections; These do so immoderately possess the whole man that they regard nothing else ; Why is it that men, ordinary plain men get so much skill and craft in worldly affairs, they know the best way for improving every worldly advantage? It is because their heart is set upon it, They mind and regard this thing, They rise with the thoughts of it and so go to bed; If their hearts were thus affectionate towards God and Christ, they would be as laborious for heavenly knowledge; They would know how to improve Christ, To make the best advantage of the means of grace, They would not let any truth go till they did fully understand it, but the Scripture complaineth men are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no understanding: These Moles that live and delight only in the earth they must needs be blind; These are internal causes.
[ II] External are twofold, 1. A negligent, ignorant, and careless Ministry ; For seeing the Ministry is appointed to be a light, to be a guide, if that be not light, then all the people must be darkness; If they are not salt the people have no seasoning; An Idol-Shepherd makes Idol-sheep; This God often complaineth of, and Christ also, when he saith, The blind lead the blind, Mat. 15.14. and that some took away the Key of knowledge.
And 2. Negligence of Parents and Masters, All Governors who have Inferiors under them, they are to teach the principles of knowledge, Parents are often required to do it, and truly hence is the Original of all Ignorance, even the rudeness and wicked orders that are in Families: There is no praying, no catechizing, no instructing, and when these are Nurseries of blindness and impiety, what good can be expected, Oh that Parents and Masters would remember how much God requireth of them in this particular; It was the commendation God gave Abraham, that he would teach his Family, and make them worship him, Gen. 17. I shall no longer insist about this Point, but come to the application, for men will hear and hear, and never set about the work.
Let it therefore be a Use of importunate Exhortation to follow you as closely as that Widow did the Judge, that if nothing else importunity might prevail with you, Let the ignorant pray that they may receive their sight, Let them not give over day and night those means that may help them, What though thou canst say, I am no thief, no adulterer, no unclean person, yet if ignorant, thou art upon the brink of hell, and so you that are Parents and Masters, bring up your Inferiors in the true knowledge and fear of God; It's said of Constantine, who was truly great in this, that he would have his whole Court gathered together, and the Scriptures read to them, with Instructions from it to them; What you see me do at the Church, that let the Master of the Family do at home, said Austin ; Let your Families be Christ's School; Thou wouldst not have a Servant that knoweth not how to do his proper employment, much less then shouldst thou have one that knoweth not his Christianity; Now there are many pregnant arguments to enforce this duty.
[ 1] 1. The necessity of a competent knowledge, This is eternal life ; You cannot expect heaven, There is no way for thy salvation whilst thou art in this dark night, so that this is the one thing necessary, Be like Mary to choose the better part; Martha was showing much love in entertaining of Christ, yet because Mary was wholly busy in hearing of Christ, and learning from him; Therefore she chose the better part: Oh then thou that art more careful to know God and Christ then to get any worldly mercy, thou choosest the better part; This undoeth you, you are not possessed with the necessity of it, you will not believe this text of Scripture, you hope to do well enough for all this, though the Word saith, He that made them will not save them, Isa. 11.
[ 2] 2. Be stirred up hereunto, because there cannot be any godliness, any true holiness in thee, till this knowledge be in thee. Ephes. 4. Those that are to have the Image of God restored in them by righteousness and true holiness, they are to be renewed in the spirit of their mind: As God created light at first in the world, so he doth in the new creature; hence they are called light in the Lord, Ephes. 5.8. and conversion is a translation from a state of darkness into light. Oh what a goad should this be in thy side to get knowledge. There cannot be any grace, not the least degree of holiness, till God renew my mind: Though all that have knowledge are not renewed, yet none are renewed without knowledge; and men are said to escape the pollutions of the world, through the knowledge of the Gospel, 2 Pet. 2.20.
[ 3] 3. Consider what pains men take to get human knowledge ; these will condemn Christians at the last day. There is no Art or Science can be obtained without much study and daily consumption of the body, and men have not thought it too much to impair the health of their body by perfecting their mind, and yet how much uncertainty was there in that knowledge did not one of the wisest say, This only he knew that he knew nothing, so confused and unsatisfied were they in their studies: But this knowledge is certain, and that which will greatly quiet and satisfy the heart, Fides non tantum est apprehensiva, sed quietativa.
[ 4] 4. Consider how bitterly and woefully thou wilt cry out of all thy negligence and abuse of the means of knowledge hereafter: as Prov. 1. God often called and you would not hear; Wisdom daily invited you, How long will ye pass by O ye simple ones and void of understanding: When thou shalt fall into hell, that is like thy soul, utter darkness, and there remember, The time was when Manna fell and I might have gathered it: There was a time to have gotten knowledge and understanding, but I desperately refused it, and now I am suffering the just punishment of my ignorance! This must perpetually torment thee. Its made an heavy curse in Job, chap. 36.12. when a man shall die without knowledge. Therefore it's not only a sin but a curse, because you would not see, God gives you up to a blind eye, and this is the more terrible under the Gospel, when a promise of plentiful knowledge is spoken of by the Prophets.
SERMON XVI. Showeth what Saving Knowledge is in its Concomitants and Effects.
JOH. 17.3.
KNowledge you heard is necessary to every man's salvation: We now come to discover what kind of knowledge this must be; and as for the comprehending of Faith under that knowledge, I shall not treat of that notion, but refer it till further opportunity offer itself in this Chapter. That therefore the knowing man may not presently bless himself as if his eyes were enough to carry him to heaven, though he hath no feet to walk in God's ways: I shall now manifest what knowledge it is, and raise this Observation,
That knowledge which brings to eternal life, ought to be accompanied with the true and proper effects of it. This is grounded upon the use of the word know, which doth denote the affectus and effectui concomitatis, frequently in Scripture; and that this knowledge must be so here, is plain by that of our Savior, If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them, John 13.17. Therefore mere knowledge without doing, is not happiness: And this we see the very Heathens could pitch upon, that happiness did not consist in a speculative knowledge, but in virtuous actions: Yea Aristotle observed, that a profane dissolute life did not corrupt speculative sciences, as Geometry and the Mathematics, but it would immediately moral habits: So then, Knowledge with affections and good effects is that which leadeth to eternal life. Hence wicked men are many times said not to know God, because though they have never so much speculative understanding, yet because by their lives and ungodly ways they dishonor him, therefore they are said not to know him.
Now the concomitants or effects rather of this knowledge are of two sorts, either internal in the heart, or external in our actions. We will enumerate the first and then the later. Saving knowledge hath this internal effect:
[ 1] 1. That it makes a man have a firm and divine immovable assent to Scripture-truths: For if we should have all the knowledge of men and Angels, yet believe nothing, what advantage could it be to us? There may be knowledge merely apprehensive, as those heathenish Writers, Julian, Porphyrius, and others, who argued and disputed against the Christian Religion; in this they knew what it was, else they could not have disputed against it, but they did not believe it to be true. The Pharisees that so much opposed Christ, they knew the sense and meaning of this doctrine but did not believe it; so that if knowledge be not accompanied with faith, though we had the highest degree of it, yet it would profit nothing. Therefore Christians are not called knowing men so much as Believers, that is their frequent title, because the firm assent they give to God's truth is that which is most available to salvation. Enquire then after thy faith, men of great knowledge are many times great Atheists or Skeptics; they can say as much for one way of Religion, as for another, and hereupon are always wavering and doubting, but have no determinate fixing of the heart upon God; yea Aquinas observeth, that a knowing man hath more temptations against his faith then one more simple. It's well then, when with thy knowledge thy faith is also firm and steadfast.
[ 2] 2. Then is thy knowledge saving, when the main and noble act of the will doth presently follow, which is to choose and take God for our chiefest good, and to embrace the goodness of all those things we know; for the devils they have knowledge enough, called therefore 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , because of their exceeding great knowledge, yet they are most maliciously opposite to God, because by their wills they do not choose and embrace that which is good. The two main pillars of the soul, or the chief faculties thereof are the understanding and the will: The object of the understanding is truth, of the will is good ; Now the understanding is to be like a torch or star to guide the will, and whatsoever the mind discovers to be true and good, that the will is readily to receive; so that then our knowledge doth attain it's proper perfection, when it prevaileth upon the will and moveth that; the understanding is the counselor, the will is the Queen, if that then be moved to choose the good discovered, then hath the understanding obtained its end: See then how it is with thee, thou knowest God and Christ, but how, as the chiefest good? as to be chosen above any worldly excellency, and therefore thy will cleaveth fully to them; this is rightly to know: While something is done upon the will, till that be bowed and changed, the strongest hold stands out against God. Oh then pray, and again pray that thy knowledge may so far prevail on thy will, that it shall renounce all other things to adhere to God only.
[ 3] 3. This knowledge of God must draw out those eminent affections of love, joy, delight, and fear of God. You see God in the Scripture is made the proper object of all these affections, as if we had them for nothing but God; our love, that God will have all, Thou shalt love him with all the heart: and so for our fear, that is often required, Sanctify the Lord God, and let him be thy dread: and we are often commanded to rejoice in the Lord: So then seeing God is the proper object of these affections, and we may not place them anywhere but on him, and things relating thereunto, it behooveth us to see whether our knowledge do thus kindle and inflame us after God or no. Certainly it's the greatest reason that our knowledge should have such Divine operations, for if we know God as he is revealed in his word, he is there discovered to be so great, so glorious, full of all goodness, that we cannot but give him the superiority in all things.
