One-Hundred Forty-Five Sermons Upon John 17
1. There is remarkable freeness in it of grace, if positively and absolutely considered: For what could there be in us to move God to this mercy, when we could not think, or cry, or pray, or do anything for our good, even then God set his love upon us? It was nothing in us, seeing we were in the womb of nothing.
2. This freeness is aggravated, if comparatively considered, for it's the grace of God that makes some to believe, and leaveth others in their natural corruption. The Apostle considered this discriminating love of God to Jacob and Esau, Rom. 9. before they had done either good or evil: Oh then sit and admire the depth of grace, the unsearchable riches of grace! for what art thou to so many learned and noble men in the world, to so many of thy own kindred and family that God hath past by, yet took compassion on thee? Didst thou not lie equally in the same mass of corruption and bondage to all sin?
3. There is the Eternity of this love, it was before the beginning of the world: So that we cannot imagine any moment of time, wherein God's thoughts were not upon thee.
Lastly, The unchangeableness of this love, for the Councils of God and his purpose are immutable, There is no change or shadow of change in him, and therefore if once loved, always loved; he predestinated thee before the world, called thee out of the world, justifieth thee in the world, and will glorify thee after the world.
Use. What infinite cause of praise and glory the people of God have? Well mayest thou call upon thy soul, and all within thee to praise God: Well may this be the burden of every Psalm, For his mercy endureth forever ; yea, if thou hadst the hearts of all men and Angels, this were not enough, neither can Eternity be long enough to glorify God in this particular.
SERMON CVI. Of both the Moving Cause and Effects of Election and of Christ's Prayer and Death; Against Arminians and others.
JOH. 17.20.
WE come to a Second Observation from the circumstance of the future tense, Who shall believe in me ; For (as was intimated) there may be a twofold sense of these words.
1. That this future Faith is mentioned as an effect and fruit of being given to Christ, as also of Christ's Prayer and Death for them, So that he doth not only pray for them which shall believe, but also that they may believe, and in this sense the Orthodox interpret it.
Or 2. It may be interpreted as if Faith were here supposed as a condition on our part, antecedaneous both to God's Election, and also Christ's Intercession and death, So that the sense should be, These were given to Christ, and Christ he prayed and died for them, because it was foreseen by God, that such would believe upon the means of grace offered, and others not; In this sense Meisner a Lutheran urgeth it, and thus all Arminians and others must take it, who hold that we were Elected from a foresight of our Faith and perseverance therein.
But that this cannot be the meaning of our Savior is evident, because the ground of Christ's Prayer even in respect of those who shall believe is, because They were given to him by the Father, as appeareth verse. 9. I pray not for the world but for them which thou hast given me ; Seeing therefore the Foundation of Christ's Intercession is because they were given by Election to Christ as a people to be saved through him, it's plain, that Christ prayed not because he foresaw that they would believe, but because they were Elected: It's true, the Arminians do in a most violent and strange manner wrest that phrase of being given to Christ; They understand it not of an action of the Father, but of the disposition of the Subject; Hence it is they speak so much of a probum ingenium, or a docilis indoles, as if it were some towardly disposition in man, that fitted him for grace, but thus it would be rather who have given themselves to Christ rather then that the Father had given them, and indeed this is such a thorn in their sides, that they cannot pull out, if by such who shall believe were to be understood, those that upon God's foresight were known to improve the means of Faith better then others, then all the difference from others, and the utmost resolution of salvation, yea and Election would be unto a man's self, when yet the Apostle doth expressly stop such mouths, What hast thou that thou hast not received? and who made thee to differ from another, 1 Cor. 4.7.
The Text thus vindicated and explained, I gather this Observation.
That Christ died not, and so we were not Elected because we will believe, but our belief is the effect and fruit of Christ's death and our Election : Our Faith is not a condition upon which our Election or Christ's Death stands suspended and indeterminate, but these do make us infallibly and effectually to believe in time: There are two common Opinions, The one holding, That God from all Eternity knew who would believe in time, and persevere therein, and thereupon they were Elected, and Christ died for us; This way go Arminians and others; But 2. The Orthodox, they affirm that God did from all Eternity choose some out of the corrupt mass to Eternal glory, and for this end to give them Faith and holiness as the means thereunto; So that God did not elect us because we did or would believe, but that we might believe, we believe because we are Elected, not Elected because we believe: This Doctrine is very useful because it tends to humble and debase man, and wholly to exalt the grace of God, and therefore the more diligently to be confirmed because of late so greatly opposed:
And before we bring Scripture-Arguments Let us Consider some few things that will clear the state of the Question,
As 1. There is a difference of those who hold our Election, and so Christ's Death to be upon the foresight of something in us, Some are more gross then others, For there are some that hold a man is Elected to glory upon the foresight of his cooperation with the grace of God, as a true merit deserving this Election, so that with them God did behold who by his free will would improve the offer of grace, and for this as a meritorious cause they say God did Elect them unto Eternal Glory: But this is so highly injurious to the Grace of God, that though some Papists have maintained it, yet Bellarmine Valentia and other Jesuits wholly disclaim it at least in words, making no other cause of predestination in respect of all the effects of it, but the sole and mere good pleasure of God.
2. There are others, and they say the foresight of the good or better use of our free-will then others is not a meritorious but a moving cause with God of our Election to Happiness : So that our Faith and Holiness though they were not a meriting Cause, yet were a moving Cause of our predestination, but this is also too grossly repugnant and contradictory to Scripture.
3. There are those who refine it more subtly, and that is, That God did foresee who would believe and persevere therein to Death, and such are peremptorily chosen to Eternal Life, not that their Faith or Perseverance is any merit or moving Cause, but a Conditio sine quâ non, without which God would not choose such to happiness, so that (say they) it's not for any intrinsical. Dignity or excellent worth in Faith, but because of the many possible ways and means to Salvation; God appoints this way of believing rather then another, and thus the Arminians, Only they acknowledge Holiness of Life, and Obedience to God to be thus a Condition foreseen as well as Faith, though they would seem utterly to deny it.
4. There are the Lutherans, and they indeed hold Faith foreseen as a Condition in our Election ; Only they say, It's not considered as a merit, or a Cause, no, nor as a work, but as an Instrument apprehending Christ's merits, and therefore make Election to be by Faith, in the same sense as we are justified by Faith; Hence they deny Holiness or Obedience to be a condition ingredient to Election, because Christ is not laid hold upon by that as by Faith, although herein they contradict themselves, because they acknowledge not Faith singly as so, but Perseverance in Faith to be the Condition, and that must be necessarily looked upon as a work, not as an Instrument receiving Christ; But the Orthodox they affirm consonantly to Scripture, and suitably to the Glory of God's Grace, That God did from all Eternity choose some men out of that corrupt mass in which all were, to Eternal Glory, and by the same Act did prepare and appoint all those means which would effectually produce the same, So that this Election is the Original and Fountain of all Spiritual mercies: because Elected, Christ is appointed a Mediator: Because Elected, they are called and enabled to believe in time, So that we deny there are two Elections, One to Glory, another to Grace; But God by the same single Act doth will both, and therefore that there is not the same Reason of Election, and of Justification or Salvation, for these being Acts done in time do require Faith and Holiness, as antecedent, but Election being an Act of God from all Eternity cannot presuppose anything in us.
Now the Arguments to confirm us in this Truth they are these following.
[ 1] First, Because the Scripture when it speaketh of this great and wonderful work of Election, it doth still resolve all into the Counsel of his will, not into anything fore seen in a man, Ephes. 8. Roman. 8. Roman. 9. and in many other places it is still said, He hath chosen us according to his Will, according to his purpose ; Now if so be it were for anything foreseen in us, it would be rather according to the Counsel of our will, and according to our purpose: There cannot any rational Answer be given unto this Argument, for according to the Adversaries, God doth not Elect or choose any, until he foresee what every man will do, and if he do well and persevere in this, then he is predestinated, but this doth at once dash out all the Prepositions Prae, and turn them into Post, it is not prae -destination but post -destination, not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ; And this administers a second Argument.
[ 2] Secondly, If so be that God did Elect and choose to Eternal Life because he did fore-see our Faith, then the whole difference of one Believer from another would be attributed solely to man's Power ; For to say, That this is God's Decree, and his Appointment, that whosoever shall believe shall be saved, doth not in the least work upon any person, no more then that Decree of God, Whosoever shall do this shall live, doth suppose any that will exactly keep the Law, so that no man in the world may believe for all this Decree; And thus when Christ prayed for those who shall believe, he might have prayed for a Non ens, a thing which might never have been; Therefore all the Question is, How come some to believe and not others? How is it that of many who live under the same means of Grace, some are called effectually, and others grow more wicked and sinful? Certainly the Scripture doth not give this unto man's Will, but to God's free grace and Love, as Matthew 13. To you it is given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God, and unto others not : Thus Christ also Matthew 11. solemnly blessed and thanked God, That he had hid these things of Heaven from the wise and prudent ones of the world, and that he had revealed them unto Babes : And the Apostle expressly, Who hath made thee to differ from another? 1 Corinth. 4.7. Therefore it's horribly injurious unto the Grace and goodness of God to say, That under the same Means of Grace I made my Self to believe, to repent rather than another: Certainly such an Opinion as this is so gross and absurd, that well may Arminianism be said not only to be repugnant to many places of Scripture, but even to the common sense and experience of all believers; They have a witness within their own breasts, That they were as unwilling, as froward, as opposite to the work of Grace as any; That it was God that made them of unwilling, willing: Even as there were many others that heard Paul, yet God is said to open the heart of Lydia rather then others.
[ 3] Thirdly, Faith and all holiness is the Effect and Fruit of our Election, and also of the Death of Christ, and therefore it cannot be an antecedent Condition ; That is plain, that the same thing cannot be an Effect and Consequent of Election, and yet an antecedent Condition, at least in the same Respects, for then it should be considered as before and after at the same time, which is a plain Contradiction: Now that Faith is a Consequent and an Effect of Election, and that we are Elected to Faith and Holiness, not because we have Faith and Holiness, is clear by several Texts of Scripture, as Act. 13.48. They believed as many as were ordained to Eternal Life : Here is plainly set down the Effect and the Cause; They believed, and why? Because ordained to Eternal Life ; As for that Cavil to understand 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 intransitively, as if it were no more than dispositi, and so did imply some inherent probity that is not worth the answering; For how were the Gentiles disposed to believe, who were said to be dead in sins, and plunged into all manner of impiety until Grace had converted them: Besides this disposedness to believe, whence doth it arise? Either from ourselves, and so all Glory is due to us, or from the Grace of God; And if so, How cometh it to pass that some have it and not others but because of Election? And it is further to be added, That it is not said in the Text, They believed that were ordained ; Or (as they say) disposed to believe, but to Eternal Life, which doth necessarily suppose an Action of God, in whose power alone it is to dispose of Eternal Life: Thus also Ephes. 1. There are very emphatical Expressions to show that we are Elected to be holy and unblameable in the sight and presence of God ; And whereas they would refer this to our glorious Estate in Heaven that cannot be, because unblameable doth properly relate to our being here upon the Earth: It is true, we will readily grant, That both Faith and Holiness they do enter into the Decree of Election taken terminatively, as it ends in Everlasting Happiness: Therefore it is a mere Calumny to say, We hold such an absolute Election to Glory and Happiness as hath no respect to Christ or to Faith: For although we deny that Christ was the meritorious Cause of our Election, yet it's plain by Scripture we are chosen in him as the Head, and so the Cause of all the Benefits that come by Election; And God had respect unto Faith, He chose Believers to Salvation, only this Faith was not looked upon as an antecedent Condition in us, but as a qualification which God by Election doth work in the hearts of those that shall be saved: We say, God hath Elected such to Salvation whom in time he will by that Decree make Believers; For he that wills an end doth thereby will the means that tendeth thereunto, only we deny they were supposed Believers first, and then God Elected them.
[ 4] Fourthly, God doth not Elect upon the fore-sight of Perseverance in Faith, Because the Scripture everywhere makes Election to be the Origina • l and Causal Fountain or Womb of all other Benefits ; That Ninth Chapter to the Romans is pregnant to this purpose, where Election is made to be that which bringeth about all blessed Eff • cts in time, Election hath obtained, and it is not of him that willeth, or runneth, but of God that showeth mercy ; Whereas Austin of old urged by the Adversaries Opinion replied; We might as well say according to them, it is not of him that calleth, but of him that willeth; And Rom. 8. The Apostle maketh predestination the cause of Vocation, Justification, and Glorification, not Vocation the Cause of Predestination.
Fifthly, If the human Nature of Christ was not chosen to the personal Union for any foreseen merit, much less may any mere man be Elected to Glory, because of any supposed worth; This was an Argument urged of old by Austin, and is very strong; By what Grace that particular man was made Christ, by that we are made Christians; Now the Apostle saith expressly that Christ 1 Peter 1.20. he was fore-ordained and appointed before the Foundation of the world, and all will readily grant, that this was not for any foreseen worth and Excellency in the Human Nature of Christ.