[ 4] 4. Another inward effect must be a melting, sorrowful and grieved heart that we have provoked God by our sins: For who can but grieve and lament his folly, when he knoweth how great and terrible a God he hath provoked: Thus Manasseh, after his great troubles and afflictions laid upon him, when he had prayed, mourned and humbled himself, it's said, Then Manasseh knew that God was the Lord: Then he knew, not before, 2 Chron. 33.13. A man then truly comes to know God, when through the apprehension of his Majesty and glorious power, he abhorreth himself, is afflicted because of his rebellions: As you see when Job had a further discovery of God's greatness, how greatly he debased himself.
[ 5] 5. A genuine and proper effect of the knowledge of God and Christ, is trust and dependence upon them. This is so great a matter, that it's called the just man's life, The just shall live by faith, Heb. 2.4. Now this grace of trust or dependence is branched into two parts: First. A trust on God for his protection, care and providence over us: This is the trust David doth so often speak of in his Psalms; and the Prophet makes him accursed, that makes not God his trust, Jer. 17. The rich man trusts in his riches, the idolater in his Idols, the great man in his power, but all these set up another God besides the true God. They that truly know God, viz. that he is the Lord of hosts, that he is the principal efficient, and all creatures are but instruments depending on him both quoad esse and operari, will quickly see it a sacrilegious and idololatricall sin to trust in any but the true God, Psal. 9.10. They that know thy Name will trust in thee: All our unbelief, diffidence and distrust, all distracting cares about these things below, argue our want of knowledge of God: Therefore Mat. 5. when our Savior forbids these dividing cares, he saith, All these do the Gentiles seek after ; they that know not God's power and his goodness, they are solicitous sinfully about these things. Hence when Israel did see her vanity by false confidences in the creatures, see what God saith of her, Hos. 13.4. Thou shalt know no God but me, for there is no Savior beside me ; and Hos. 8.2. Israel shall cry unto me, My God we know thee. Though therefore knowledge be better then the greatest duties performed out of ignorant devotion, the same Hosea 6 6. God there desireth knowledge more then burnt offerings, yet this is but a lame imperfect knowledge, if it breed not dependence on God, as on our heavenly and gracious Father. The other branch of dependence is on Christ for Justification and Salvation, that is the believing on him which our Savior so often promiseth eternal life to: Oh when our knowledge of Christ and the fullness and sufficiency of a Mediator, makes us to cast all our burden on him, and to have free access to the Throne of Grace by his blood, this is precious knowledge. This is that excellency of knowledge Paul, Phil. 3. counted all things dung unto comparatively. See then what trust and dependence doth the knowledge of God cause in thee; for all thy knowledge, art thou not as full of cares, distractions and diffidence, as if God did not rule, as if Christ were not the Mediator, as if there were no promises in God's Word.
[ 6] 6. Then is our knowledge saving, when it makes us glorify God as God, giving the praise of all things to him, Rom. 1. This the Apostle taxeth the Gentiles withal, that though they had a knowledge of God by the creatures, yet they did not glorify him according to this knowledge, but they made sensible Images of him, and worshipped wood and stone, the work of men's hands, They did not glorify him as God ; there is a great deal in that, To glorify God as God, is so to honor him, as to give him the best and the supremacy in all things: When our hearts are as much upon the creature as God, or when we would serve God and Mamon, this is not to glorify God as God: When we do anything not principally and chiefly for God, we do not honor him as a God. These are the inward effects of knowledge.
Now there are outward effects which will necessarily follow true and saving knowledge, even as the beams of the Sun do the Sun, though they are not called external as opposite to internal, no, they both go together; for they that know God, know him to be a Spirit, and that he must be worshipped in Spirit and truth, that all outward duties done without the heart, are but a mere hypocrisy; so that these outward effects are to be taken as streams coming from a full and precious fountain within, and they are such as these.
[ 1] 1. The true knowledge of God doth make a man effectually purge himself from all filthy and noisome lusts. To say we know God and yet give ourselves to sin, is a lie, and it argueth no truth in us, 1· John 3.6. He that commits sin hath not known or seen God, which is the reason why the Prophets attribute all the ungodliness in a Land to the not knowing of God: So our Savior tells the Pharisees, that all their wickedness was because they did not know him and his Father; and in this Chapter Christ saith, The world hath not known thee, but these have known thee. Ephes. 4. If ye have been taught as the truth is in Jesus ; and ye have not so learned Christ. What is this? when we have so learned Christ, as to put off the old man with the lusts thereof. Never then boast of thy knowledge and thy parts, what mortification of sin, what cleansing from thy filth doth it cause in thee; if thy Christian knowledge doth not work a Christian life, but thou art brutish and dissolute in thy life, tremble at thy estate, for thou art out of the way to heaven, 1 Pet. 2.20. some are said to have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of God, yet these did it externally only. They were swine though washed, not sheep, but thou dost not come thus far; though thou hast the knowledge of God, yet thou wallowest in thy mire, and lickest up thy vomit: Thy condemnation will be the greater, because thou knowest thy Masters will and dost it not. What sentence then shall we pass upon all the carnal and wicked ways of most men, they know well enough, they understand well enough, but because this knowledge hath no efficacy upon their lives, therefore they go in the broad way to hell.
[ 2] 2. Saving knowledge, as it causeth an avoiding of sin, so a ready and willing obedience unto the commands of God. And for this sake all disobedient and rebellious sinners, are said in the Scripture not to know God: They are excellently put together, 1 Thess. 1.8. in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, nor obey the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What obedience then and conformity to God's Law doth thy knowledge work in thee? this God looketh at, he careth not for thy head or thy tongue, if he have not thy heart, thy hands, and thy whole life. If so be the Apostle say, that he which doubteth whether such a thing be sin, he is damned if he do it, Rom. 14. how damnable is that man's condition, who knoweth and is assured that he sinneth, and yet willfully persists in it! So that our knowledge is not to be carried only to truths, to what is to be believed, and there to sit down, No, but Rom. 12.2. we are to be transformed in our mind, that we may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God: We are to consider what is that which is acceptable and well-pleasing to God, and when we know it we must readily fulfill it: Oh that men of knowledge and parts would think of these things; Dost thou that which is well-pleasing to God? Doth God accept of such a life as thine? Is there not a plain contrariety and opposition between God's will and thy lusts? A man of great knowledge, and also great impiety, were he not puffed up with self-flattery, would easily see the opposition between his life and God's Word, the one is strict, his life is dissolute; the one calleth to avoid not only sin but the appearance of it, but thy life plungeth thee both into sin, and the occasions of it: Oh consider all thy knowledge and understanding helps thee no more then the devils knowledge doth them, they are not able to love or delight in God and his will.
[ 3] 3. The knowledge of God will make a man keep a good conscience in all things: it will make him take heed of sin in secret, as well as public; it will make him do duties in secret, as well as openly, for whosoever is not afraid to sin in secret, whosoever neglects private duties and holiness, this man knoweth not God, he doth not understand that he is omnipresent, that his eye is everywhere beholding all things, that darkness and light are all one to him: Oh this is a precious and necessary effect of the knowledge of God, when it makes a man cry out with Joseph, though in the most secret temptation, How can I do this and sin against God, Gen. 39.21. Those wicked men encouraged themselves in their wickedness by this, Doth the Lord see, and is there knowledge in the most high? Psal. 73.11. And on the contrary, he that truly knoweth God dareth not be wanton, unjust, dishonest, because the eye of God is upon him wheresoever he is. David is much affected with this omnipotence and omniscience of God, Psal. 139.2, 4. Thou knowest my downsitting, and uprising, yea every thought thou knowest afar off. How could there be such works of darkness, such sins committed in secret that are not fit to be named, but because men do not know God in a right and true manner. By this we see there is little true knowledge of God in most towns, most families, because men live not, as sensible of the just and revengeful eye of God beholding them always.
[ 4] 4. Where there is a saving knowledge of God there is a good and holy use made of all afflictions and miseries that fall upon them. They know they are strokes from God, and they come because of sin, that their end is to humble • s and debase us under the hand of God; and thus all the godly have done: They have looked up to God and considered not so much the blow, as the hand that gave it: so Job, The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, Job 1.21. not the Sabaeans, not the devil, but the Lord: but men that are ignorant of God, they discover it in nothing more then in their afflictions; they look only at second causes, they mind only the help of inferior instruments, they fret, they rage, they are discontented, and thus they think not of God nor their sins that have procured these. Consider thyself therefore under any exercises and afflictions, Is thy heart presently thinking of God? dost thou search and inquire into the cause, what sins of mine have thus offended God? have deprived me of my good things I enjoyed? this is in a saving way to know him. Woe be to that man who like Ezekiel 's pot hath boiled in the fire of affliction, but his scum hath not gone off.
[ 5] 5. A true knowledge of God and Christ will make a man readily suffer and lose all when it's required ; and if at any time we are unwilling, we love our wealth our life better, it's because we know not the excellency of God's glory, and what an unspeakable reward is laid up for those that deny themselves for him: 2 Cor. 4. This made the Apostle say, We account these light afflictions not comparable to the eternal weight of glory: What made Moses choose the afflictions and reproaches of Christ, Heb. 11. rather then the treasures of Egypt, it was because by faith he saw him that was invisible. The Martyrs were no fools, though their enemies judged them so, for they knew how great that God was whom they feared, how able to reward them infinitely above their sufferings, and therefore their greatest wisdom was to lose their lives, that so they might save them. It's ignorance of God and Christ that makes us unwilling to bear the cross he requireth of us.
In the next place let's consider the ground why knowledge if not thus accompanied is ineffectual.
[ 1] And first, Because knowledge in itself is only a perfection in the understanding, and seeing that the whole heart is fully corrupted, it must be universally healed, else there cannot be any salvation. I pray God ye be sanctified throughout in spirit, soul and body, 1 Thess. 5.23. Yea this knowledge is but a moral perfection, not a gracious: As we see in the devils, who have great abilities in their understanding: And hence it is that a man may be very knowing and yet very vicious, because this doth only dispel ignorance from the mind, it doth not sanctify the heart and affections to love and delight in what is good: Knowledge is requisite to bring in grace, yet knowledge merely is not grace: So that howsoever it be a necessary duty to get knowledge, yet when that is obtained there is a greater work behind in the cleansing and purifying of the heart. Praevolat intellectus, sed tardus sequitur affectus, with the eye we may discern many miles off in a moment, but our feet cannot so quickly go thither.
[ 2] 2. Knowledge must have practice following, because doing is the end and accomplishment of knowing. It's not knowing the rules of Hippocrates will bring health, unless there be a practical use of them. Hence believing is called eating and drinking of Christ, John 6. A man that is hungry, though he know never so much of excellent meats, yet that will not satisfy him, unless he eat. It's a rule Scire malum, non est malum, so God he knoweth evil, yet this knowledge is not evil; so Scire be •• um, non est bonum: Philosophers make this distinction between the understanding and the will; the understanding draweth the object to itself, but the will is drawn by the object to it, so if I understand anything, I am not in a moral sense that I understand, but if I will anything, or love anything, I am what I love, Anima ubi ama • , not ubi anima.
[ 3] 3. Knowledge merely speculative will not save, because Religion lieth most in the affective part: Knowledge is desired as a prerequisite, but the power and sweetness of it lieth in the hearty embracing of what we know. Hence Divines say, our eternal happiness in heaven is initially and radically in the understanding, but formally and completely in the will: Oh then know that all the while Religion is but in thy head, and thou hast it out of books, and by hearsay, thou hast but the shadow of it, the substance and sweetness of it lieth in the cordial embracements and enjoying what we know.
[ 4] 4. Knowledge without the effects of it is so far from saving, that it condemneth the more. He that knew his masters will and did it not, was beaten with more stripes, Luk. 12.48. What makes the condemnation of those Christ preached to greater then of the Sodomites the worst of men, but because they sinned against more knowledge?
Use of Instruction, How vain a thing it is to boast of knowledge and learning, if an holy life doth not follow it: As Absalom was hung by the hair of his head he gloried in, so will the knowledge of thy head damn thee. Austin said, such knowing men go quick to hell; oh there are too many such, that have much knowledge, but no grace, that know the Scripture speaking against gross sins, yet they wallow in them. The hottest flames in hell are for a knowing wicked man.
Use of Exhortation, to put all thy knowledge into practice: If I know what faith is, let me exercise faith: If I know what Christ is, let me obey him; All knowledge that makes thee not more godly, that brings thee not into nearer communion with God, is to be suspected; if it puff thee up, if it make thee conceited, then 1 Cor. 8. Paul saith, Thou knowest nothing as thou oughtest to know. Be not a Gnostic ; oh that it might be said, Ye know God, or rather are known of God, Gal. 4.9.
SERMON XVII. Of the Knowledge and Worship of the One true God: And the contrary thereto, viz. Idolatry.
JOH. 17.3.
WE have finished that duty which is said to be the Means to Eternal Life; We come to the Object, which is twofold:
1. The true God, and thus Heathens and Pagans are excluded.
2. Christ Jesus, and thus the Jews, who though they know the true God, yet because they deny Christ, are out of the way to heaven; and so some Heretics also, who deny Christ to be our Mediator.
Let us consider the first Object, To know thee the only true God ; by this we see that Opinion, which asserts the possibility of the Heathens salvation, to fall to the ground, because they are wholly ignorant of the true God: It's Christ that saith thus, therefore our understandings must be captivated.
Obs. That there is one true God only, to be known and served by man. Although to us Christians this may seem a needless point, yet as the Scripture hath recorded this as most useful to the Church, so all Christians may find much necessity in the opening of it, and great practical use. Consider then these particulars.
1. There are made and constituted many gods by man's vanity, and there is one only true God indeed. The Apostle, 1 Cor. 8.4, 5. hath given us this distinction, where having asserted, that an Idol is nothing, viz. formaliter, though it be made of wood or stone, and have rich ornaments, yet the thing signified is nothing. Though there are Sun and Stars, yet as made God's, so there is no such thing: Though there were such men as Saturn and Jupiter, yet relatively as Idols representing a God, they were a non-entity. He brings this verse in by way of accusation to answer the objection: There are, saith he, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , there are many that are called God's: The whole world is full of such; they have their Celestes, Acrii, Terrestes, Marini, as many God's as creatures almost; but to us, viz. Believers, there is one only true God the Father: So that you see there is one real existent true God, and there are many fictitious and constituted God's made by man, which the Scripture calls Idols, and that by very significant names: Sometimes by a word that signifieth nothing, sometimes by a lie and vanity, sometimes by dung and dirt that is rolled up and down, sometimes by scar-crows, or terricula muta, and very often by abomination. The beginning and progress of this Idolatry is handled by Learned men, and Learned Tractates are written de Diis Syris, de Diis Romanorum and Germanorum, in all which we may mourn over that horrible blindness and folly which doth seize upon all men by nature, and we may bless God for the Christian Religion, which hath made us to cast off all those abominable Idolatries.
2. We come to have knowledge of the only true God three ways,
[ 1] 1. By the book of nature, which is called implanted or engrafted knowledge. No man is or can be a natural Atheist; in affections he may be, wishing there were no God, but in judgment he cannot, till by accumulated sins he hath given himself up to all stupidity.
[ 2] 2. By the book of the creatures ; and this is called acquired knowledge. The Apostle, Rom. 1. mentioneth both these: This later is obtained by the consideration of the world, insomuch that the most Atheistical men, when they have considered the greater world, and especially man in all his curious parts, have been forced to acknowledge some wise and supreme power the maker of these things, as it's said of Galen.
[ 3] 3. There is the book of God's Word ; and by this we have a revealed knowledge, and this only doth direct in the true way to serve him acceptably. Therefore all the world is said to lie in darkness, and light comes only by the Scripture. This is the great mercy of God to manifest from heaven what he is, and how he will be worshipped.
3. Consider that our knowledge even at the highest is very imperfect ; it's but apprehensive, not comprehensive, which made an ancient say, De Deo etiam vera dicere periculosum est, because we are subject to such ignorance and blindness, God himself doth only comprehend himself; we know him obscurely, and therefore he is said to dwell in light inaccessible, 1 Tim. 6.16. As the eye cannot penetrate into the glorious nature of the Sun, no more can we search into the deep things of God. Therefore Divines say we have a twofold way of knowing God, the one is affirmative and positive, when those perfections we see in creatures we attribute to God in a supereminent manner: Thus we say he is wise, he is just, he knoweth, he willeth, but after a more transcendent way of perfection then man doth. The second way is by negation, or removing imperfections from him, and this indeed is commended as a better way then the former: We can more easily describe God, by saying what he is not, then what he is ; he is not a body, and when we say a Spirit, then we run to a negative again, not a finite limited Spirit. In this life every man's knowledge is imperfect, we know but in part, Paul said so, that was wrapped up into the third heavens, 1 Cor. 13. And although in heaven our knowledge shall be perfected, described by that expression, We shall see him face to face, yet even then it cannot be comprehensive of the whole nature of God, there being no proportion between a finite faculty and an infinite object.
In the fourth place, take notice that this expression, the true God, may be taken in a twofold sense, as truth is divided into veritas rei, and veritas conceptus, the truth of the thing, and the truth of conceiving of it: Now the Heathens when they worshipped Jupiter as the chiefest and highest God, there was the truth of the thing, there was a supreme and a chief that they intended, but there was no truth in their conceptions and apprehensions about him; therefore they added many other gods to him: Such a distinction as this the Apostle insinuates, Acts 17.23. where reproving them for their Idolatry, and telling them of an Altar with this inscription, To the unknown God, whom (saith he) you ignorantly worship, we declare to you. It was a true God they worshipped when they conceived of one supreme above the rest, but they had no true or right thoughts about him. Hence what the Poet said of Jupiter, the Apostle owneth as of the true God, for we are his offspring, Acts 17.28. Now their thoughts were Idolatricall about the true God, as Rom. 1. turning his Image into the similitude of creatures ; and then they superadded other God's, which made Tertullian say, Deus non erit Deus, nisi homini placuerit. The sum of this particular is no more, then that even in their Polytheism and multiplied Idolatry that the Heathens lived in, there was a general implied assent that there was a God; so that although there was no truth at all in their apprehensions, yet something there was in the object generally considered, but not as it was particularly terminated upon any one thing.
5. The revealed knowledge of God only by the Word is able to guide us in the worship of God, and in the way to salvation. All natural knowledge and acquired is altogether insufficient, and that in these respects.