Lastly, Not to mention all that may be brought, If we are Elected upon Faith foreseen, and Perseverance therein, then none are Elected until they come to die, and then all those places of Scripture which speaks of our Election so as to praise God, to have Confidence in him, to triumph over all Afflictions, would all be in vain, for a man that is dead cannot perform these Duties.
Use 1. of Consolation to all Believers, What holy boldness and Confidence may they have for the time to come; Did Christ think of thee before ever thou wast born or come into this world, and will he not now thou hast a being in this world? Did he mind thee before ever thou hadst any Grace, and not when thou hast it? He that did the greater, will he not do the less?
Use 2. Of Admonition, To search for the Effects and Fruits of Election in your Lives and Conversations; For if you are of God, and do belong to him, you will hear his Word, The Word one time or another will be effectual to you.
SERMON CVII. Of Faith, the several Kinds of it: And especially of Justifying Faith: It's Object and Seat, &c.
JOHN 17.20.
WE are now come to the Description of those who are here prayed for.
- 1. The person in it's qualification, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 .
- 2. The Object of this Qualification 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 .
So that in this Description two things are very observable;
- 1. The Action.
- 2. The Object.
The Action, or rather the Quality, is in those words, Who shall believe.
2. The Object, in those, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 .
For the gracious disposition, viz. of believing, I shall (God willing) treat more generally of the Nature of it, verse. 21. where it's again mentioned, and so shall pass over the Act, and come to the Object, that specifieth it: And the Greek word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is emphatical; for it's observed by the learned, that no profane Authors use that phrase 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , it's peculiar to the Scripture: So that as the thing itself, viz. recumbency and resting upon Christ for salvation, is only known in the Church of God, so is the phrase.
I shall not at this time examine that ordinary distinction of credere Deum, Deo, and in Deum, it will be more pertinent at verse. 21. where the whole Nature of faith in it's latitude is to be examined. At this time, I am to consider the restriction of it to it's principal and chief Object, and that is Christ: For there is a twofold object of Faith, the general, and that is the whole truth of God revealed in the Scriptures, and the special, that is, the Lord Christ making an atonement for us, and as Faith doth respect this special object, so it justifieth, a man's faith doth not justify him, as it believeth the threatenings or historical part of the Scripture, but as it receiveth Christ, and resteth on him. It's true, the habit of justifying faith puts itself forth into all those general acts, as a man by his rational soul accomplisheth the acts of sense, which are common to a beast, but that which doth specifically constitute him as a man, is rationality ; so justifying faith doth enable a man to believe every truth revealed in God's Word, but that by which he is justified, is when he wholly depends upon Christ, and as was said, This is emphatically expressed in Scripture, by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , not that this doth everywhere signify the act of saving and justifying faith, for John 2.23. many are there said 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , To believe on the Name of Christ, to whom yet Christ would not commit himself, but only for the most part is so. The Scripture often expresseth it by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , especially by the Evangelist John, sometimes with the Dative case, Act. 18.8. Act. 27.25. sometimes it hath the Dative case, with the Preposition 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Rom. 9.33. Rom. 10.11. sometimes with 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and the Accusative case, Rom. 4.5. Rom. 4.24. sometimes on the Name of Christ, sometimes on Christ, sometimes on God; and all these expressions do come to the same effect, only hereby is expressed more then a mere intellectual assent, or speculative belief. There is also included the fiducial and cordial inclination of the whole heart, to rest solely upon Christ, renouncing everything else, that may be thought to reconcile God to us.
Doct. That the fai • h which justifieth and saveth us, maketh us wholly to depend and rely upon Christ. So that it is with the believer in the matter of Justification, as it was with Peter, when sinking into the sea, he cried out to Christ, who took him by the hand, and leaning on him was saved. Thus the believer, he is even sinking and dropping into hell, he crieth out, I am damning, I am damning, and then Christ putting his hand forth, faith taketh strong hold of it, and so is supported: or as the Israelite stung with a Serpent, it was not the looking upon other objects, but only upon the Serpent, and it was looking or mere beholding, not applying any medicinal things that did cure: So it is here: It's not the believing of every truth, but only on Christ that justifieth, and it is only believing, not repenting, not loving, though they be necessary graces in the persons justified, but only believing, upon which we are justified. Seeing that this is the quintessence of all practical Divinity, and the life of faith is that which we are to be exercised in continually; and also there are many corrupt doctrinal opinions that oppose it.
Let us the more diligently consider the whole nature of faith, as it justifieth. And
First, You must know that Protestant Writers consonantly to the Scripture make four kinds of Faith,
1. Historical, which some call Dogmatical, whereby we do believe the truths of Scripture revealed therein, because of Divine Authority, because God saith so; for if it be only from custom or education, or other human ends, then it's not so much as a Divine, Historical faith, and this faith all Christians are supposed to have, though it's to be feared few have anymore then a bare human faith.
2. There is a Temporary Faith, called so, because it doth abide but for a season, it being not able to endure the force of persecution, and this is a degree higher then the former, for that was only in the understanding, and so had no efficacy upon the heart or affections at all, but this temporary faith is carried out with some affections, both to the person revealing, and the matter revealed, for Mat. 13. They received the Word with joy, who believed but for a season.
3. There is the Faith of Miracles, which was granted in the primitive times of the Church, for the confirmation of the Gospel, and that sometimes to those who were not justified persons, and this had for the object of it a peculiar and special promise for the doing such or such miraculous effects, and answerable to this, some learned Divines do acknowledge still a special faith, whereby the godly are sometimes raised up for the effecting of a particular mercy, they stand in need of.
Lastly, There is this Justifying or saving Faith, which hath for it's proper object Christ crucified, and so by resting upon him brings reconciliation with God, and peace in the conscience. It's true, some distinguish between justifying faith, and saving, as if all that faith, which did justify, did not also save, but that is built upon that dangerous foundation, as if there might be Apostasy from the true faith.
Now whether this distinction be exact, and in what sense it is to be made good, I shall not here dispute, but take it for a necessary truth.
Secondly, When we say, That faith justifieth as it resteth on Christ, and receiveth him, we do not deny or exclude assent to all other divine truth, revealed in God's word. Justifying faith doth necessarily suppose historical or dogmatical faith. So that although they be two distinct kinds of faith, yet in a justified person all those acts of faith proceed from the same root and habit, that principle of faith whereby I am enabled to rest on Christ, makes me also firmly to assent to every truth of God's word, yea this dogmatical faith is the foundation of justifying, and did men exercise stronger acts of historical faith, it would much conduce to our justifying faith and strengthen that, did we believe more firmly that Christ came to be a Mediator, then this would quicken up to peculiar confidence in him. Therefore the devil hath temptations against both, sometimes he assaulteth us in the matter to be believed, and sometimes about our application of what we do believe: Therefore we are not to oppose these special acts of faith against the general.
Thirdly, This phrase of believing in Christ, doth plainly denote a fiducial act of the will and heart, as well as the assent of the understanding. And this is greatly to be observed, that we are not to look upon believing, as a disposition to assent to the things of God as true; but we do by believing incline the whole heart to trust and rest on Christ in whom we do believe. It's greatly disputed, Whether this fiducial application or confidence be of the formal nature of faith, or an effect and consequent only of it; but I shall wave that at this time. It's plain, that to believe in, doth denote some cordial and fiducial motion of the soul to the object, as it's center, and on that which gives us firm rest; Hence faith is called, receiving of Christ ; it's said to be the eating of his flesh, and drinking of his blood ; It's called the embracing of the promises ; and opposite to this believing is fear, Luk. 8.50. and diffidence, and wavering: So that it's plain, faith hath a fiducial assent with it, therefore it's called believing with the whole heart, Act 8.37. The heart believeth, Rom. 10.9. as well as the understanding.
Fourthly, Hence it is also, That faith is made by some Divines, not a simple, but an aggregate or compounded habit, that it is not in one faculty seated, but in two, that it is both in the mind and the will. And howsoever some have argued against this, as being contrary to all Philosophy, for one habit to be in two faculties, yet the most learned Schoolmen do confess it no absurdity, for with some free-will is seated, partly in the understanding, and partly in the will; as also prudence a moral virtue is partly in the mind, and partly in the will; and all do confess, That though to believe be an immediate act of the understanding, yet to this there is required pia affectio in voluntate ; and indeed, seeing as the Apostle saith, there is a captivating of the understanding in it's carnal reasons, when we do believe, that cannot be without some prevalent power upon the will: So that we are to look upon Faith as a compounded habit, which doth partly work upon the mind, by enlightening that, and partly upon the will, by inclining and strengthening that.
Fifthly, The ground why justifying faith must needs comprehend both, is, Because that in the promises of the Scripture, there is a twofold object to move our faith; for every promise hath in it that which is true, and so it requireth assenting acts, and then it hath that which is good, and so it requireth fiducial and embracing acts. Wonder not then, if faith extend itself to two distinct powers of the soul, seeing it also reacheth to two distinct objects, truth being the object of the understanding, and good the object of the will. The Apostle comprehends both in that speech, 1 Tim. 1.15. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation; a faithful saying, there is the truth to be believed, and worthy of all acceptation, there is the good to be embraced. Therefore believing is not a bare speculative assenting to the truth, but it is also a sweet quieting and composing of the heart to receive the good promised: Hence it's called receiving, Joh. 1. and eating and drinking, Joh. 6. it's compared to the branches receiving moisture from the vine, Joh. 15.
Sixthly, As the Scripture expresseth faith, relating to the object believed, not to the proposition, so at other times it doth express the proposition ; Hence it hath often 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 put to it, Doest thou believe that I am the Son of God, or that I am sent from the Father? This is a proposition to be believed; but you must know, that faith as it justifieth, is not properly in that we believe such a proposition to be true, viz. That Christ is God, or that he will give eternal life to such as believe, but the ens incomplexum, that is, Christ himself in his Person and Offices, is the object of our justifying faith: Therefore Christ himself is said to dwell in our hearts by faith, Eph. 3. Even as the woman is married to the person of her husband, and not to the articles of agreement upon marriage; and this is that which makes faith to be so powerful and noble in it's efficacy, because Christ is hereby received in the soul, who is the author and fountain of all spiritual operations: So that as when the Sun ariseth in our hemisphere, it cannot but give light and heat; so also when the Sun of righteousness ariseth in our hearts, there is the Spirit of Christ also accompanying him in Sanctification and Mortification.
Seventhly, To justifying faith, there are these things required, some whereof are antecedent and concomitant, others essential and constitutive of it. As
1. There must be some explicit knowledge of Christ, and understanding of him in his Person and Offices. Whether knowledge be an act included in the essence of faith, or whether it be preparative and antecedent, is disputed: Howsoever it's certain, None can believe that doth not know the thing he believeth: Henc • it is that faith is so often in Scripture called knowledge. It's true indeed, faith hath not an evident comprehensive knowledge, for then it would be science, strictly so called, but it hath a plain knowledge of the testimony or authority that revealeth it, and also some apprehensive, though not comprehensive knowledge of that we do believe: Hence Paul saith, I know whom I have believed, 2 Cor. 4.13. And again, How shall they believe unless they have heard? Rom. 10. And this discovers the sad condition of thousands, who say, they believe in Christ, and yet have no true knowledge about him.
2. There is required to this justifying faith, a firm and lively assent to the whole word of God. For unless this be laid as a foundation, there cannot be any building upon it: Insomuch that we see the Scripture sometimes attributing salvation to the belief, that Christ was able, and that God was powerful, not that by that object they were justified, only that was the particular in which the doubt and difficulty did seem to be, so that it was not exclusive of that special act of faith, but inclusive of it; and indeed this is necessary to be known, that justifying faith doth carry a man out, even to Historical or Dogmatical matter respectively to Justification: So that when a justified person believeth any temporal promise, or the power of God, it doth not simply and ultimately believe them as such, but as they represent God a Father in Christ, so that he believeth the power of God, as of a Father in Christ, and all the temporal promises are looked upon as Yea and Amen in Christ ; so that this is to be observed by the believer. There is nothing true in the Scripture, but justifying faith fetcheth filial arguments from it, and makes him sensible of that peace and reconciliation with God in Christ. And indeed to believe all the truths in Scripture, doth beget fear and horror, unless this justifying faith qualify it, The devils believe and tremble ; so the mere dogmatist he believeth, but hath cause to tremble, for till everything be brought to Christ, that as God reconciled all things in heaven and earth through him; so if thou reduce all things in the Scripture to Christ, even the threatening part to him, because fulfilled by him, thou wilt have solid comfort. Thus as it's with man, because he is rational, all those animal acts, which are common to him with beasts, yet are reductively and participatively rational, so in the godly man, all those general acts of faith are reduced to justifying, as the sum of all.
SERMON CVIII. Of Justifying Faith, Showing what things are necessary thereunto; And how or in what method the Spirit of God enableth the humbled soul to believe.
JOH. 17.20.