[ 1] 1. They fail of saving knowledge in the integrity of parts ; for although something may be known of God, yet that is very little in respect of the many things they are grossly ignorant of; for if that knowledge we have here, though by grace out of the Scripture, be so obscure, and but a childes knowledge in respect of that we shall have in heaven, what a shadow of knowledge then, rather then true knowledge, is that we have by nature? so that it faileth in many necessary particulars, it's lame in essential things.
[ 2] 2. This faileth in the purity of it. Whatsoever knowledge the greatest naturalist hath, though never so heightened, yet it's mixed with much dross, it hath many absurd and erroneous intertextures with it; so that Rom. 1. even those that professed themselves wise, are said to be become vain in their imaginations: There was great vanity and uncertainty, yea absurdities in their assertions; the Greek word the Apostle applieth to them 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , they became foolish, it's applied to salt that hath lost its seasoning, and then is it good for nothing. Thus these were deprived of all right and sound judgment.
[ 3] 3. It faileth in respect of clearness and evidence. Hence the whole world is said to lie in darkness, 1 John 2.11. The Plato's, the Aristotle's of the world, were like the Sodomites groping in the dark, that could not feel what they sought for, but the Word of God, that is wonderfully commended for the clearness and brightness of the light it brings with it.
[ 4] 4. It faileth in respect of the efficacy: All that knowledge they had did not serve to purify their lives, to cleanse them from their wickedness, but they detained the truth in unrighteousness, Rom. 1. And if you say many Christians that have great revealed knowledge are not yet cleansed from their impieties; There is as much profaneness, yea sometimes more then have been in Heathens: Some Heathens would lose all they had rather then swear, they did so fear an oath. Basil upbraideth Christians with this. Of another Heathen it was said, You may sooner put the Sun out of its course, then make him do what is unjust: As also of Cato, either drunkenness was not a sin, or Cato was not drunk: but are there not thousands of Christians, and that with much knowledge, great understanding in the Scripture and Religion, yet run into all this excessive wickedness? It's true, and woe be to those that make it true ; but then you must remember, that there is a mere barren brain knowledge, and a gracious practical knowledge: Now where this later is, there is always a clean and pure life; as for the other, it's not so much a knowledge, as a profession of it; They profess they know God, but in works they deny him, Tit. 1.16. therefore the Scripture complaineth of such as not knowing God, The Ox knoweth his owner, and the Ass his masters crib, but Israel hath not known me saith God, Isa. 1.6. We might add more things, but I shall spend the other part by way of Use in practical corollaries of great use in our lives.
As in the first place we may be informed, How great and grievous a sin Idolatry is. No wonder if the Prophets are so severe against it, and that it be made the chief cause of all the National calamities that come upon a Nation; for in reference to this sin doth the Scripture peculiarly speak of God's jealousy, nothing provoketh God so much as that. Now this Idolatry is of two sorts, either first, When we set up a false God for the true ; so did all the Heathens, when they worshipped the host of heaven, or their other constituted God's. Or secondly, When the true God is worshipped, but after a false and unlawful manner. The first Commandment forbids the former Idolatry; the second, the later. God forbad the Israelites to worship him under any representation whatsoever, so that though it were the true God they worshipped, yet if not after the same manner he commanded, this was idolatry. Thus when the Israelites made a calf, they intended thereby a worship to the true God, therefore they said, To morrow shall be a feast to Jehovah, Exod. 32.5. It was Jehovah the God of Israel they intended to worship, but they would make such an Image or representation that they had seen in Egypt. And thus also in Popery, all the water of Tiber cannot wash them clean from Idolatry; for although their Learned men run to multitude of distinctions, sometimes between an Idol and an Image, whereas they differ only as Greek and Latin, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is maguncula, a diminutive of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ; sometimes about Religious worship primary and secondary, as if we should say, a primary and secondary Deity, and when they have disputed all they can, they confess ignorant people commit much Idolatry, and that he must be very Metaphysical that can in his worship make such distinctions; yea they dispute, Whether it be not a dangerous and offensive Proposition, to say, Imagines sunt adorando. Take we heed then of this Idolatry, and the rather, because it's a sin all are prone unto: Consider the Jews, though immediately trained up, and instructed by God about his worship; though often and often grievously plagued for it, yet upon all temptations they would run into it again: and the Heathens, Rom. 1. even the wisest of them, were most absurd in their Idolatry: Rome had a Temple called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , wherein they would have all kind of God's, and there was nothing so much as love to Idolatry, that made men so opposite to the Christian Religion, yea though the Prophet describeth the brutishness of the Idolater, that with one piece of wood makes an Idol, with another makes a fire: Well doth the Scripture compare Idolaters unto the Idols themselves, they are nothing, empty, they do not understand; and the more subtle and specious idolatry is, as in Popery, be thou the more afraid of it. It's a bold and unheard of expression of Valentia the Jesuit, that saith, There is a lawful Idolatry. What will not men say, rather then come out of Egypt?
2. Is God the only true God, then observe the first Commandment, Let us have no other God's besides him ; for not only the Heathen that worships Stock and Stone, is an Idolater, but every Christian that puts this hope and confidence in any creature, that placeth the chiefest of his affections and desires otherwise then on God, he is a spiritual Idolater. Thus covetousness is called Idolatry, Col. 3.5. Charge them that are rich, that they trust not in uncertain riches, but in the living God, saith Paul, 1 Tim. 6.17. If I have made gold my hope, saith Job, chap. 31.24. There is no earthly covetous man that placeth his affections and trust in wealth, but he renounceth the only true God, and yet how hard is it to have wealth, and not to put confidence in it; for whereas our Evangelist saith, It's as hard for a rich man to be saved, as a Camel to go through the eye of a needle, another saith, for a rich man that trusts in his riches: Take heed then of this subtle spiritual sin; Is thy heart inwardly supported? Do thy spirits rise because of thy wealth? this is Idolatry. So likewise the voluptuous man, he maketh his pleasures, his lusts, a God; Whose belly is their God, Phil. 3.9. Yea no godly man can with such hearty affections and joy constantly serve God, as the voluptuous man doth his lusts; so that whatsoever a man's heart doth inordinately run out upon, that creature he loveth more then God, this makes him an Idolater: As he said of Baal, Why halt ye between two, If God be God serve him? If Baal be God serve him? So we may say, Why halt ye between God and the creature? If God be the only true God, let him have the only true love and joy of thy soul? If riches and lusts be God, then let them have all thy heart.
As there is practical Idolatry, so there is doctrinal Idolatry, viz. When we attribute that to our own power or free will which belongs only to God. Thus all those proud and arrogant opinions which advance free-will, make it able to work with God in conversion, this is to derogate from God, he shall not then be the God from whom every good and perfect gift doth proceed. The Apostle, 1 Cor. 8.2. saith, To us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and to him are all things, so that God is there made the first cause of all the good things we have, and the ultimate end to which we do refer all. Certainly if it be a forsaking of God to set up any Authors for temporal mercies and temporal salvations, then much more for spiritual; for which is greater, the work of nature or the work of grace? Therefore let us walk humbly, and because he is the only true God, from whom are all things, and to whom, let us say, Not to our own power, but thy grace, be all glory given.
3. Is God the only true God? Then let those that know him and obey him, walk with all comfort and encouragement: He is the true God, and so will never fail thee; he hath a twofold truth, first, a truth of his essence, he is God and none else beside him; and opposite to this an Idol is called a lie, and nothing: How should this support us, that the God whom we serve is God indeed! How often did the Prophets bid the Idolaters fly to their Idols, pray to their Idols, and see if they could help them? As he is thus true in his Essence, called therefore the living God, so he is also true in his Promise, in his Word; and this the Scripture speaks of often: and although his Promise be of itself true that we need not doubt, yet he added his Oath also, that so we might not be shaken in our mind. Though it be said of man, he is a liar, and there is no trust to be put in the great one of the world, yet in God there is no change, or shadow of change. Though therefore the Olive tree fail, and the Fig tree do not blossom, Hab. 3.17. though everything in this world lieth and proveth false, yet thou mayest put confidence in God.
4. Is God the only true God? Then what cause have we, who are called to the true knowledge of him, to bless and praise his Name, that he suffered us not to perish in our black and horrible darkness ; for what are we more then all those Heathens and Pagans that sit in darkness, and have no light? Why should God cause the Sun to shine on thee, to pity thee, and suffer others to walk and stumble in their darkness? What cause have we Christians to honor God! How great will our condemnation be if we neglect so great salvation! Our Savior would have affected the people of Capernaum, Mat. 11.23. and other places with this mercy. He was the light that came into the world, and men love darkness rather then light, John 1. Now in these respects we shall be found very guilty and sinful.
1. If we do not highly prize and esteem the knowledge of the true God, if the means of this heavenly wisdom be not more then any other mercy whatsoever: But oh how great is our condemnation in this particular! The more and the longer we have enjoyed the light of God's Word, the more we have despised it and contemned it. This will provoke God to do with us, as he did to the Jews, and to other Churches who are now made waste and become a wilderness, he will take the light away, and carry it to a people sitting in darkness, that will make better use of it.
2. Our condemnation will be great, if we do not come to the knowledge of God, when we have the means. Some have not the knowledge of God, saith Paul, I speak it to your shame, 1 Cor. 15. Oh, to how many persons, to how many families may we say you have not the knowledge of God! What, shalt thou be in the School of Christ, and yet know no more then an Heathen, how inexcusable is it?
3. This also will greatly condemn, if we do not live according to the knowledge of this true God. If our lives are full of Atheism, full of ungodliness, how shall we be able to appear at the dreadful judgment seat! when God shall say, You were no Heathens, you were no Pagans, you cannot plead, Lord, we have not known thee, we have not heard of thee; Oh how should our hearts bleed within us to think, it will go worse with us then Jews or Heathens, because we have enjoyed more.
5. Is God the true God, Then how great and heinous a sin is it to have any communion or commerce with the devil or his instruments, and yet this is a sin too commonly practiced. If men have lost anything, if they be in any pain or disease, then they presently run to such as they call wise men, though they be indeed the devils fools: What is this but to renounce God and to renounce your baptism? If you have lost your goods, you will go and lose your souls to: We read of Ahaziah, 2 King. 1.6. when his child was sick, he would go to Baal, to know whether his child should recover or no; but with what a dreadful message doth God's Prophet entertain him, telling him, his child should die, withal saying, Is it because there is not a God in Israel that thou doest so? May not we say so, when you go to the devils instruments, witches, wise men and sorcerers, Is it because there is not a true God in heaven? Some have questioned whether such as compact with the devil, and use familiar spirits can possibly repent and be saved, they doubt whether they are in a capacity of ever having eternal life; but that is too rigid, for we read of Manasseh, a great sinner in this kind, one that was given to witchcraft, and used a familiar spirit, yet he prayed and humbled himself, and God accepted of him: So we read of some converted by the Apostles preaching, that brought in all their conjuring books and burnt them, Act. 19.19. Though therefore no doubt is to be made but upon their repentance God will forgive, yet it is a great and a grievous sin, it's a renouncing of God and your Baptism. Take heed then of ever doing so, and if thy heart hath been so graceless and wicked heretofore, oh abhor thyself, let thy conscience cry out, I have committed a great and abominable sin, thou art the chiefest sinner of many thousands. We ought to have no communion with the devil, though he had power to foretell and so do good to thee, as he hath not any further then God may reveal to him. When the devils confessed Christ was the true Son of God, he rebuked them, and would not own such a confession: So Paul also, Act. 16.16. would not own a confession though true, because by one possessed by the devil. Be ashamed of the name of a Christian, and renounce thy baptism if thou shouldst over do such sins again.
SERMON XVIII. The Necessity of the Knowledge of Christ Jesus as well as of God the Father.
JOH. 17.3.
WE now come to the second Object of this knowledge necessary to salvation, and that is Christ. This latter Object is added because of the Jews, and some Heretics, who though they acknowledge the only true God, yet because they are either ignorant of, or deny Christ, therefore they are not in the way to salvation; The object to be known is described,
- 1. By his proper Name.
- 2. By his appellative or name of office.
- 3. From the Original and Cause of it.
His proper name is Jesus, Though some learned men have affected to go out of the ordinary way in giving the true root of this word, yet certainly the most common derivation of it is most true, viz. that it comes from the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to save, as the Angel plainly interprets it, his Name shall be called Jesus, because he shall save his people from their sins, Mat. 1.21. It's the same with Joshua, who was so called, because he delivered the people out of their temporal miseries, and brought them into Canaan, being herein a Type of Christ.
2. His Name of office Christ, as much as anointed, I shall not say much of this word now, Though the word be attributed to others, yet Jesus is properly called the Messias, he is the Unctus unctorum, the anointed of the anointed, and this doth especially demonstrate the Priestly and the Kingly office of Christ,
3. There is the Original or Fountain of this office, It's from God the Father, Now when the Father is said to send him, it is not to be understood as if it were against Christ's will, no, but he voluntarily and readily undertook this Office likewise, so that if we did know and acknowledge such a person as was called Jesus, yet if we did not also acknowledge him to be the Christ, the Mediator appointed by God, our knowledge would be insufficient.
Obs. That the knowledge of one true God is not enough to salvation, without the knowledge of Christ also ; They are both put together, and none may separate them: Hence it's so often in Scripture commanded that we should believe in Christ, That be who believeth shall not enter into judgment, and our Savior makes the knowledge of him and the Father inseparably joined together, John. 8.19.
To open the Doctrine Consider,
[ I] 1. That we cannot have any knowledge about Christ, either that there is such an one, or what he is, but only by Revelation; We told you about God, there was a threefold Knowledge, by nature, by the Creatures, by the Scriptures; And therefore whereas it might be, and is easily granted by all, that none can be saved without the knowledge of the true God, yet both of old and of late, there have been those who have held that the Nations that know not Christ, may be saved: It's true, they are divided among themselves, for some say, the Gentiles have some implied or confused knowledge of Christ, or else God revealeth it to them extraordinarily, but others positively say, the knowledge we have by nature and mere light of reason is enough to conduct to heaven: As for Cornelius the Centurion whom they instance in, the first Heathen converted and baptized under the New Testament, it is plain that he had a knowledge of Christ, though imperfect; Neither is that expression of Peter upon Cornelius his admission, Act. 10.35. where he saith, God is no accepter of persons, but in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness shall be saved, any ways favoring salvation without Christ; For now the partition wall being broken down, and the Gospel to be preached to all Nations, which was represented in the vision of a sheet full of clean and unclean beasts, the Knowledge of Christ was likewise therewith to be propagated: It's true the Apostle saith, they that sin without the Law shall be judged without the Law, Rom. 2. God will not judge them by that they knew not, and so they that sin without the knowledge of the Gospel, they shall not be judged for not believing in Christ, and not receiving of him to whom he was never tendered, but then they have a law of conscience within them, by which they shall be condemned, so that by the Scripture we cannot say there is any other way of salvation but by the Name of Christ, and Faith in his Name, yea, that Text Act. 4.12. is plainly excluding any other way of salvation, There is no other Name under Heaven whereby we must be saved ; Howsoever men may tropically explain and say, how can we think so merciful a God can suffer so many thousands and thousands who never heard of Christ to perish? yea, their poor Infants, who committed no actual sin; We must submit to the Scripture, otherwise we may take up Origen's opinion, and say, how doth it stand with the goodness of God and his pity to let so many Angels and men be damned, and not save them all at last; But when the Word of God speaks man must be silent and hold his tongue.
[ II] 2. A right knowledge about one true God is not enough without the knowledge of Christ, partly on God's part, and partly on our part; On God's part, for so he is absolutely considered as a righteous and just God, hating all sin, and punishing it where he finds it; Now in this consideration he is a consuming fire, there is a great gulf between him and us; The devils and damned in hell may as well hope for mercy as we, if there were no Christ; The heathens therefore who hoped for pardon they ignorantly thought to satisfy God, as if he could be satisfied by any finite thing, as Luther said, It's not Deus absolutus but relativus, not God considered absolutely but relatively as a Father in Covenant, through Christ that is the ground of all our hope and comfort; This knowledge would only terrify and drive to despair, as you see in Adam till he was comforted with the promise. 2. On our part, It's necessary to know Christ as well as God, because without Christ there is no foundation for any duty; We cannot pray, we cannot approach near to him; As he is a consuming fire, so we are combustible stubble, Whatsoever ye shall ask in my Name, saith Christ, shall be given you ; It must be through that Name our duties are accepted: Can two walk together unless they be agreed? What concord or agreement can there be between a righteous God and a corrupted sinner? For this cause it is that the most holy men have prayed that God would not enter into strict judgment with them, Psa. 143.2, If men sanctified dare not appear at the Tribunal of God in their own persons, much less may sinners; It's necessary then because of that contrariety between God and sinful man, there should be a Mediator, an advocate, one that should stand between justice and us, the condemning power of the Law and us; Who is not afraid of justice? Who hath so much purity that the Law cannot find any fault with him? So that if we consider of these two particulars we shall see great reason that we have to know Christ and God also.
[ III] Thirdly, Take notice, That a Knowledge or belief that there is a Messias, is not enough, unless we believe that person called Jesus, to be Christ ; For he doth not say, This is Eternal Life to believe a Christ, but that Jesus is Christ; The Jews to this day believe there will be a Messias, all their hope and expectation is for such an one, but yet the Apostle saith, they are cast off by God for the present, that they are branches broken off from the Olive, Rom. 11. and why? because they err in two particulars: 1. They deny that Jesus born of the Virgin Mary to be the Messiah, Therefore they will not believe the promises to be fulfilled in him. And 2. They look for a temporal Messiah, who shall restore them from bodily captivity, not for a Savior in a spiritual sense. Indeed before Christ came into the flesh, then a belief and expectation of a Messiah was enough, as appears by Simeon's Song, Luk. 2.34. who was one of the expectants for Christ, and when he saw him then desired to depart in peace, but now since he is come, it's necessary to salvation to believe that Person born of the Virgin Mary, and crucified by the Jews under Pilate, was the true and promised Messias, Therefore a great part of the Apostles Ministry was to prove that Jesus was the Christ.
[ IV] Fourthly, In that Christ makes Eternal Life to lie in these two necessary things, therefore the Papists are horribly presumptuous, who add a third thing necessary to Eternal Life, which is Subesse Romano Pontifici, To acknowledge the Pope to be head of the Church, and to submit to him, This is de necessitate salutis saith Bellarmine. But they have never yet been able to make this out that there is such an universal visible and infallible head of the Church: Yea, Gregory one of the Popes said, Whosoever should arrogate to himself the Title of Universal Bishop, he was the Forerunner of Antichrist ; For the great Antichristianism described by the Apostles, lieth not so much in doctrines; Though they be Antichrists also that deny Christ to be come in the flesh, 1 Joh. 2.16. yet the great Antichrist is described by the Church-power, and universal dominion; he shall take to himself in the Church, exalting himself above everything that is called God, 2 Thes. 2.4. Therefore howsoever they pronounce such dreadful sentences upon all the Reformed Churches, that have cast off the Popes power, as if they were not in a way to Eternal Life, yet this Scripture may abundantly encourage, where there is a true knowledge of God and Christ, there is a possibility of Eternal Life.