SEveral particulars have been given in to the clearing of the nature of justifying Faith; The last we were upon, was to inform what goeth to the being of it, and two Ingredients have been dispatched, viz. Knowledge and assent ; Proceed we therefore to a third thing, and that is,
[ 3] 3. A deep sense and feeling of the burden of sin, with some sorrow and humiliation thereupon ; The Law must work in the discovery of the disease, before the Gospel doth in manifestation of the Remedy; There must be the pain and smart of a sting felt ere there be any earnest beholding of the brazen Serpent; Our Savior said, The sick needed the Physician ; When Paul by the light of the Law found himself out of measure sinful, then he began to seek after the unsearchable Riches of God's grace, Come unto me all ye that are heavy loaden, and I will ease you, saith Christ, Mat. 11.28. Faith, that is the easing and reposing of the troubled Spirit: It is disputed whether Repentance go before Faith, and indeed there is an Evangelical Repentance whereby the heart is melted with grief for sin, because God is so gracious a Father in Christ, and this must necessarily follow Faith, but then there is a Legal sorrow for sin arising from God's just hatred against it, which breeds great trouble and confusion in the soul before it hath laid hold on Christ, and this precedeth Faith; Of this our Savior speaks, Mat. 21.32. Ye repented not that ye might believe ; And so Peters hearers, Act. 2. were pricked at the heart, before they were directed into Evangelical Repentance and Faith; There is then a fence of our undone estate going before this justifying Faith, whereby a man finds himself utterly lost, all his desirable things perish, sin that was once so beloved by him, is as Tamar to Amnon, hated more then ever he loved it; Now he would throw it out of doors, the sight and memory of it is grievous to him, I press not such a measure or degree of sorrow, it worketh so much in all that there is a displacency and abhorrency in sin, as that which is the cause of all misery.
[ 4] Hence in the 4 th place followeth a conviction and persuasion of mind, that there is no Creature in Heaven or Earth, no nor nothing that he can do, is able to justify him, or bring Reconciliation with God ; The Spirit of God Joh. 14. that doth convince of sin in the first place, doth afterward of a Righteousness ; That there is no Righteousness to be had but in Christ only; If so be a man be no further convinced then of his sin and disease, thinking to make medicines and plasters of his own, thereby to heal himself. This man will always be kept in a wandering Wilderness, What was it that made so many run into Monasteries, undertake strict ways of Discipline and mortification? They had but an half Conviction, They felt woeful troubles and agonies in their Souls for sin, They could not tell what to do, as Luther professed of himself while a Papist, but not being convinced of true Righteousness, They ran to miserable Comforters, and so skinned the Soar, when the putrifying humor was still within, but that Soul which the grace of God will carry on to Justification, doth not only find sin manifested but the insufficiency of all Creature Righteousness, he seeth with Noah, that unless he get into an Ark, there is nothing but overflowing waters everywhere; While then this stone is squaring for an Heavenly building, he is instructed in his own lost and undone Condition; Being therefore thus fully persuaded that in himself he is a dead and a damned man.
[ 5] In the 5 th , He proceedeth to an actual renouncing of everything but Christ ; He seeth there is no remedy in the world for him but by Christ; He abhor • eth all those Doctrines and practices in Religion which he did put confidence in as if they could save him, Phil. 3. You see this method in Paul, when once his eyes were opened, then all the privileges that were formerly counted gain, he looked upon them as loss, yea, as dung in comparison of the Knowledge of Christ : Now certainly this is a great work of God's Spirit, not only to make a man renounce his sins but his works of Righteousness also, for this undid the Jews, Rom. 10. They sought to establish their own Righteousness, and so would not submit themselves to that of Christ : In Popery what is the reigning error but that men are not taught to go out of the works they do, and believe in Christ only, Do they not expressly plead for some co-partnership in the work of Mediation, and is not also this poison sucked down everywhere in all men's hearts, who is there till God hath humbled him over and over again, that flieth wholly to Christ? Nay, even in a godly man what is that that keeps the soar so raw, and the heart so unquiet? Is is not because he would not be beholding to Christ only? Therefore when a man is thus fitted by the Spirit of God as to see everything is a rush, a reed to lean upon but Christ; Though I could weep a Sea of tears, and those tears turn into blood, though I had all the grace of Men and Angels, yet it would not reconcile me to God. Then is he upon the Confines of Justification. Therefore
[ 6] 6. When a man is thus driven out of all hopes, and like the people of Israel seeing his Enemy of sin following behind, and a Sea before, then the Spirit of God stirreth up desires and hungerings after Christ, then are his out-cries; Oh that I could believe, Oh that I had an Arm to embrace Christ! For we see Judas coming thus far to bewail and confess his sins, to throw away that silver he had so unjustly got, to cry out of himself; But then there were no desires, no groans after Christ, so that while the Soul is in this posture, many times it's ground between hope and despair; It is in great agonies, like the woman that is to be delivered, sometimes throbs come, and there is an hope of deliverance, but then all goeth back again, sometimes they are ready to lay hold on Christ, then comes a violent gust and puts all back again: It's true, desires of faith if real and sincere are faith initial, and Mat. 5. there is a promise of full satisfaction to those that hunger and thirst after Righteousness, and that is implied when our Savior saith, a bruised reed he will not break, and smoking flax he will not quench, that is, where there are the least motions and tendencies of souls towards grace, there shall be the greatest encouragement.
[ 7] 7. God leaveth not the afflicted Soul in these desires and agonies, but doth so strengthen and enable the heart, that now he doth not only desire but actually receiveth and embraceth Christ ; His desire is put forth into actings, so that it's no longer, Oh that I could rest upon Christ! But he doth rest his soul on him with a lively recumbency; Therefore Joh. 6. believing is called coming unto Christ; Those tormenting slavish fears which affrighted him▪ Shall such a sinner as I, one that hath more offended God then many thousands approach near to him? May I not only touch the hem of his garment, but take him also in my arms? These and the like Questions he can now answer, and therefore calls upon his soul, and chideth it, Why art thou thus cast down, and why art thou thus troubled within thee? Believe on Christ ; So that now he doth with Simeon take Christ in his arms, He can now say, Lord, let whatever come I shall bear it patiently, now I have seen thy Salvation, as it was with the poor Criple that could not stir or move, when healed, he can take up his bed and walk, so the poor tempted sinner that before lay trembling, afraid to pray, afraid to come to the Ordinances, can now arise and walk performing all duties with comfort and zeal: You must know that this resting on Christ when thus humbled for sin, is not an effect of man's power; It's not in man's strength to make this Iron to swim, to walk thus upon the waters, when everything within and without is against man and yet for all this to depend upon the Lord Christ; No, it must be a divine and supernatural power from above, and therefore the work of God's grace in Faith justifying is as great, though not as wonderful, as in miraculous Faith; when any were enabled by believing to remove Mountains; this was not by any greater power of God then when a poor humbled sinner, by resting on Christ, doth remove those mountains of sins, and that great gulf which is between God and the soul, We may well call justifying faith miraculous faith; For is not this a miracle, and a wonder of wonders? That the soul thus in darkness, and plunged into the deeps, yet should cleave unto Christ, and say, Though he kill me, yet I will trust in him ; Oh we see if there were nothing but man's power, and the troubled sinner were left to himself, he would immediately despair, as we see in Cain and Judas ; Even as the stone naturally descends downwards when you take away the pillar it leaned upon, so when you take away all the carnal props and hopes of a sinner, and his sins do every way environ him, he presently falls into the mouth of despair; It's therefore the great work of God's grace to enable to believe, To you it's given to believe, Phil. 1.29. And some are said to believe through the grace of God, Act. 18.27. and faith is called the work of God, not only because it's that special grace which he doth so eminently require, but because he is the immediate efficient of it; Know then that the mighty work of God goeth to make the soul rest on Christ, it would of itself despair a thousand times over, and fall into hell before it would come to Christ, and Experience confirms this in many sad and tempted Christians, who though they go from Minister to Minister, and read the good promises of the Gospel, yet cannot believe till the Sprit of God enable them; Now God enableth the humbled Soul to believe two ways, directive and effective, by direction and instruction, and that in these particulars.
[ 1] 1. By informing him that when the Soul is truly humbled for sin, that it is a duty to believe in Christ ; That such are threatened with damnation who shall refuse to come unto Christ, and this is a blessed lesson to learn, when the Soul shall be thus persuaded, that if in this case I receive not Christ, I commit a worse sin then ever yet I was guilty of; What a madness is it in me to damn myself for fear I should be damned? I fear my other sins may destroy my Soul, and not fear my unbelief; This is the great crying sin of all others, He that believeth not, the anger of God abideth on him, yea, he is said to be condemned already, and to make God a liar ; Oh then how happy is that soul when the Spirit of God doth thus enlighten and persuade thee! Once it was a Question and a doubt to thee, Whether thou mightest lay hold on Christ? Once thy thoughts were, That to believe though it might be matter of comfort and privilege, yet it was not of duty; But O how graciously hath God taught thee otherwise? Now thou ar • as much afraid not to lay hold on Christ as to commit any other sin; Thou art as conscientious in believing every promise, as in conforming to every command; Thou darest no longer listen to doubts and fears, to Satan's Temptations in this matter, then thou darest to the lusts and pleasures of sin.
[ 2] 2. The Spirit of God doth instruct us in this, That thus to believe and rest on Christ is to perform or to do that to which Justification is promised; He that believeth is passed from death to life, and still Remission of sins is said to be received by Faith, and we are justified by Faith, Rom. 5. So that when the Soul doth rest on Christ he performeth that to which Christ with all his benefits are promised, Joh. 3.16. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternnl Life ; So that the humbled sinner having his eyes thus opened, he seeth it the greatest madness and folly that can be not to receive Christ, and to rest on him; Why thus he argueth, I cannot he justified, I cannot partake of Christ till I do believe, so that to believe is as necessary in an instrumental way, as Christ in a meritorious way; Shall the diseased Patient question whether he shall take that medicine which will certainly heal him? Shall the hungry man doubt whether he may receive that alms which will preserve his Life? Thus the humbled sinner is convinced, that as he must not murder his own body willfully by refusing to eat meat, so he must not his own soul by a willful rejecting of the promise.
[ 3] 3. The Spirit of God instructs him in this also, That by believing he doth not only bring comfort and salvation to his soul, but in a most eminent manner doth also glorify God ; As Abraham by that remarkable act of Faith is said to give Glory to God, Rom. 4.20. The tempted Soul is apt to think, Why should I believe? this is but to seek myself, This is because I would have comfort whatever becometh of God's Glory; Oh but saith the believer when thus awakened, if I could perform all the Commandments of God, if I could love God so as to give my body to be burnt for his Name, yet I could not glorify God so much as by believing, for this acknowledgeth God in Christ, wherein God is more to be admired then in the creation and government of the world.
Lastly, He is enabled to see the folly and unprofitableness of Unbelief ; If he go not to Christ, where can Salvation be had? he is sure to be damned by keeping from Christ; Therefore with those Lepers he is resolved not to perish, but to go to God, though he seem an Enemy to him.
And then 2. God worketh faith in us effectively, as you heard, by strengthening the heart of a man fiducially to repose on Christ, if other graces as love and patience do not grow of themselves in man's heart, much less doth Faith which is so supernatural every way.
SERMON CIX. Of Justifying Faith.
JOHN 17.20.
WE are treating upon the Doctrine of Justifying Faith ; and certainly, we may say, It's good to be on this Mount of Transfiguration, and having declared that method God's Spirit leads an humbled soul into, when it's enabled to believe.
We proceed to further particulars instructive in this business. The ultimate and last act of justifying faith, was a fiducial resting upon Christ for all spiritual benefits.
But to understand this further, Consider that the Scripture expression of it, is very emphatical, and denoteth several notions in it, as when it expresseth it by receiving 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , is a word often applied to faith in this act, it receiveth Christ, Joh. 1.12. it receiveth the promise, it receiveth forgiveness of sins, Act. 26.18. so that in this justifying act of faith, we are to conceive a precious treasure offered by the grace of God, even Christ himself and faith, as the hand receiving of it ; and this expression is full of excellent matter, for it teacheth,
1. That we in this act of Justification, or laying hold on Christ, have nothing of our own. All our righteousness is without us, we are to receive it offered, we have nothing inherent. This Paul knew experimentally, Phil. 3. when he would be found not in his own righteousness, but that which is by faith. His own, mark that, Any thing we may call our own, we must not be found in, and that is our own, which is not only so effective, by our own procuring and labor, or merit, but subjective, which is inherent in us, though it be wrought by the grace of God, as the Just is said to live by his faith, Hab. 2.4. It's his faith subjectively, though God's effectively. This word then receiving doth carry every man humbled Evangelically, wholly out of himself; and as was said to the woman looking into the Sepulcher, Why look you for him, he is not here, he is risen? So it may be said, Why art thou searching and digging into thine own heart? Thy works or graces, these are not the object of faith; It's above thee; It's without thee, though by faith applied to thee: Even as the poor cripple that desired to be healed, looked upon Christ, expecting help from him, he knew he had nothing in himself; or as the indigent beggar looks without him, and stretcheth out his hand to receive food or money: So is it with the humbled sinner: Oh then be directed here, why doth God make thy own heart, thy own ways so bitter to thee? Is it not because thou shouldst seek out for a Christ, and look for a righteousness without thee?