[ V] Fifthly, To know Jesus Christ whom the Father hath sent implieth the knowledge of these particulars.
1. That he is really and truly God, for how can he be a spiritual Savior if he be not God? Is it not God only that can raise from the dead ? Could mere man satisfy the justice of God, destroy the works of the devil? It's not my purpose here to confirm that main Article of Religion, I only inform you that he who truly knoweth Christ must know him to be God the only begotten of the Father, else he cannot know him as a Jesus, as a Savior; Therefore howsoever Arians and Socinians talk much of Christ, dispute much of him, yea, mention him in their prayers and Petitions, yet they do not truly know Christ, if the Apostle makes it so great a sin to deny Christ to be come in the flesh, to be man, that he saith, he is Antichrist that doth so, 1 Joh. 2.18. then it must needs be a greater sin to deny him to be God, for as he doth a man a greater wrong that denieth him a rational soul, then that denieth a mortal body to him, so he doth in a greater manner dishonor Christ that denieth him to be God then to be man: Shall Christ himself Phil. 2. think it no robbery to be equal with God, and will they make Christ guilty of such robbery? for he assumed to himself both the Title and reality of God.
2. To know Jesus Christ is to acknowledge him man as well as God, for this was his name given him by the Angel, when he was born, so that he only knoweth Christ who acknowledgeth him both God and man, as the Scripture sometimes calls him the only begotten Son of God, so sometimes the Son of man, and many places in Scripture speak of both his natures, Rom. 9.5. who concerning the flesh, was of the Seed of Abraham, and yet he is God for evermore, concerning the flesh, that is spoken oppositely to his divine nature, so that to deny the human nature of Christ, though we should affirm he was God, yet this is not to know Christ, Therefore the Marcionists and some Anabaptists who said he had not a true real body, that he was only in the appearance of a man, They do not know Christ.
3. To know Jesus Christ implieth also that we have some understanding of his Offices ; Of his anointing with all sufficiency and fullness, to be a Mediator for us; He that saith he knows Christ, and doth not acknowledge him anointed by God, with all fullness to be a Mediator for us, saith, he knoweth not what; Now the ignorance of Christ's Office, and his fullness therein doth wonderfully abound in Popery; The devil in former times opposed the natures of Christ, when he could no longer succeed that way, then he opposeth the Offices of Christ, all those doctrines of merits, indulgencies, and satisfactions do oppose the Offices of Christ, for if Christ be the Messiah, if he be the full Mediator, to what purpose are all these? Although therefore in Popery there is the true doctrine retained about Christ's Natures, he is acknowledged to be God and man, yet in respect of his Offices there is a total burying of him in silence: Angels and Saints merits and indulgencies have even almost put out the very Name of Christ amongst them, so then all acknowledging that Christ is not enough, it must be a Scripture-confessing of him; We must give him his full due, not make him half a Mediator, half a Savior, and join' ourselves or others in this great work.
4. To know Christ implieth also that we acknowledge the great love of the Father in sending his only Son thus to mediate for us: Therefore it's added, whom thou hast sent, and for this reason it's said, he that knoweth and honoreth the Son, must know and honor the Father also, Joh. 5.23. For from the Father comes the Spring of all this love, He so loved the world that he gave his only Son, Joh. 3. and certainly this is of great consequence to know the Father sent Christ into the world, for hereby we may be assured that all the obedience and sufferings of Christ shall be accepted of by the Father; We need not fear it or doubt of it, for the Father did make the first motion as it were to the Son, Though the Son also did readily and voluntarily undertake it; Now how great a matter was this, for God the Father to do? Was not Christ the only begotten and beloved of the Father? Did he not come out of his Fathers bosom to the Cross, and shall not this make us return all thankfulness and obedience unto him.
Lastly, This must necessarily imply a knowledge of our misery and damnable condition by sin: For if we were not lost what need had we of a Savior? If we were not sinners what need of a Mediator? So that the acknowledging of a Christ sent into the world to be a Mediator is the believing also of man by nature to be the child of wrath, the Enemy of God, one who may not come into his presence, or expect the least hope of mercy, till an Advocate and Intercessor come and plead his cause, so that this Knowledge of a Christ should be accompanied with great affections and workings of heart, it should breed shame, fear, and confusion in us, it should breed an hungering and thirsting after Christ, an esteem of him as the only Remedy; In Christ only is our fullness, our sins would undo us, were it not for his righteousness, our iniquities would overthrow us; Did not be intercede, blessed art thou then when this Knowledge is like fire in thy bosom, kindling holy flames within thee: Now here may be some Questions made:
1. Doth not this exclude all that lived under the Old Testament dispensation from Salvation? For howsoever they might know the true God, yet was there any discovery or Knowledge of Christ in those days, This is so great a matter that some have looked upon all the Jews as knowing only temporal promises; That they knew nothing of heaven but an earthly Canaan was their heaven: That they had no Knowledge of Christ but thought by the blood of Sacrifices to appease God:
But to answer this: 1. No doubt but the common and ordinary sort of them was greatly ignorant of Christ, and therefore rested in their Sacrifices, and the knowledge of the Law, as the only thing that made them acceptable; This is plain by the Apostles Arguments in his Epistle to the Galatians, and we see by the Prophets they so relied upon these external services, that they thought themselves beloved of God, though abounding in all wickedness: And no wonder they did so, for under the Gospel how many rest on their duties, and have no faith in Christ.
But 2. Those that were holy and godly, they looked upon all their bodily Sacrifices as Types of Christ ; It was Christ's blood they put confidence in; The Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrews shows, that God intended Christ by those Sacrifices, and that the blood of Rams and Goats could never cleanse away sin, as this was God's meaning, so the Priests and Prophets they explained the meaning thereof to the people, and sometimes they have clear promises of a Savior, a Messias to come to them, who shall be a Prince of Peace, and shall bear their sins for them, as Isaiah speaks like an Evangelist to this purpose, which made the Apostle say that the Prophets did bear witness of Christ; Abraham he saw Christ's day and rejoiced, Act. 10.43. Now all the godly have the same faith Abraham had, therefore he is made the Father of the Faithful, so that what was covered in the Old Testament is revealed in the New; Christ they had, and Mediation they had, though the Knowledge of it was more obscure: Hence the Gospel is said to rise like the Light of the Sun.
2. It may be demanded, why the Knowledge of the holy Ghost is not there said to be Eternal Life, as well as of the Father and the Son, for without the Spirit of God efficiently enabling us, we cannot do any holy duty as well as without Christ's merits, we cannot be accepted: Christ is the meritorious cause, and the Spirit of God the applying cause.
To this we may say, that the Knowledge of the Spirit is necessarily implied in the Knowledge of Christ; For he was in respect of his human nature conceived by the holy Ghost, when he was to leave his Apostles bodily, he promiseth his Spirit to supply his presence, So that none can know Christ as a Mediator, that doth not also know the holy Ghost: Hence be is called, the Spirit of Christ.
And in the 2 d place we may say it's not necessary that this Text should speak of all things necessary to Salvation, It's enough that other places do sufficiently testify it; Now that the knowledge of the holy Ghost is also requisite to Eternal Life appeareth, in that we are baptized into his Name, so that it's a principle and Foundation to be instructed about the holy Ghost, as well as the Father and the Son. We read that the Apostle doth in most of his Salutations pray for grace and peace from God the Father and the Lod Jesus Christ, yet none may from thence gather the Spirit is excluded, for 2 Cor. 1.13, 14. There is the communion of the Spirit added to the love of God and the grace of Jesus Christ.
3. You may demand, If the Knowledge of those things be enough to eternal Life, what then needs the Ministry or Preaching to a man that knoweth these : If a man have these, is he not above Ordinances and the Ministry; This indeed some have arrogantly thought.
But 1. There is no man knoweth as much about God and Christ as may be known; The Apostle that was lifted up to the third heavens, yet he saith, We know but in part, 1 Cor. 13. If Paul then knew but in part, what must others do? We see the Angels themselves desire to have the Mystery of Christ made more known to them, Eph. 3. so that it's a foolish conceit to think thou knowest enough already, for though our knowledge shall be perfected in heaven, yet even there we cannot know God as much as he is known, for the infinite object cannot be comprehended by a finite faculty.
2. Suppose thou couldst not grow in knowledge, which yet is impossible, yet the Ministry is necessary for thy heart and affections; The devils know more then any man, but there will is obdurate and hardened in wickedness; So thou mayest have great knowledge and understanding, yet thy heart may need much quickening, much mollifying, and for this end the Ministry is appointed.
3, If thou didst not find a need of them either for understanding or heart, which yet is more impossible then the former; yet God having appointed such a way, thou art only for obedience sake, and to testify thy submission to God to do it; Christ needed not to be baptized, for he wanted not the grace signified, viz. remission of sins: Yet to show his obedience he did it, Adam though created in a state of integrity, yet had a command of trial, to manifest his obedience, and so though never so perfect, yet thou canst not be exempted from obedience to God's commands.
Use of Instruction to the full self-righteous man that is not burdened and loaded with the sense of his sins, whatsoever knowledge thou mayest have, yet thou canst not know anything in a saving manner about Christ; Till thou be affected with thy misery and the remedy, thou art not yet a knowing man in Christ's School, or to those who labor and are greatly affected with their sin, They know sin, They know the Law, They know the terrors of an angry God, but they know not Christ: Consider how Paal was affected herein, he knew nothing but Christ crucified, 2 Cor. 2.2. All things were accounted dung and dross for the excellency of this knowledge, Phil. 3.8. Consider Eternal life is as well in knowing of Christ as in knowing of sin, or what duties God requireth of thee.
SERMON XIX. Showeth how a Godly Life (though it merit no good) is a Ground of Comfort at the hour of Death.
JOH. 17.4
IN this Verse our Savior addeth a new argument for that Petition mention mentioned v. 1. Glorify me. Why? because I have glorified thee on earth, I have finished my work : Now his work is done, he expects his reward; These words our Savior doth not speak out of ostentation and boasting, but to show the order God appointed, that by his sufferings when perfected he should enter into glory.
In the words we have Christ's profession of the end he intended in all things, I have glorified thee on earth.
2. The manner how, or the means by which, I have finished the work thou gavest me to do. I have glorified thee, though Christ as God had all divine glory due to him, yet as Mediator in the state of humiliation, so he was inferior to the Father, and in this sense he did glorify him.
To glorify is either when really that glory is exhibited, which was not before, and so God glorifieth us, or else when we celebrate, acknowledge, and declare that glory which is already possessed, and thus we glorify God; For when we glorify God, we add nothing to him, we do not make him more glorious then he is indeed, We cannot advantage him but ourselves by serving of him, as a man by seeing doth not profit the Sun but himself, nor the thirsty Traveler by drinking refresh the Fountain but himself; Christ then being by the state of humiliation made lower then God, yea, lower then Angels, had this purity of intention in all that he did and all that he suffered, to glorify God.
Q. If you say, Was not the redemption and salvation of these the Father gave him his end, how then is the glory of God his end?
A. The Answer is, the ultimate and chief end is God's glory, The proxime and immediate was the salvation of man, and therefore in respect of the chief end this is the manner or the means of glorifying of God, and this is intended when he saith, He had finished his work.
2. Consider the restriction or limitation of this glorifying of God, from the place where, I have glorified thee on earth : That is mentioned, because here only on the earth was he to be in a state of debasement, here only he was to work, in heaven he was to receive his glory; The Schoolmen use to call a man while he was in this life the way to heaven, viator, and when he is possessed of glory, they call him comprehensor : Now they say, That Christ was both viator and comprehensor together, but if they mean, that in this life he possessed all that glory which he should have in heaven, that is false, for we see him here praying for it, and other places God promiseth it as a reward of his obedience and sufferings: Indeed the human nature of Christ was always united personally to the godhead, but there was a suspension of that glorious influence and happiness while on the earth.
3. Consider the time when Christ makes this profession, at the end of his days, when he is to go out of this world; This was the ground of his confidence in his Petition; Now although we are not able in the same degree and perfection to say as he did, yet for the main we ought to be like him in this, when Death comes, when our days are to be finished, to be able to say, Lord, we have glorified thee, we have finished the work thou gavest us to do, and of this particular I shall treat.
Obs. That it is a blessed and most happy thing to be able at the time of death truly to say, Lord, I have glorified thee in my life, I have finished all the work I was to do. This Subject will be very profitable and necessary, you cannot expect health and life always in this world, your time is running, your days are decaying, you are hasting to the grave, who knoweth how soon God will put a period to thy life in this world? What then should be more in your hearts and thoughts then this, Whether have I lived to God's glory? whether have I faithfully discharged the work put upon me? It's not riches, wealth, greatness, or any earthly advantages will then do you good; This or nothing will then be a reviving to you; We have two pregnant examples for this, 2 Kin. 20.3. When that sad message was brought to Hezekiah, that he must set his house in order, for he must die and not live ; What is a comfort and a cordial to him under this bitter news, Remember O Lord that I have walked before thee With an upright heart, and done what was good in thy sight; Hezekiah had great outward prosperity, he had many earthly delights as a King, but see how every earthly comfort vanisheth away, That he had served God in the uprightness of his heart comforted him more then all earthly honor or greatness. The other Instance is in Paul, 2 Tim. 4.7. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, a Crown of glory is laid up for me ; If all the glory of the world had been given Paul, would it have comforted him like this Testimony of a godly conversation? Oh how many dying men may say, I have served the devil, I have fulfilled his lusts, and now I go to my everlasting torments.
To quicken and affect you in this Point take notice of these Introductory particulars.
First, That there is a day of Judgment when God will call every man to account ; We are not to live here as we list, and to do all things without control; No, God hath appointed a time when every man shall appear before him, and he must give an account of all his time, all his Talents, all his actions, all his thoughts, of all things in this world that have been his; The Scripture is very clear in this formidable Truth, 2 Cor. 5. We must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ to give an account for what hath been done in the flesh, Mat. 12.36. yea, of every idle word we must give an account, yea, of every secret thing, Eccl. 12.16. The Parable of the Talents Mat. 25.15. where the man with ten, with five, with two, are called to give an account of their improvement doth evidently show, that there is no good thing we have, let it be health, wealth, riches, but we as Stewards must be reckoned with concerning the good improvement of them; Oh beloved, what an overwhelming consideration is this, to think the time is coming when every thought, every word, every hour, every day, every opportunity, every penny, everything I have had will be called for, who can hear these things and not tremble? Never think all thy sins are forgotten, no, the Scripture attributes a Book to God, God writeth down everything, and those Books will be opened, what manner of persons should we be who believe these things? Rev. 20.11. Is it for you to live riotously, to follow all vain pleasures and delights, or not rather to pray and mourn, and bethink yourselves what is to be done at this time.
2. Take notice That there is no man or woman though never so inconsiderable, but they have their several Talents : They have their peculiar work to do, and their proper relations to serve God in; There is none but they have their course to finish, they have the work of God to do, and therefore let no man think it may be for Magistrates, for Ministers, for great men, for rich men, to look to those things, but not such inferior persons as they: No, he that had but one Talent, that is the least ability and opportunity to glorify God, yet because he was negligent, he is called an unprofitable servant, and is cast out, where there is weeping, and gnashing of teeth ; So then barrenness and unprofitableness in our places and relations, will be a damning sin, yet who considers this? Do I promote the glory of God? Is God honored by me in my place and calling? Do not I hide my talent in a Napkin? Am I able to answer for my great neglect? For thy health, who can speak for that? For time and many days given to repent, who can speak for that? These things will be fire in your bones, They will be thunder in your ears, and arrows in your heart, though for the present thou dost not matter them.
Thirdly, Though it be the duty upon all thus to glorify God, and do our work commanded, yet none is able to be perfect in this ; None ever lived that could challenge a Crown of glory for his perfect service; Indeed Christ he being God and man did all these things without sin, therefore he was a full Mediator for us, God had nothing, the Law had nothing to object against him, but every mere man hath a woe belonging to his best life, to his best duties, if God judge him in strict justice· Hence David prayeth, that God would not enter into judgment with him, that he would not mark everything done amiss ; Why? because in thy sight no flesh shall be justified, Psa. 143.2. So David doth not only exclude himself, for he had murder and adultery, and many other things amiss in his life, but no flesh shall be justified ; None though preserved from such falls. And Paul whom you have heard acknowledging the good fight he had fought, and looking for a Crown of glory, yet doth not challenge any perfection, for at another time he accounts all things dung and dross, and would be found in Christ, Phil. 3. having the righteousness by faith, so that all doctrines of perfection, and a possibility to be without sin in this life are but the proud dreams of carnal men.
Therefore Fourthly, No service or works that we have done are any ways meritorious, or have any causal influence upon our Salvation : It's very hard to preach the necessity of all holy and good works, and not presently to look on them as merits and causes of Salvation; but we see the Scripture doth both, and therefore we are to reconcile them in our practice; To be zealous of good works, yet to rely only on Christ's merits; It's not my purpose here to give you several grounds why the best holy action we do comes short of all kind of merit; It's enough to inform you Rom. 4. that believing and working are opposed, and so works and grace, and indeed to hold the fullness of Christ's merits, and yet to plead our own, is to think that the light of the Sun is not able to make perfect day, unless we light a candle also; There cannot be anymore two meritorious causes of salvation, then there can be two Suns in the Orb; Christ will not have a copartner under any distinction whatsoever in the work of our Redemption; As for the doctrine or thoughts of perfection, let those be abandoned, Let us walk humbly, and lowly under our imperfections, yet breathing after perfection.
Fifthly, Because no works we do can be perfect, hence at the end of our days, when we look over all our former life, we may not put any trust or confidence in what we have done ; Paul that knew nothing by himself, yet was not thereby justified : The Pharisees are condemned for this, that they trusted in their own righteousness, yea, the whole Nation of the Jews, that they went about to establish their own righteousness, and would not submit to the righteousness of Christ, Rom. 10. Though self-righteousness be not a gross scandalous sin, making men abominable and no • some in the world, yet it is as damnable and as dangerous as those sins, yea, more damnable, partly because it overthroweth all the principles of being cured, None being more miserable then those who are so, yet do not feel or think so; This is like the Psalmists arrow that destroyeth at mid-day, and then partly because it doth so immediately oppose Christ revealed as a Mediator and Savior, for they that trust in their own righteousness are a Christ, are a Savior to themselves.