2. This word receiving implieth, That we are wholly passive in our Justification. That we are not justified by doing anything, or offering anything to God, but receiving from him: Even as some Philosophers say, Intelligere and sentire are passions: Though we express them actively, yet the soul therein is passive: So when by believing a man is justified, we are not to consider what he brings to God, or doth for God, but what he receiveth from him. This is a fundamental principle to be grounded in, it's a mercy of mercies to be directed in the agonies of thy soul to the right way of believing, to know the way to this City of refuge; If a manslayer pursued by the avenger, had not known the way to the City of refuge, what danger had he been in? It's like the child not coming the right way in it's birth; now naturally we all think by doing to partake of Christ, not receiving, which made the Apostle so industriously assert this, That it's not to him that worketh, but to him that believeth, that grace is vouchsafed: So then be instructed in this, Is thy heart groaning under sin, all thy desires and inclinations are to Christ? Know this is done intra recipiendo, not extra mittendo ; This is done by receiving grace from God, not doing any work for or to him; yet how apt are we all to cry out with those, What shall we do I till Christ inform us, that the great work God approveth of, is believing or receiving. It's the looking upon this brazen Serpent that healeth thee.
3. This therefore implieth, That believing on Christ doth not justify for any dignity or intrinsical worth it hath. Not because it's a more excellent and noble grace, but merely because that alone is receiving and applicative of Christ. We receive only by faith, as we do corporally only by the hands, yet the hands are not more noble then the eyes or the head. Hence the Scripture never saith 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , not for faith, but through faith; and it's never said actively, saith justifieth, but by faith we are justified passively; So that as it would be absurd to say, That the beggars hand hath made him rich, in receiving large alms: so it would be as absurd to attribute it to the dignity of faith, when by it we are justified.
Therefore fourthly, In that believing is expressed by receiving of Christ, is implied, That faith itself is excluded as it's a work: So that not only all other graces, but faith, if considered as it's a work, doth not justify us. The eye in looking on the brazen Serpent did not heal as it was a work, but from the virtue of the Serpent exalted by God's appointment; When the woman touched Christ's hem of his garment, and healing was thereby conveyed. It was not the touching, as it was a labor and work, but the virtue of Christ. Thus it is in this case.
And hence lastly, we see, Why faith and no other grace doth thus justify, because this alone doth receive. Other graces are active, this is receptive: Not that faith is separated from other graces, they are existent together, though they retain their distinct properties, He that believeth on Christ is cleansed and sanctified, he loveth God, and is patient in tribulation, but yet not by this is he justified: As the Sun-beams have heat as well as light, but it shineth by the light only, not the heat, so the earth hath dryness as well as gravity, but it falls downward, not because dry, but because heavy.
Secondly, This receiving is not a bare receiving, but such as is with embracement: As Heb. 11.2. These embraced the promises ; Even as Simeon took Christ with joy in his arms: So that there is great delight and cordial joy in laying hold on Christ: Even as the Church said after she had lost her Beloved, yet finding him at last, she would lay hold on him, and not let him go, as Ruth to Naomi, thus she cleaveth to Christ: So that as a man receiveth with dearest embracements some choice and precious friend he longed to see: Thus it is with the humbled sinner: Oh this is the beloved of many thousands, whom my soul hath long prayed for, long sought for? What have I found thee, Oh thou chiefest of many thousands? Hence it is that Christ compareth himself to a Bridegroom, and Husband, and his Church to a wife, to show what real affections are in the heart of an humbled sinner, for to lay hold on him: Hence it's called, Believing with the whole heart, and with joy unspeakable, 1 Pet. 1.8. There was great feasting and joy for the finding of a lost son: But oh the unspeakable joy, for discovering a Christ, that we thought was forever lost, as to us! What meltings? what ravishments are there at the meeting of him? Oh how often, saith the humbled soul, did I think, I should never find thee? How many times did I conclude, that I should perish in my lusts and fears? but Christ at last appeareth, as he did to those women after his death, who thought there was no hope.
Thirdly, In this act of faith, there is contained resting, relying, or fiducial reposing of the soul upon Christ. You heard the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , did enforce this, so that the soul before it believeth is to be conceived as a stone falling downwards, which cannot stay till it meet with its center, and then it inclineth no further. In the Old Testament it's called, trusting in the Lord, which in other synonymous expressions is sometimes called staying and leaning, and so is a metaphor taken from those, who have some great and heavy burden upon their back, and thereby are crushed to the ground, unless they have something to rest upon. Thus it is with the afflicted penitent, he crieth out, I find such a load of sins, that my back would break, and heart would break, yea everything would fail within me, had not I Christ to throw myself upon: hence Christ is called the Foundation stone, because all the building is established upon that. Now that which in the Old Testament is called trusting in God, in the New is called believing. Illyricus thinketh this is the reason of the different expression, because the God of Israel was known to the Jews, therefore there was required only a fiducial adhesion unto him; but in the New Testament, Christ as Mediator was not known, therefore another word is used, viz. to believe, which comprehends both an assenting knowledge, and also a fiducial application: So then by this act of believing, the soul which was ready to sink under it's burden, doth lean upon Christ, and as a drowning man doth catch hold on the next branch to save him, so doth a humbled sinner finding himself even falling into hell, catch hold on Christ, and therefore it's called laying hold on him ·
Fourthly, In this act of believing, there is an appropriation or application of Christ to be my Christ. That whereas the promise runneth in the general, Whosoever shall believe, to him Christ is a Savior. This justifying faith doth in particular rest on Christ, as a Savior to him. Thus Paul, Gal. 2. Who loved me, and gave himself for me ; and Thomas, My God, my Lord, Joh 20. So that as when any threatening is denounced against a sinner, the true convert will apply it to himself, when guilty of such a sin, I am the sinner this threatening meaneth: So Christ being offered as a Savior to every humbled sinner, from this general he concludeth his particular. Thus Paul, Christ came to save sinners, of whom I am chief. Hence it is that our Divines against Papists do well maintain, That the object of justifying faith, is the special mercy of God. It's not enough to believe that Christ is a Savior, but to rest on him to be my Savior. Hence faith is called eating and drinking, Joh. 6. which is more then the mere seeing meat upon the Table, only when we say, special mercy is the object of justifying faith, it's not meant antecedenter, but consequenter ; Not as if we were to look for a special or particular promise made either to Thomas or Peter, as sometimes Christ did to those who were then alive, as when he spoke to that woman, Be of good comfort thy sins are forgiven thee ; here was a special promise to her in particular, but it's not so now the promise is general, but it's made special by believing; and indeed without this special applying act, our faith brings no peace, no comfort, no more then for a Lazarus to hear there was plentiful food in Dives his house, but he had not so much as the crumbs thereof. Thus you see how comprehensive, this act of believing is.
In the next place, This recumbent act of Faith may not only thus receive Christ, but we may also be assured and know that we do believe, and that Christ is ours. Indeed former Divines from an opposition to Popery, which teacheth doubting in our Justification and uncertainty, did define justifying faith, to be a full persuasion of the heart, whereby we believe our sins are pardoned, and that Christ died for us, but to believe that Christ is mine, or that I am justified, cannot be justifying faith, but it supposeth it, for Christ must be mine before I know he is mine, The object must be before the act: Therefore faith hath two acts, a Direct Act, whereby it layeth hold on Christ, and a Reflex Act, whereby I know that I do lay hold on him, or that I am such an one to whom the promises do belong. Now this believing on Christ, which justifieth is in the former act, out of the sense of my sins and deep unworthiness to lay hold on Christ. The latter which we call Assurance, Though the people of God may and ought to attain unto, yet is not to be confounded with the former; nay it may be, and is often separated from it; and this is much to be heeded by practical Christians, you would have assurance first, and then you would believe in Christ, you would know whether your graces are true, whether you are so and so qualified, and then you would believe: This is, as if a woman would be assured such a man were her husband, and then she would marry him, whereas it is marriage makes the husband: It's believing makes Christ thine, and when he is thine, then thou mayest be assured he is thine. The cripple, and the woman, laboring under a bloody issue, felt themselves whole after Christ had healed them, they could not before: So when faith hath made Christ thine, that thou canst say with Thomas, My God, my Lord, then you may come to be assured, he is thine. Christ had not that sense of God's favor, when yet he had that fiducial confidence, crying out, My God, my God, &c. The promise is made to him that believeth, not to him that knoweth he doth believe: It's not said, If you have assurance, but if you believe you shall be saved.
3. Though faith doth thus repose itself fiducially upon Christ, yet you must know this is not done without opposition of unbelief and diffidence. 1 Joh. 3.19. The Apostle saith, We assure our hearts, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , persuade ; This implieth, that the heart of a man is full of objections, and hath many cavils: There is much ado ere the heart be persuaded to rest on Christ only, many Lions and mountains are in the way. That man spake the sense of all believers, who prayed, Lord, I believe, help my unbelief, Mark 9.24. Oh how often is thy heart ready to be cast down, and to have no hope! You may see these ebbings and flowings in David's heart, faith and diffidence were like two twins struggling in the womb; do not therefore expect such a quiet resting upon Christ, as shall have no opposition: No, sometimes thy heart may even rage with unbelief, like that poor demoniac, the Evangelist speaks of, Mar. 5.4. that tore chains asunder, and no man could tame him; Such an unruly thing may thy heart be. Now there are two great opposites to this recumbency, viz. The terrible things of thy heart, the guilt of sin, the temptations of Satan, the sad fears that molest thee, and then the sweet pleasing things of thy soul, which are self-righteousness, trusting in thy own heart, in thy own works; Oh this self-fullness, this mountain must be levelled, as well as this valley be exalted, else the way is not prepared for Christ!
SERMON CX. Of Justifying Faith, That it is a fiducial Recumbency on Christ.
JOH. 17.20.
I shall now conclude this part which containeth the Qualification of the subject of Christ's Prayer, That believe in Christ ; And whereas Faith hath a twofold Object, either general, of which v. 21. or special ; This last is meant here, of which much hath been said to clear the nature of it; I shall end at this time: And 1. I shall prove, that it's the duty of an humbled sinner to have such a fiducial recumbency on Christ, and that for the pardon of his sins in particular ; It's not enough to believe that Christ will save sinners that repent and convert unto him, but they are to appropriate him to their own particular: To say with Thomas, My Lord, My God : Now that Faith is such a particular application of Christ, (whatsoever Papists and others gainsay) may appear from these Arguments amongst others.
1. From the names and Titles that believing in Christ hath, which do evidently denote more then a mere intellectual assent unto the promises, as true; They imply some cordial motions of the soul ; The Names are these 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , which doth signify a confidence of the heart, and that which doth embolden the soul in the presence of God, yea, to this believing there is attributed 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Rom. 5.1. Phil 3.3. This boasting must need be more then a bare apprehension in the mind; It's like Aaron's oil that descends from the head to other places also, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Rom. 4 21. This is also emphatical, some make the word to be from the Sails of Ships when filled with the Wind, which carry the Ship away speedily; Thus the heart of man that lay groveled, and could not move, when believing is mightily carried on in all duties; It is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 often, Heb. 11.1. Heb. 3.14. that denoteth the things we believe to have such a subsistence in our souls as if we were no longer ourselves, but the thing believed, as Paul said, I no longer live but Christ within me, Gal. 2.20. So this Faith in Christ doth as it were incarnate the Promises, and transubstantiate them into the believer; Another word is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Heb 4.16. Let us come with confidence ; Indeed Ephes. 3. Confidence or boldness is made an effect of faith, but confidence could not be an effect of faith if faith had not this in its nature; As the Soul could not produce rational acts if it were not essentially rational, so neither could faith put a man upon fiducial acts, if itself were not fiducial; Again this believing is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 boldness or confidence, Mat. 9.2. and so Varinus makes 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , to be bold on a man: By these Titles then which the Scripture giveth, Faith in Christ we see what a powerful operation it hath upon the heart, What a Faith of spiritual miracles (as I may say) justifying Faith is, and therefore know that thy doubts, fears, dejections, and tormenting distractions are opposite to believing, as darkness is to light, if God do above all graces thus approve faith, then he doth above all sins abhor this dejecting unbelief.
2. That such a special faith is required, appeareth, in that the Scripture limits this faith unto Christ as the peculiar and proper object ; Hence the Evangelist John calls it so often believing in him that brings Eternal Life, and it's Rom. 8. By Faith in his blood that we are purged and have pardon of sin, and generally when it speaks of faith as justifying, it relateth to Christ as the Object of it; Not but that it believeth other Truths, only in believing of this we are justified, as the Israelite might look upon other Objects, but beholding of the brazen Serpent only made him whole; yea, as we told you, when the believing of other things is reduced to justifying Faith, all other Truths are sweetened and qualified by that, as if a man had the Philosophers stone, it would turn all other materials into Gold.