Lastly, Though all this be true, our godliness is no merit, no ground of confidence, yet a faithful zealous performing of those duties God hath required of us may as a sign and evidence wonderfully comfort and embolden our hearts: As the Rainbow is not a cause but a sign that God will never destroy the world more by water, so this tenderness and diligence of thine in all the ways of God are not a cause but a sure sign that God's eternal love is placed on thee, and that thou art in the number of those who are prepared for glory, our rejoicing is this, saith Paul, the testimony of a good conscience, 2 Cor. 1.12. and 1 Joh. 3.21. Hereby we are sure he heareth us, if our hearts condemn us not; Hezekiah and Paul did not mention their good life, as a cause or means; Neither did they put confidence in them, only they took this as a comfortable sign they were in the favor of God, and they looked upon these things as inseparable qualifications; Even as Rahab's thread hanging out of the window was not a cause but a sign that she was in the number of those who were exempted from destruction, and in this sense we maintain the doctrine, That it's a blessed thing at the end of our days to have this testimony, this cordial in our hearts.
Let us consider the grounds of this blessedness.
[ 1] 1. At the time of death, all our earthly comforts they vanish away, they continue with us no longer ; Now if thou think how rich thou hast been, what pleasures and delights thou hast had, this is so far from comforting that it torments the more, but a drop of this heavenly assurance of our endeavor to please God, will be more precious then all the world, Oh foolish people and unwise that do no more consider your latter end, Can you but look on your body and say, this face, these arms, this body will one day molder in the dust: Can you but look on your houses and habitations, and say, These dwellings will know me no more, must everything break thy heart, thou lookest upon thy husband, thy Children, thy friends mourning by thee, must there be such a sad and doleful time, and dost thou provide no comfort, no hopes to encourage thee? The Psalmist saith not as the horse and mule, without understanding, whose mouth must be held in by a Bridle, Psa. 31.9. Alas, thou art worse, here is a bridle put on thee to keep thee from rushing upon sin anymore, and yet it will not stop thee; If then all these earthly comforts will fail thee, and thou shalt look back upon thy life, and that torment thee, that torture thee also, thou art twice and thrice miserable.
2. It's a blessed thing to have this Testimony and Seal upon our hearts, that we have glorified God and done his work, because Conscience if ever is then awakened, and the devil he is most busy to tempt and trouble ; He that formerly shown only the pleasant bait of sin, will now manifest the hook, He that before said you should not be damned, now makes it necessary, he that made pardon easy, now makes it impossible, and as the devil is thus a roaring Lion, so conscience is a roaring witness within; Thou hast stopped the mouth of it, and muzzled it a long time, but now 'twill speak, and thou canst not make it quiet; Indeed too many die like beasts rather then men; They think not of their sins, they consider not Eternity but drop into hell, before they consider anything, but yet when death comes commonly there is some terror and trembling upon the conscience, and if ever any sin did formerly sting, it will then: Oh then how blessed a thing is it to have such an argument in our mouths that shall quiet conscience and confound the devil, when they tell thee there is no hope, thou hast been an hypocrite, thou canst bring this testimony out of thy bosom; O Lord, thou knowest though I was overtaken by many infirmities, yet my heart was set to glorify thee; I was tender and careful to discharge all my work, though I failed in many things, this will make thee like Adamant and marble, how much did the consciousness of the integrity which Job had, strengthen him under those powerful storms and blasts that fell upon him.
[ 3] 3. It's a blessed thing to be able to say thus upon just grounds, because of the terror of death to flesh and blood ; We cannot be willing and ready to die, all the while the worms of conscience are gnawing the soul, before worms be gnawing the body; When Simeon had seen Christ, and taken him in his arms, then he saith, Lord, let thy Servant depart in thy Peace, Luk. 2. When Paul hath thus discharged his trust, then I have fought a good fight, and there is laid up for me a Crown of glory ; It hath been the case of many good men to have uncomfortable sicknesses, and an uncomfortable death, and what makes it sometimes so but want of this assurance this good testimony about themselves, oh their life troubles them, such sins and such barrenness; They know not what to do; Their hearts are within them, They think of death, and their soul is troubled, so that it's a most desirable thing to have this in thy heart when thou art dying; Oh thou thinkest, Would I might have such a Minister, such a Friend by me when I am dying, I tell thee this is the best friend: It was Augustus his wish, that he might have an 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a quiet easy death, without pangs and torment, but this is the easiest, the comfortablest, the best dying; Oh that we should prefer anything before that; Oh that thou shouldst not cry out of every sin, This will trouble me when I am dying.
[ 4] 4. It's a blessed thing to go out of the world, having done God's work, because we are immediately to appear before him; No sooner is thy soul gone out of the body, but it appeareth before God, he either for thy sin adjudgeth it to hell, or because thou art a member of Christ appoints thee to eternal glory, oh then when there is but such distance between God and thy soul, how comfortable is it to have been all thy life time glorifying God? Thou hast been glorifying God, and God comes now to glorify thee; Thou hast been doing his work, and now he is giving thee the good things promised: Oh Beloved how should this prevail with you, there is but a step between my soul and God, how will God look on me? who can endure his frowns and displeasures? Doth not the Apostle say, It's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, Heb. 10.3. And now I am falling into God's hands, either the hands of a merciful Father, or provoked enemy; Well then, while thou art in these conflicts and agonies, what support is it to have this sure evidence; O Lord, in my life time I lived for thee, and to thee, now I come to live with thee: O Lord, In my life time I knew thee, I did thy work, but I was at a vast distance; now I come to the immediate enjoying of thee.
[Reas. 5] 5. Its a blessed thing to have this evidence, because it's of that good which will be eternal: Canst thou truly say thus? then it's an immortal Crown of Glory that is laid up for thee, no more deaths, no more changes, no more fears or tears, thou art made forever: But of this heretofore.
Use of Admonition, Let everyone attend and give all diligence to get this evidence. Oh the terror and horror that must take hold on thee, if thou hast been dishonoring of God all thy life long, if thou hast been doing the work that sin and Satan tempted thee to, why art thou so devoid of all understanding, will thy health and strength always hold? Art thou exempted from the stroke of death? Is not thy time running on? sit down then and consider what thoughts will at thy death possess thee, What testimony have I, that I have done the work of the Lord? Oh doth not thy life accuse thee! Is it not all over bloody? Canst thou think of what thou hast been with any content? Is thy life at present such that thou canst say, O Lord I am doing thy work? Oh the amazement and astonishment that should take hold on such men!
SERMON XX. Showeth who they are that cannot at the close of their days take comfort in this, That they have finished the work God gave them to do: As also what things, if not avoided, will much diminish the comfort of the Godly ones at that day.
JOH. 17.4.
THe Doctrine observed was, That it is a most blessed and happy thing in the close of our days to be able to say upon good grounds, We have finished the work God gave us to do. You have heard particulars illustrating it, and the grounds of the point: I shall now amplify this, and in the first place show, Who they are that cannot with any comfort, or very little be able to say thus: For although this truth in the general be very terrible, yet in the particular it loseth its edge, because every man is a self-flatterer: Everyone is apt to think, I have done God's work, and therefore it will be well with me. If therefore it be possible, my endeavor shall be that this arrow of God's truth may enter in at the joints of thy armor, seeing it cannot anywhere else. Consider then who they are that may say they are dogs and not children, so that this bread doth not belong to them.
And first, All those who daily and constantly are doing the clean contrary work to what God requireth ; such whose conversation is a perpetual reproach and dishonor to God, these do not at all glorify God: These have cause to tremble and quake when death approaches, and their accounts must be made; and is not this the condition of most? Look generally upon men's lives, are they not doing the devils works? are they not dishonoring God all the day long by their ungodly conversation? If there be any that are tender and conscientious, are they not like gleanings after a Vintage? here a man, and there a woman; otherwise for most men, you would think they thought hell and the day of judgment to be but fables, and such a truth as this to be a mere bugbear: But God will not be mocked, neither can man's greatness or atheism, or profane scoffings put off these things. Oh then be at last persuaded that that life thou livest will be little comfort to thee one day: Oh how speechless and confounded wilt thou be, when God shall inquire into all thy words, into all thy actions, and there is nothing but sin appeareth, when everything will be turned into blood, as the Egyptian punishment was, into the blood of thy soul: When God looked over all his works he had done, he saw them exceeding good, and so blessed the seventh day ; but thou wilt look over all thou hast done, and find it exceeding evil, and curse both the day of thy birth and the day of thy death. Oh that men would be wise, that they would consider their later end: What wilt thou do, when God, when thy conscience, when the law, when devils will accuse thee? Where wilt thou hide thyself? Remember Jacob, Gen. 32.13. when his brother Esau was to meet him, who was enraged and provoked against him, how careful he was by Presents and humble deprecations to mitigate his anger. Remember the unjust Steward, Luke 16.8. who knowing he must be called to account, taketh all the subtle ways he can to make himself friends, when he shall be cast out of his office: our Savior speaks that parable to this purpose, That when God shall say to everyone of us, Thou shalt be no long or steward, in this relation, in that condition I will have an account of all, that then we manage all things so, that we may be able to have some comfortable refuge.
2. Those have nothing of this texts comfort, who though they do not contrary work, yet do different non-required work. It's