3. That Faith must be in a special manner fiducial and applying, appeareth in the effects that commonly follow it ; For to this believing is attributed peace and unspeakable joy, yea, a triumphing over all oppositions and difficulties, a boasting and glorying in tribulation ; Now this could never be without a particular interest in Christ, for what peace and joy doth it bring to hear, that Christ in the general came to save sinners; Do not thousands go to hell for all that? It's therefore necessary to true solid peace, that he become my Christ and my Savior; Hence it is, that believing is the uniting of the soul to Christ as an husband which is an appropriate Interest, as the Church expressed it, I am my Well-beloveds, and my well-beloved is mine, Cant. 2.16. And hence also are those comparisons of an head and a body, of a Vine and branches, all which argue, that the good we have by Christ comes because of our intimate union with him, So that if we do respect those glorious effects which usually accompany believing, they will necessarily suppose a fiducial appropriation of Christ in a special manner.
4. This special faith is seen by the opposites and contrarieties unto it, for he that doth not believe is said 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Luk 12.29. to be carried up and down as a meteor that hath no fixed place; Thus while the soul is not fixed on Christ it's like a reed tossed up and down with every wind, as one in a journey, and at a stand, seeing two ways, and not knowing which way to go, or as a man that is uncertain between two arguments, like the balance with equal weights, that doth not incline to one side more then another; These dispositions of the Soul oppose faith, and it's a resting and a determining of the soul upon Christ.
And Lastly, Diffidence and fear, these are made contrary to Faith, Fear not, but believe, Luk. 8.50. said Christ to his Disciples, which supposeth that faith hath boldness and confidence in it; We then may judge of the nature of faith, by the opposite sinfulness to it, and when we see fears, wanderings, uncertain tossings up and down of the soul, in no ways stable and fixed, then we may conclude that faith itself is a powerful, composing, and firm fixing of the soul upon the Lord Christ.
5. That faith is thus in a special manner applying Christ appeareth also, because otherwise it would be little better then the faith of devils, and of such who have only a bare dogmatical assent, for the devils made a Confession of faith, That Christ was the Son of the living God, and therefore are said to believe, yet they tremble, and are in unspeakable horror because they know he is not a Savior to them, and thus many believe, that Christ is the Messias, but because there is no fiducial adhesion and appropriation of him, therefore he is not so to them; Even as many saw Christ, yet if they did not in particular apply themselves to him, they were not healed of their diseases; The hungry man may starve though he see a Table furnished with plentiful food, if he do not put into his own mouth; It's particular Interest that enricheth, that saveth, and therefore it's said, The Just shall live by his faith, Hab. 2.
Lastly, This truth may appear, From the absurdity of that Position, to say, faith justifieth as it believeth the Word of God in general only, or any Truth asserted in general, for then my Faith would justify me as well in believing, Judas hanged himself, as that Christ was crucified for me; Or that Paul had a Cloak and Parchments, as in the blood of Christ; Certainly forgiveness of sin is attributed to Christ only, and seeing (as you heard) the object of faith justifying is bonum as well as verum ; That which is beloved must have the chiefest good in it, as well as Truth, and this may suffice to instruct you in this main Point, that a Christian humbled for sin is not to rest or to be satisfied in this, that Christ in general came to save sinners, or that he is able to save thee though an heinous offender, but to apply him for thy own particular; that thou mayest say of all the glory of the Gospel, which the devil did falsely of the glory of the world, All this is mine.
Obj. But to this it's Objected, This is to preach Security, and to embolden men in a carnal presumption ; And therefore it's a Doctrine to be abhorred as pleasing the Flesh; Thus it's branded as if it were one of Epicurus his Opinions that were called the Sirens of the carnal part of a man; But to answer this,
[Answ. 1] 1. That there cannot any doctrine of comfort and grace be preached, but a carnal heart will turn it into the occasion of wickedness ; When Paul preached the grace of the Gospel, did not some infer from thence, Let us sin, that grace may abound, and did not others turn the grace of God into wantonness? It's one thing therefore to speak of the proper genius of the doctrine, and another thing, of the abuse of it through man's corruption, If therefore any man living and walking in profaneness do yet comfort and encourage himself, saying, I lay hold on Christ, I bel • eve in Christ· This man as he deceiveth himself, so he doth grossly abuse the grace of God, No, Christ doth not call to men that sin, yet laugh and make merry, but that are weary and loaden, to come unto him, and then he will ease them.
[Answ. 2] But 2. This Doctrine of special and particular Faith doth not encourage to presumption, because it calls not upon sin • rs abiding and wickedly persevering so, to rest on him, but mourning over and abhorring their sins, Therefore no man is commanded to believe this first, that Christ died for him, but to believe the word of God threatening and discovering the horrid pollution that is upon us, as also the general contagion in every part, the insufficiency and inability to help himself, the necessity of hungering, thirsting, and seeking out after a Savior, So that in this order and method he must by Faith lay hold on Christ,
[Answ. 3] 3. This special Faith cannot be presumption, or encourage thereunto, because the object of it is whole Christ, a Lord and Sovereign as well as a Savior ; The presumer he divides Christ, looketh upon him as a Savior, not as a Lord and Law-giver, and therefore takes Christ but upon his own terms, not in the Scripture-way, and so indeed he takes not Christ but an Idol of his own making ; and by this it is discovered that he doth not truly believe but presume: It's true, Christ as the Object of our justifying faith is to be considered as our Surety and Mediator, as a Gift of the Father to us, yet he cannot truly be received as a Savior, but as a Lord and King also, So that God having inseparably joined these two together, Faith dare not, Faith will not divide, So that this will prove Jealousy-water to the Hypocrite, he professeth a belief on Christ, but it is Christ divided, or a part of Christ, he looks upon the Atonement he made as a Savior, but not on the Obedience he owes to Christ as a King, Christ doth not only promise but command, he doth not only offer precious Gifts, but enjoineth strict and exact duties, and faith taketh in all these.
[Answ. 4] 4. Faith cannot be presumption, because it doth not only receive Christ, but this particular doth also cleanse and purify the heart, Act. 15. When Peters Faith was kept up, then all his other graces were enlivened, therefore Heb. 11. all those notable acts of high Righteousness and Obedience are attributed to faith, so that the same Faith hath two hands, one inward whereby it receiveth and embraceth Christ, the other outward, whereby it stirreth up and quickeneth to other Graces; Justifying faith though it only justifieth as it embraceth Christ, yet at the same time also it worketh by love, by patience, by zeal, by heavenly-mindedness. So that the exercise of all other graces is imperately from Faith, though not elicitely; It's true, there is a dead Faith, and (as Luther called it) an incarnate faith, a dead faith, The Apostle James speaketh against c. 2. which is a bare assent and profession without any lively operation, and such a kind of believer is placed by Sebastian Franco in the Catalogue of Heretics, a lukewarm believer, but that faith which doth justify, carrieth a man not only to Christ, but is a general exciter and promoter to all holy duties and obedience.
[ 5] 5. Faith special cannot comply with presumption, because it doth not only believe in Christ as the special object, but includeth an assent to the whole Word, so that it's as general as the Word is, if therefore the Word of God doth not beget security, and carnal encouragements to sin, neither can Faith; For presumption properly consisteth in this, to divide the means from the end, to think of obtaining one without the performance of the other, can never be admitted by faith, which in the special application of Christ is guided by the universal direction of the Scripture.
Use of Instruction to humbled sinners, Be well informed in this, that you are not to stand in generals which are accompanied with great fears and dejections of spirit, but in a particular manner to lay hold on Christ; Oh let thy necessities drive thee, that easeless and restless condition thou art in, be like a stone from the center, like a bone out of joint, till thou art fully united to the Lord Christ; Know it is a duty, That thou sinnest in an high manner, while thou dost thus frowardly keep off from him.
Use 2. There is the happiness of believers, They receive Christ, and so in him all things; He that hath the Sun hath all the Stars, He that hath the Fountain, hath the streams, if he hath given us Christ, with him he will give all things: Now God looks on thee in Christ, The devil that seeks to devour thee must devour Christ first; And O what a poor weak thing is it to doubt about earthly provision, when thou hast received Christ for all things!
SERMON CXI. That a Gospel-Ministry is to continue to the end of the world. And for what ends▪
JOHN 17.20.
I Shall now finish this fruitful Text. The last thing considerable in it, is the instrumental cause of faith, and that is the Apostles Ministry. This faith is wrought by their word. To open this, Consider
1. That the word which begets faith, is called God's word, verse. 6. and here the Apostles word in a different sense: It's God's word originally and efficiently, because revealed by him: It's the Apostles word ministerially, because they are the Ambassadors to publish it. Thus Paul calls it his Gospel, as in other places, it's the Gospel of God, because the Ministers of God are Stewards, to whom is concredited the dispensation of the Word, therefore it is called their word.
2. Whereas Christ prayeth for all that shall believe even to the end of the world, and yet they are said to believe by the Apostles word, when yet thousands and thousands have believed since the Apostles death and departure; Its necessary, that by the Apostles we do not understand only their persons, but the succeeding Ministry unto them, which is to be perpetual in the Church, all that now or hereafter shall believe, though by the present Ministers that lived many hundred years after the Apostles, yet may be said to obtain faith by the Apostles word, because they sit in the Apostles chair, they deliver the Doctrine, which they delivered, and succeed the Apostles, though not in personal and extraordinaries, yet in ordinaries, in which sense Christ promiseth to be with them to the end of the world. The words thus explained, we may observe,
That God hath appointed a perpetual Ministry, even to continue as long as there shall be a Church in the world. All that shall believe are brought thereunto by the Apostles word; now they being long since dead, it necessarily followeth, either that none can now believe, or else that there is a Ministry to be perpetually succeeding them for this spiritual effect. That the Ministry and Word preached is the means of faith, appeareth evidently, Rom. 10.17. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God ; yea verse. 14. there is a chain of faith, and hearing, and preaching inviolably put together. We may bring a second witness to confirm this, 1 Cor. 3.5. Who is Paul, or Apollo, but Ministers by whom you believe? Where you see to be instruments of faith is not only limited to Paul the Apostle▪ but is extended to other ordinary Officers in the Church, even all that water as well as plant. The Apostles planted, the ordinary Ministers they water.
I shall not at this time prove a distinct calling of Ministers from people, that hath been done already. I shall only show the perpetual usefulness and necessity of a Ministry, for spiritual ends, as long as there will be a Church upon the earth; and the rather, because Socinians and Seekers, though they grant, There was once an extraordinary Ministry in the planting of the Church, yet they say, it was only temporal for a season, even as miracles were, and that where the Scripture is made common, there needeth no Ministry. Therefore to inform herein, consider these Propositions,
First, That God hath appointed a Ministry in his Church, not from necessity, but a voluntary liberty condescending herein to our capacity. God did once govern his Church, as in the Patriarchs time, by immediate revelations and apparitions, and thus he could still do, if he pleased: It's not therefore from necessity, but mere bounty, that he hath appointed such a way of spiritualizing people. God doth not need the parts, or gifts, or piety of any men in the world; and certainly, if God hath appointed second causes in nature, which work from a necessary principle within, not necessarily, but freely, much less did he in these things which are of a supernatural constitution.
Secondly, It's to be affirmed, That in the first plantation of Christ's Church, there were some things extraordinary, but that doth not infer everything thus appointed was extraordinary. The Office of the Apostles, who had a Commission to go over the world, and had an universal Authority, being furnished to that end with infallible assistance, was extraordinary. Christ seedeth his Church spiritually, as he did once the bodies of men miraculously, first, he took bread himself, then he gave bread to his Disciples, and they gave it to the people. Thus Christ he preached the word of life, and then he commanded the Apostles to preach, who instituted others in their room. The Office then of Apostles and Prophets, with the gift of miracles, were extraordinary in the first constituting of the Church; but then ordinary Officers were afterwards required; As with the people of Israel, while in the wilderness, God made miraculous provision for them, but when once settled in Canaan, then their Manna and other miraculous provision failed them.
And if you say, How shall we know, what is an extraordinary Office, and what is an ordinary Office, seeing the Apostle, Eph. 4.11, 12. reckons them up altogether?
I answer, It's true, the Apostle there mentioneth extraordinary and ordinary Officers, because he is to speak of the whole fruit of Christ's Ascension to his Church, and so because Apostles were a great and principal part of Christ's gift to his Church, and the influence of their labors upon the Church to the end of the world, and therefore they are called the foundation, Rev. 21.14. Hence they are mentioned as well as the ordinary; only the difference between these two may appear in the qualifications of either, for to an Apostle was required gifts of miracles, an universal Commission and Authority, infallibility of assistance, &c. but to the ordinary Elders there is no such thing required, but what may be in an ordinary manner attained unto.
Thirdly, When we say, A Ministry is appointed for spiritual ends, it's good to know in particular what they are. And
1. You see it's in the Text, To work Faith: And therefore faith is said to come by hearing. The ear that is the organ of learning and knowledge, as also of faith. It's observed by a learned man, That though we read of godly persons, that could not see or speak, yet of none that could not hear, because that was the instrument of faith, yet this is not so to be urged, as if a godly man might not be made deaf, only it's a sad affliction, because by hearing faith is begotten and increased: What enemies then are such to their souls, who care not for hearing, who give over hearing, come now and then it may be for sinful ends, whereas by hearing the Word preached God hath appointed to give thee faith? Art thou not then such an atheistical or profane man, because thou doest no more regard this hearing of God's word preached? Be swift to hear, said the Apostle James 1.19.
2. The Ministry is appointed for the conversion and regeneration of men, who naturally are dead in sin, and averse to God. It was a subject the Prophets often preached upon, to return everyone from his evil way to God ; and John the Baptist, yea Christ himself also preached repentance as well as faith. Hence Jam. 1. God is said, Of his own will to beget us by his Word ; and so its called the washing of regeneration through the word, Tit. 3.5. That as the Spirit of God at first by moving on the waters, prepared and produced living creatures; Thus God by the Ordinances calls those who are like Lazarus dead in their sins, to come out of the grave and live. There is a resurrection of souls by the Prophets, when they lift up their voice like a trumpet, as well as there will be of bodies, by the trump of an Archangel; and indeed this is the proper effect of the Ministry: No moral Philosophy hath attained to the inward change of men's hearts: As Elijah, when he threw his mantle on Elisha, he left his Oxen and followed him: Thus when God by the Word preached doth lay hold on the heart of a man, he is a new creature, mind new, heart new, affections new, all is made new. Thus while Peter was preaching, there were three thousand converted; So that to take the preaching of the Word away, is worse then to take the Sun out of the heavens, that is but an instrument of heat and life bodily, this spiritually.
3. The Ministry is for edification, as Eph. 4.14. For the perfecting of the Saints, and till we come to a full stature in Christ: So that the Ministry and Ordinances shall not be abolished, till we come into heaven, the Sacrament is till he come, and he will be with the Ministers till the end of the world; and certainly the godly man finds much need of a Ministry to quicken, comfort, and direct his soul, craveth and calleth for this, as much as his body doth for food and raiment: So that those who argue against a Ministry demonstrate, they find no experimental benefit of it upon their own souls.
4. God hath appointed it to propagate and defend the truth, to confute and put all errors and heresies to silence. Therefore it's a qualification required in the Minister, That he be able to convince gain-sayers, Tit. 1.9. You see the Apostle in some of his Epistles is not only practical, but didactical, and therein confuting those errors that molested the truth, even in her Infancy; for this end they are called Guides and Salt ; yea they are Shepherds to keep off the wolves that would subtly devour the sheep; We are to watch against profaneness, and also against errors. The Apostle useth that phrase of a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump, both in matter of corrupt manners, as also corrupt Doctrine, Gal. 1. and therefore would have the Churches of God purged from both.
Lastly, The Ministry is appointed for spiritual Government in the Church, to admonish those that are disorderly, to cast out profane and obstinate sinners. For this end they have the spiritual Keys of the kingdom of Heaven vouchsafed to them, and in the due administration thereof, God hath promised his gracious confirmation. Hence it is, that they are called Governors, Rulers, Pastors ; all which demonstrate, that a Ministry is not only in doctrinal publication of the word of God, but in a spiritual governing and ordering of people to supernatural ends. Indeed the Apostle saith, This power is given us for edification, not destruction, 1 Cor. 10.8. all is for spiritual ends: It's to save the souls of those that are under us. This, though accounted austere, yet is profitable and necessary, even as Government in the Commonwealth. Thus you see the ends of a Ministry.
Therefore fourthly, when we say, God hath appointed a Ministry thus for spiritual ends, this implieth, God will bless and go along with it, unless men's sins do hinder it. We may not think God hath appointed these things in vain, or for a mere form; Doth not the Apostle say, That if the Gospel be not the word of life, it is to them that perish? 2 Cor. 2. who performed the Office of a Gospel Minister more faithfully then Christ himself? And who might expect greater success in his Ministry then he? Yet we hear him complaining, Who hath believed our report? Oh then, let that people, that Congregation tremble, which hath long enjoyed the Ministry, yet as ignorant and profane as ever! Oh consider with thyself and say, O Lord, thy arm is not shortened, thou art as able to break and humble the hearts of sinners, as ever, therefore some heavy spiritual judgment is upon me, I may fear, I am like that cursed fig-tree, upon which (Christ said) Never fruit grow more!
Now that this Ministry is to be to the end of the world, while God hath a Church here, appeareth by these Arguments,
1. The ends of the Office are perpetual, therefore the office itself is perpetual. The end is to convert, to build up, to preserve from errors, to admonish and rebuke; Will there not be this work to be done always? Heaven is like Paradise that needed no rain, there were waters from within refreshed it; but the Church while militant, is like the ground that needeth the former and later rain.
2. It appeareth by God's promise to them, Mat. ult. I will be with you to the end of the world, and here all that shall believe at any time, are said to believe by their word; he is said to hold the seven stars in his hand, Rev. 3.1.
3. The duties that are enjoined people respectively to them are perpetual, as to hear them, highly to esteem of them for their works sake, to submit themselves unto them. These are duties required of a Church, as long as it is a Church, therefore it's implied they must have such teachers, and officers.
4. The similitude that the Scripture useth about them, and the Church, enforceth their perpetuity. They are light, the world will always need the Sun and Stars. They are the salt of the earth, every Sacrifice must have that. The Church is a Garden, these are said to water it. They are sheep, and such must have a shepherd. They are the house of God, then there must be stewards to dispense the things of life.
5. God threatens it as the sorest of judgments, to remove their Pastors and Teachers into corners. To remove the Candlestick away, Rev. 2.5.
6. There are directions for the qualifications of such who are to be ordained Ministers, given by Paul to Timothy and Titus, which are to be kept unblameably, till the coming of Christ.
Use of Exhortation. Is the Ministry thus appointed perpetually for spiritual ends, then look again and again, whether it hath been so to you or no? Hath it been light to remove thy blindness? Hath it been salt to take away thy corruption? If our Congregations are still so many Golgothaes, when the word of life hath been so often preached to it; What can you expect that God will make them Aceldamaes? What hath hindered the Ministry from its proper efficacy upon thee, but thy willful rebellion and wickedness? It is to work faith, and thou art atheistical; it's to convert thee from thy lusts, and thou art a beast still: Hear, ô heavens, and hearken, ô earth, dreadful is that sin and judgment which is upon thee!
Use 2. Of Instruction, Why the devil and his instruments would overthrow Christ's Ministry, Is it not because those only hinder him from his quiet possession?
SERMON CXII. Of Unity among God's People, The Nature of it.
JOH. 17.21.
IN this Verse is laid down the matter of Christ's Petition, what it is that he prayeth for in the behalf of those who shall believe in him, and that is unity and concord amongst themselves, so that as before for the Apostles he prayed that they might be one, as Apostles in the work of the Ministry, so here he prayeth for all believers, so great a matter is it to have all the Godly at Union amongst themselves; Now although this Union comprehend in it grace begun here and glory consummated hereafter, yet it's again and again to be considered, that these glorious privileges should be comprehended in the • r Union, as if that being preserved all was preserved, and without that there could not be any godliness here, or blessedness hereafter.
We have then the unity and agreement of all believers made the principal part of Christ's Petition for them, and in that take notice,
1. Of the benefit itself, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that they may be one, he doth not say, that they may love and agree with one another, but be one, as if the Church should be but one person, and as the Apostle argueth, None ever hated his own flesh, Eph. 5.29. So there should be no divisions, envyings, and differences amongst the godly, because they are one spirit as it were; They should no more hate one another then a man doth himself.
2. Here is the universal extent of this unity, That they all ; Though there be great variety and difference in gifts, in graces, in offices, in outward conditionr, yet they must all be one.
3. You have the pattern of this unity, As thou Father in me, and I in thee.
4. The nature and quality of this unity, That they may be one in us.
5. The benefit and fruit of this union, That the world may believe thuu hast sent me, I shall first consider the benefit prayed for, That they may be one, and observe
That union rmongst the godly is of so great necessity and consequence that Christ doth in their behalf principally and chiefly pray for this ; Though in this Unity be included grace and sanctification, yet that which is expressly mentioned is their agreement: I have handled this Union as it related to Officers in the Church, from v. 11. I shall pursue from this Text, union amongst believers themselves, and because our Savior doth enlarge himself about it, I shall also insist upon it.
To Open this Truth Consider,
1. That the is a twofold unity or union among the gtdly, Invisible and Visible: Invisible Unity is that whereby they being united to Christ their head by the Spirit on God's part, and faith on our part, do receive spiritual life and increase in which some Believers are compared to the several members of the body, and Christ to the head, because of that spiritual life and motion they receive from him; This is the foundation of our visible union, and without this though we may be outwardly of the Church, yet we do indeed receive no saving advantage by Christ. Of this union the Text speaks not, because it's such an Union, that the world seeing it may thereby be induced to believe Therefore 2. there is a visible Union, whereby Believers do outwardly and visibly express their compacted nearness to one another, and so those particular Churches of Corinth and Ephesus are called Christ's body in respect of their external union as well as internal, for not only by faith, but also by the Ordinances we have fellowship with Christ, and with one another, Of this visible Unity the Text speaks, and this is made a special means to bring the world to believe; Whereas on the contrary differences of Opinion, and sad rents and sects in Religion is the only way to confirm men in their impiety, and to think there is no truth, and no religion at all
In the second place, This visible Union doth diffuse itself in many Branches: As 1. There is an unity of Faith and profession, when they all believe and speak the same thing; This must be laid as the foundation of unity, for unity in error and idolatry, or false ways, is not peace, but a faction or Conspiracy; This unity of faith is reckoned among the many unities, the Apostle mentioneth Eph. 4.5. Phil. 2.2. They are exhorted to be of one mind, and the Apostle notably presseth this, 1 Cor. 1.10. that they speak the same thing, being perfectly joined together in the same mind, and the same judgment : What a sad breach then hath the devil made upon God's people, when there are so few of the same mind, and do judge the same things; but (as you heard) it must be a sameness and unity in the true Faith, for the Jews they are one amongst themselves, the Mohammedans are one, the Papists are so one that they boast of it, and make it a note of the true Church; Now though this should be granted (though they have a thousand divisions amongst themselves) yet unless it be unity in the faith, unity in the sound doctrine it is nothing at all.
2. There is an unity of affection and love in the heart, and outwardly one to another, Love is called the affection of union, and makes a man to be the object he loveth as much as his own, and we see the prayer of Christ abundantly fulfilled in this respect concerning the Primitive Christians, for Act. 4 32. it's said, they were of one heart and of one soul ; Those thousands of believers were as if they had but one heart and soul among them; and thus in Tertullian's time the heathens did admire at the love Christians had to one another, our Savior makes it a surer sign of discipleship then if they wrought miracles, Joh. 3.35.
3. This union is seen in the public worship and Ordinances which God hath appointed, as God said of man at first, it was not good he should be alone, So it's true of every believer, he is not to serve God alone, to think that a private Religion is enough; Therefore you have the examples of the primitive Christians, Act. 2.1. Act. 5.12. how they met with one accord in one place, and that to have the enjoyment of public Ordinances, they prayed together, the Word was preached to them, they received the Sacraments together, and the Apostle 1 Cor. 10.16, 17. showeth how the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper did declare their union and communion one with another; Hence Heb. 10.25. The Apostle reproveth those whose manner it was, not to assemble themselves together ; This v • sible union of believers in Church-Ordinances is their highest beauty and their chiefest advantage; Hence David professeth his ravishment herein, How beautiful are thy Tabernacles O Lord of hosts! and Psa. 110. it's called the beauties of Holiness, and Hag. 2. this temple is said to be more glorious then ever the former was ; and that because of Christ's presence therein, preaching and reforming all abuses and corruptions: When the Ark was taken Phinehas his daughter cried, The glory is departed from Israel ; Hence the Ordinances even in this life are called the Kingdom of heaven because of God's glorious presence therein; David when banished Psa. 63.2. longed to see the glory of God as he had seen it in the Sanctuary ; And then its our greatest profit and advantage, for God's presence is promised to these, So that the Christian Ordinances are the life of the Church; There is a larger dispensation of God's gifts and graces here then otherwise.
4. This unity is seen in that public order and government which Christ hath appointed in his Church, as God hath appointed some to be Shepherds, and to govern, so others to hear and obey, he hath commanded admonition, and in some cases sharp reproof, and where obstinacy is, to cast out; Now it's very hard to have unity in this respect, for as 1 Cor 14. it appeareth private Christians do difficultly keep within their sphere, every member would be an eye, as the Apostle there chargeth, so it's hard to meet with an obedient ear, though to a wise, and godly reproof; It's therefore a blessed thing, as to have unity of faith, so also of order, That is to see every member of the Church with its relation in an harmonious way, as it's in the body, though they be heterogeneal parts, yet they all harmoniously consociate in their operations; This unity of order is like the nerves and ligaments to this spiritual society.
5. This unity is seen in the sympathizing that all believers have one with another, and that in respect of mourning and rejoicing; In respect of those that mourn, So we are to weep and mourn with them; We are to bear one another's burdens; We are to be affected with the Churches calamities as being also of the body; As the Apostle said, the care of all Churches lay upon him, 2 Cor. 11.28. Who was afflicted and he did not burn? the same proportionably is to be in every believer: Therefore this unity of believers should be vigorous this way, what evils, what exercises befall others, they should be affected with them as their own; This discovers they are lively members of the body, for if Christ though in Heaven was sensible of the persecutions done by Paul against the Church, saying, Why persecutest thou me? how much rather should every particular member account the temptations of others as his own; As it is thus for mourning, so also for rejoicing, there ought to be such an unity among believers, that we are to rejoice in the gifts, graces, and good things that others have, as if they were our own; But O the self-love, the envy, the repinings that are apt to be in one godly man against another, The spirit in us lusteth to envy, saith the Apostle, even in believers; Hence are those daily exhortations against grudgings, murmurings, and envyings one against another, and these are made the fruit of the flesh, because where the Spirit of God worketh and enliveneth, there is joy, peace, and longsuffering, all graces contrary to such unquiet distempers; Now this is very difficult to flesh and blood, that those parts and gifts which obscure thine, and those good things in others that seem to hinder thine, yet to rejoice and bless God for them, as if it were to thy own self, but this spiritual and mystical unity will enable thee thereunto▪ Neither is the Sun or air more requisite then this union, no wonder if our Savior doth thus affectionately pray for it.
6. This union is seen in their mutual striving together, in promoting the Kingdom and glory of Christ ; They all have the same heart, the same shoulders, the same tongue to bless and praise God; They are like so many servants in the same house, all promoting and furthering their masters work; That as the Apostle 1 Cor. 3. saith, all the Officers are one, He that plants, and he that waters are one, because they agree in one end, which is to set forward the work of God; Thus it is here, Though there be never so much variety in the gifts and graces, and conditions of God's people, yet they are all one in this work, The Glory of God is the end they all look upon; Thus you see in how many particulars this Unity diffuseth itself.
In the third place, We are to know that the invisible unity doth extend itself farther then the visible ; For this is to the visible Church only, but that to the invisible; So that in this respect there is an unity between all believers that ever have been, with Enoch, Abel, Abraham, and all that of old ever were; This is believed in that which usually is called the Apostles Creed, I believe the Catholic Church ▪ Sometimes there was added the one Catholic Church, and this is believed, and not seen, but by this it is that all the godly who have been, are, and ever shall be, make up one body; All Christ's sheep will have one sheepfold; So that there is an invisible Union, where there cannot be a visible one,
In the fourth place, Concerning this visible Union (for we make these all one) you are to know, some are of this unity both visibly and invisibly, externally and internally, and in appearance; Now such only who are both ways of this Unity, enjoy God, are indeed members of Christ, and receive benefit by him, but the other are only in name and title, like a withered branch in a Tree, or an artificial eye, or leg, which though joined to the body, yet receive no life or nourishment thereof; Think it not therefore enough to be of this unity, many have gloried and rested on this, that they are of such and such a Church, yet their condemnation is greater then those of Sodom and Gomorrhah.
In the fifth place, This unity therefore when it's true and advantageous doth first terminate on Christ, and then descends to others ; Hence it's added, That they may be one in us ; There must be first an unity with Christ the Head, and then it extends to other members, So that this is to be looked upon as the foundation and cause of all, there must be first an incorporating into Christ; He that is joined to the Lord is made one spirit with him.
Lastly, This Union visible is not interrupted in some effects of it by distance of place; For in regard of prayer, there everyone is remembered, when the Church is prayed for, So that the poor Christian who cannot pray for himself, yet hath the prayers of the whole Church of God, what a comfortable refreshing should this be to every godly soul.
Use of Exhortation, to lay to heart more the divisions, differences, and breaches that are among the godly; Learn of Christ here to be affected with the unity of the Church, and again and again he commended peace to them, We are commanded to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, God is the God of peace, the Gospel is the Gospel of peace, Believers are called the children of peace; Take heed of being a Jonah in this Ship, Let not thy pride, thy conceits, thy discontents make thee tear and rend the Church; that Jerusalem may be as a City compact together.
SERMON CXIII. Of Unity among Christians, the Benefits and Necessity of it: And the mischief of Division.
JOHN 17.21.
WE have declared the Nature of this Unity, Let us now consider the Excellency, Benefit and Necessity of Union amongst the godly, and the mischiefs of breaches and differences amongst them.
First, The Excellency and Necessity of it appeareth in the vehement and affectionate prayer for it, made by our Savior. When he puts the whole company of believers together, he pitcheth upon this as the most eminent, That they may be one. And although our Savior had not the Spirit in measure, and so could not vainly repeat the same thing often, yet within a little space, he doth four times mention this, verse. 21, 22, 23. Now certainly, that thing which our Savior in whom the treasures of all wisdom are, did much press and urge, must needs be of very great moment, here is not pardon of their sins, Justification, Adoption, Glorification mentioned, but Unity, as if the whole kingdom of grace and glory did consist in this, obtain this, and you have all; and our Savior as he prayed then, so he preached Love and Unity; so that, whereas in matter of Justification he commended Faith above all, in matter of Sanctification he comprehends all in love, John 13.34. A new Commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another: A new Commandment, not but that the duty was old, only envy and malice had so prevailed amongst the Jews, that to love was a new thing, as if it had not been a duty required before. In John 's Epistles it's called both new and old, 1 John 2.8. And then again new, because there are new motives, and a new pattern, Love one another, as I have loved you ; There was never such a Pattern and President before; so that it's not every kind of love and unity which will give content, but that which is in the highest degree of unity, it's added verse. 35. By this shall all men know ye 'are my Disciples, if ye love one another ; not if ye work miracles, if ye cast out devils, but if you cast out discord and variance; and therefore there is not a greater scandal to Religion and holiness, then when those that do believe, are as the Levites Concubine, that was cut into many pieces. Again, Ch. 15.12. This is my Commandment that ye love one another, as I have loved you ; This is Christ's Commandment, as if there were nothing else he required but this; and as if this were not enough, at verse 17. These things I command you, that ye love one another ; as if he should have said, If bare information will not do it; if instruction will not do it, I lay my command and charge upon you.
Secondly, This Unity and Love is a special means to bring the world to believe the truth, and receive Christ. So that what the preaching of the Word, and Gifts, yea miracles use to do, that unity and agreement may do. This is twice affirmed to be the consequent of unity, verse. 21. & verse. 23. That the world may believe thou hast sent me. It's a special way to convince all the enemies of the truth. Thus Chap. 13.35. Men shall know ye are my Disciples, if ye love one another: and do we not see by experience, That Papists, Heretics, and all profane men are confirmed in their wickedness, by nothing more then the differences and opinions of such who are godly: Do they not by books, and otherwise in derision say, One Sect saith, that hath the Spirit of God, another saith, that hath, and yet both are contrary one to another: Can the Spirit of God be contrary to itself? Can it be a Spirit of truth in one, and a Spirit of falsehood in others? Now although this be no good argument, because the Spirit of God is communicated, but in measure to the godly, they know but in part, and so they love but in part, many errors and divisions we are prone unto, yet this is a very great stumbling block, and therefore woe be to that godly man, who by his pride, self-conceit, or erroneous Doctrine shall bring such a scandal to Religion, what if many perish in hell, because of thy froward spirit. It is true, there ought to be zeal against errors and corruptions, though in the godly. You see when Peter did not walk right, Paul resisted him to the face, and would not give place to him, or other false teachers, no not for an hour, Gal. 2.5. Mark that, No, not for an hour ; Some think, let them alone, they will recover themselves, they will do no hurt, truth needs not be afraid, yet Paul was afraid that an hours forbearance might do hurt; Therefore he addeth, That the truth of the Gospel might continue amongst you, as if an hours forbearance might hinder the continuance of truth; so that we are to use Scripture-zeal, and Scripture-means to convince even those that are godly, when erring in Doctrine: Therefore the Scripture doth not commend an unity and love, so as to let all errors and profaneness alone, but in that which is good, unity in that which is truth and holiness, is that which Christ meaneth here in his prayer, and where this is, it's very potent to win all gain-sayers: It's admirable to mollify the hearts of the opposers: Hence it's so often reported of the primitive Christians, That they were daily with one accord together: Therefore the Evangelist Luke records it at least five times: so that if nothing else should make thee tender about causing any breaches in the Church of God, this should, thou dost as much as lieth in thee, to hinder any man that knoweth thee, ever to believe, and to be converted.
Thirdly, This Unity is promised as a special part of the Covenant of Grace. That very Covenant, which promiseth to write the Law of God in our hearts, and to put his fear in our inward parts, that also promiseth unity at the same time, Jer. 32.39. I will be their God▪ and they shall be my people, I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me forever: Insomuch that it's one main branch in the Covenant of Grace: So Zech 14.9. In that day, there shall be one Lord, and his name one: The meaning is, They shall not worship many gods, or serve in different ways of worship, but they shall be one. To this purpose Ezekiel prophesieth, Chap. 37.16, 22. which is not to be limited to the Jews only, but also to all the believing Gentiles: Oh then in these times of differences, and breaches amongst the godly! What should we run unto? What should we plead in prayer, but these promises? O Lord, to be thus divided, to have Altar against Altar, Church against Church, Prophet against Prophet! Is this to have one heart, and one way?
But you may say, If God hath thus promised it, and Christ hath prayed for it, who was heard of the Father in everything, How comes it about that the contrary appeareth? This is to be answered in it's time.
Fourthly, Unity is necessary, because hereby a serviceable and beneficial helping of one another in spiritual things is preserved. The people of God are compared to living stones built up together, while the stones keep in the building; they bear one another, but if once removed, it falls down; They are compared to members in the body, while they are joined together; There is a mutual ministration to each other, but when divided from the body, no part can receive any nourishment: Thus it is here, while the people of God are in union: Oh the wonderful help they are to one another, they provoke one another, they stir up one another's graces, but take these coals from one another, and then the fire goeth out! And this may be the reason, why our Savior doth not mention the Sanctification and holiness of believers, but their unity, because this is a special means to preserve and increase holiness, Two are better then one, because of heat and of help, saith the Wiseman, Eccles. 4.10. and so it's in this work of Grace, two are better then one to warm one another; How may thy zeal help against another's lukewarmness, thy faith against another's diffidence? If it be so great a sin to see thy brother in temporal want, and not relieve him, How much more in spiritual, and so for help, Gal. 6.1. If any be overtaken, ye that are spiritual restore such an one ; Put this bone in joint again: Now doth not experience tell us, that where divisions and discord are, there is no love, no compassion, no watching over one another, if this unity were established, a man would then endeavor the growth of grace in others, as in his own self; and therefore observe, whether the power of godliness doth not much abate, when differences do arise: There is not that heavenly communion, nor hearty concurrence in the ways of holiness. There is not that mutual helping of one another, as at other times.
Fifthly, Unity amongst the godly is so necessary, that therefore God many times suffereth sad and heavy persecutions to befall them, that thereby their discords and divisions may be removed, and they be more endeared to one another. Times of prosperity in the Church made the greatest heresies and schisms, but the times of bloody persecution made the godly more united. Thus the Martyrs, some of them in Queen Mary's days, did bewail their differences and contests they had formerly one with another, but the prison and persecution made them highly prize one another. Josephs brethren in their plenty envied and fell out with one another, but in their distress they were glad to cleave together. The sheep that were scattered one from another, when a sudden storm ariseth, makes them all company together: It may be though the godly are so censorious, so shy, so strange to one another. God may in time work so, that they may be glad to enjoy one another, glad to have the communion of each other; one godly man's company may be more then the gold of Ophir ; and therefore if love and godliness do not unite you, take heed God doth not make some outward trouble and affliction to put you together; If you do not embrace one another willingly, he may bind you in his chains together. That promise to Judah and Israel, of making those two sticks one, was after the cruel enmity and opposition which had been amongst them.
Sixthly, Unity is not only a sanctifier, but a strengthner also? It's that which confirmeth and establisheth the Church. The old Rule is, Vis unita sortior, the Sun beams united together cast the greater heat. It's union in an Army, in a Nation, in any Society that preserveth it; as a Wiseman said, Public Societies are immortal, if they do not kill themselves by division; Our Savior confirmed this, when he said, No Kingdom divided against itself can stand, Matth. 12.25. He brings this as an argument, That he did not cast out devils by the help of devils, but by the Spirit of God. Thus if the people of God cast out error and profaneness by God's Spirit, then they will not entertain the like themselves; for this would be to set a Kingdom at variance within itself. The old Rule is, Divide & impera: It was a peculiar providence, that Christ's bones should not be broken, to demonstrate hereby (say some) that Christ, though he died, yet he did not lose his strength. We must justly fear God hath some heavy scourge upon the godly, when they are first divided, if their bones are broken, their strength is weakened; their evil and misery will not stay there: So that it's a very foolish and weak thing in the godly to continue in their divisions; for have they not mighty and numberless enemies? Doth not the whole world hate them? Are they not as Wolves to the godly, who are as Sheep? Now if not only the Wolf and the Fox, but also one Sheep shall devour another, Must not this bring utter ruin? The Apostle Paul speaks fully to this, Gal. 5.15. If ye bite and devour one another, take heed ye be not consumed of one another: Observe the notable expression, biting and devouring one another, How unnatural is this to sheep, dogs use to do so? And further, by this means you will consume one another; That which the devils of hell, and all the wicked adversaries thereof could not do, that you will do to one another, En quo discordia cives perduxit miseros! Look not then upon your differences, as mere sins, but heavy prognostiques of God's wrath. The veil in the Temple did rend in pieces, which was a presage of the destruction of the Temple.
Seventhly, It is a most comely and beautiful thing to see ; It's a ravishing thing to behold such an Harmony amongst the godly, therefore the completeness of it will be in Heaven; There those many thousands will all have one heart, and one tongue to praise God; There will be no difference, one shall not have one way of seeing God, another, another way; There will be no censuring, as reproachful terms one against another: Now the nearer the people of God come to this on earth, the more like are they to glorified Saints in Heaven, and those innumerable companies of Angels that do God's will; They have no jarrings and contests, one Angel is not of one opinion, and another of another; We ought to do God's will, as they do it, not only in respect of zeal and purity, but unity also. David is affected with it, and one of those Songs of Degrees, is wholly to praise it, Psal. 133.1, 2, 3. It's compared to that precious ointment that was so curiously to be composed, that none might presume to make the like, and it was to be poured on the High-priest only. He compareth it also to the fruitful and pleasant Dew upon the Mountains.
The whole Psalm is considerable,
1. There is the note of admiration or indication, Behold ; as if he had said, You have by bitter experience seen what dissensions and differences do produce.
2. It's good and pleasant ; Profit and pleasure use to win all; and hereby is denoted our averseness to such unity, that we need those low Arguments to draw us; He doth not say, It's just, holy and acceptable to God, but good and pleasant.
3. For Brethren: He saith, Not men, but brethren, because sinful discord is apt to creep in amongst them.
4. Even together: He speaks not of local, but soul-conjunction. Now the sweetness of it is represented by the oil poured on Aaron, and so descending. It must be a peace grounded on Christ our Head and High-priest, then it is to diffuse to others. The profitableness of it is described by the Dew, that as it's from heaven, So it sanctifieth the barren ground. This Concord is God's gift only, and if received doth wonderfully bless the Church.
Who would not have rejoiced to live in those days, when all believers were of one heart and one soul? Oh what a comfort was it to hear no grudgings, no repinings at one another? But the Devil that envious one, he quickly sowed tares amongst them, and there became ulcers and sores to appear upon that body, which once was as fair as Abs • loms body: Hence the Apostles do so much press, That all things be done in charity, that they fulfill the Royal Law by loving that they do not so much as grudge one against another! This unity and peace is so glorious a thing, that the Apostle, 1 Thess. 4.11. makes it matter of ambition, Study, or be ambitious to be quiet ; There is a great deal of carnal and worldly ambition after great things, though fading and transitory; but here is godly ambition, here is spiritual ambition, when to be a peace-maker, and a peace-preserver, we judge it the greatest glory God doth put upon us.
Eighthly, This duty of Love and uniting is most imbred in the hearts of the godly, it should be that which they are most persuaded of, most inclined to. It's strange for thee to say, God hath taught thee such and such high things, and hath not taught thee love. The Apostle speaks excellently, 1 Thess. 4.10. Concerning brotherly-love, ye need not I write to you, for you are taught that of God. It's a shame, and a reproach to us, that we need a Sermon for this: Oh fear thyself, thou boastest of the teachings of God's Spirit above others, and yet art not taught to love! And here we see, Those that think a Ministry needless, and they will not hear it; If nothing else may convince, yet this may, God hath not taught them this duty of love enough; and therefore they had need of the Ministers of God to do it. But by this you see, That Love and Unity should be so planted in all the godly, that we need no more press and preach this, then an hungry man to eat his meat, or the mother to love her child. God teacheth this duty in the chief place.
SERMON CXIV. Of Unity among the Godly, More particulars setting forth the Excellency of it, and mischiefs of Division; Answering this Objection, viz. Seeing God hath promised one heart and way, and Christ prayed for it, How comes it to pass that there should be so many breaches amongst the Godly.
JOH. 17.21.
WE are describing the Excellency of Union, and the mischief of breaches amongst the godly, we shall add to the fore mentioned, As
1. Divisions and differences they are the fruit of the flesh ; Whereas love, peace, and kindness they are the fruits of the Spirit, so that a man cannot more demonstrate himself to be in the flesh, and devoid of God's Spirit in anything then by a contentious dividing spirit; There are some men like those old Spaniards the historian speaks of, that cannot live without an enemy, So these Salamanders can only be in the fire, they are unquiet restless men, and these like Marcion with great boldness and delight will cry out, we will cast fire into the Church and divide it, But these demonstrate of what nature they are, and who is their Father, even that envious one, the devil, who delights to sow tares amongst the wheat, Gal. 6.20, 21. &c. you may there see two chief principles of men's actions in the world, whereof the one is immediately opposite to the other, the flesh and the Spirit, now it's good to observe what the works of the one and the other are; of the flesh, he instanceth in hatred, variance, strife, emulations, &c. all tending to break unity, and of the spirit the clean contrary, love, peace, gentleness, &c. all uniting, If then we would know who is a godly man, who hath the Spirit of God; Judge of the Tree by its fruit, he is full of love, gentleness, and meekness; It's impossible that pride, arrogancy, and envyings should be the fruit of God's Spirit; Hence the Apostle 1 Cor. 3. doth thus argue, If there be envyings and divisions among you, are you not carnal? Thus the Apostle James c. 3.13, 14. speaks notably to this, Who is a wise man? let him show it by a good conversation with meekness, he divides wisdom into that which is earthly and devilish, the mother of envyings and strife, and the wisdom from above, which is first pure and then peaceable, yea, verse 14. Whosoever hath the Name of Religion, yet is haunted with this devil: The Apostle bids him glory not, and lie not against the Truth, So that though a man pretend never such singular gifts, such extraordinary Teachings of God's Spirit, yet if contentious, he is not to glory▪ yea, he lieth against the Truth; Thou sayest, it's for the truth thou art thus contentious, It's for the truth thou hast made these divisions, No, the truths of Christ are to be maintained by the Spirit of Christ, As the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God, so neither doth the perverseness of man the truths of God, so far then as any in the Church of God are contentious and striving, so far they demonstrate the power of the flesh reigning in them.
2. This Unity is necessary, because all other things in Religion are reduced to one ; If therefore all things agree in unity, everything in Religion tends to this; Why should not the people of God embrace it? The several Unities are notably made an Argument to our purpose, Eph. 4. For the Apostle at v. 1. having exhorted believers to walk worthy of their calling, he instanceth in such graces as procure Unity with all lowliness, meekness, forbearing one another ; See these graces are the comely, worthy graces of our holy calling, and you have the end of these graces, v. 3. endeavoring, we must make it our aim, our labor, our study and prayer to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, hereupon he enumerates v. 4. why there should be such Unity, There is one body, Christ hath not many bodies, no more then a man hath; All the people of God are one body; Now how destructive is it when one part of the body should conspire against the welfare of another? Let grace do that in this mystical body which nature doth in this natural; Then there is one Spirit, There is but one Spirit that enlightens and sanctifieth the whole Church of God, why then should there be so many contrary opinions and ways, yet pretended to be of the same Spirit? Indeed the Apostle saith, there are diversity of gifts and operations, yet the same Spirit ; He doth not say contrarieties and the same Spirit, for that is as impossible as darkness to come from the Sun; If then there be but one Spirit, let not the godly give occasions to the adversaries to blaspheme, saying, the Calvinistical Spirit is one thing, and the Lutheran spirit another; Again, there is one hope of our calling, we are called to one Inheritance, there is only one Heaven prepared for all the godly, Why then should they be so different by the way, when at our journeys end we must all be received into the same place of glory; It is true our Savior saith, Joh. 14.2. In his Fathers house are many mansion places ; There is room enough for all, yet it's but one house, if one Church cannot now contain us, how shall we think one heaven will? It followeth, there is one Lord, that is Christ, who is to be worshiped and served by us; Indeed if there were many Lord's, as the Papists set up many Saints in heaven to have their peculiar worship, then no wonder if there were several faiths and worships also, but the Lord Christ is one; This the Apostle urged the Corinthians with to compose their divisions, Is Christ divided? 1 Corin. 1.13. unless there were many Christ's, or Christ be divided into many parts, there ought not to be many divisions in the Church; how absurd would it be to say, I have one Christ, and another he hath another, a third a third Christ; There is one faith, one system of doctrine to be believed, Though there may be many particulars, yet they make up one entire Truth, So that although there be many Religions, and many faiths in the world, yet indeed there is but one; Even as the Apostle saith, There are 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 called gods, nuncupative gods, but to us there is one only God, So there are many called Religions, many called Churches, but indeed there is one only; The next argument is, there is one Baptism, that is one profession of the doctrine of faith; Though there is not one baptism in number, yet there is one in kind; Christ hath appointed but one way for the profession of his name▪ and being called upon by us; The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is also made an argument of unity, 1 Cor 10.17. So that the Sacraments in their signification denote unity ; They manifest one body, one spirit, how sad then is it that so many • ents and divisions should be made in the Church about Sacraments, which yet are the bodies and seals of unity and communion! Lastly, there is one God and Father of all ; Because there is one God only, therefore we ought to be at unity, God being One cannot be divided in himself, he cannot command things to be believed or done contrary to himself; Therefore let all these unities make us serious in endeavoring after unity, yea, we might add, that in hell there is unity, all the devils agree against the Church, There could be a Legion of devils in one man; Shall there then be unity against us, and not we at unity among ourselves?
These things thus urged, let us answer that Objection, Seeing God hath promised one heart, and one way, and Christ hath also thus earnestly prayed for it, who is not denied anything by the Father, how is it there are so many breaches amongst the godly? That we may cry out contrarily to the Psalmist, Behold how sad and destructive a thing it is for brethren to be at discord one with another, how comes it about that the godly do no more remember of what spirit they are? That they consider not the Spirit of God descended in the shape of a Dove, That Babel was to be built by confusion of tongues, but Jerusalem without any noise of the hammer, and therefore Solomon must build the Temple, not David, because he had been a man of war.
That this may not scandalize any, Consider these things.
1. Though unity among the godly be thus necessary, yet that inferreth necessarily divisions and oppositions to the world, and therefore we are not to wonder if the Gospel and powerful dispensing of Christ's ways makes fractions and troubles in the world, for the godly cannot have peace with themselves but they must be in open opposition to the world; Therefore in this Chapter, and in other places our Savior informs them that the world will hate them, So that we are not to say, That the Gospel of Christ is in itself of a turbulent dividing nature, as carnal Politicians suggest, and that therefore the best peace and unity is where Atheism doth abound, for if by the Gospel there be sad distractions and concussions of Kingdoms and States, it's not from the genius of the Gospel, but from the opposition and corruption of men's hearts; Therefore when our Savior said, he came to send fire and sword in the earth, Luk. 12.49. that Father should be against Son, and mother against daughter, That a man's Enemies should be those of his own house ; This was not from the nature of Christ's doctrine but the corrupt indisposition of the subject, as when the Sun doth offend soar eyes, or the medicine and potions taken disturb the humors and makes a man the sicker, in these cases not the Sun or the Physician is to be blamed, So if the Introduction of Christ's Kingdom and his Ordinances make great divisions in a place; It's not Christ's way but wicked men's sins that are to be blamed; This then is to be concluded upon, that the godly and the wicked can have no unity, The godly may not come off to the worlds principles, and the world will not come off to the godly man's principles, and therefore there must be a perpetual enmity, which made the Wise man say, That the Righteous was an abomination to the wicked, and the wicked to the Righteous ; Pro. 29.27.
2. Seeing there cannot be unity between Sheep and Wolves, the godly and the wicked, hence it is that even in the Church of God there being so many still that retain their beastly nature, and though they have the title of Christians, yet are really of the devil, hence it is that in Christ's Church there is many times such deadly opposition; Wonder not then if among those that yet pretend highly to Christ there be sad divisions, for many are in the flesh still, many savor not experimentally the things of God, There shall arise among you men that shall speak perverse things, saith the Apostle, Act. 20.30. So there shall be false Prophets who will bring in damnable heresies, 2 Pet. 2. and why? because they are men of corrupt minds ; If then all that pretend to Christ, to his Spirit, had indeed Christ's Spirit, there would be no such divisions, but saith the Apostle 1 Joh. 2. They went from us, because they were not of us, and 1 Co. 11. there must be heresies that the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 such as are sound may be esteemed ; Therefore though Christ hath thus prayed, and God thus promised, yet in the Church there will be grievous rents, because these are not of the Church though in the Church, and therefore were not included in God's promise or Christ's prayer; Hence it is that the Scripture is full of such predictions, that there shall arise false Prophets, that there shall be wolves in sheep's clothes, that Satan will transform himself into an Angel of light, by which if it were possible the very Elect would be seduced; Therefore you are not thus to argue when you see raging divisions amongst those that profess faith in Christ and holiness, that therefore Christ prayed in vain, or that there is no Truth, no Religion at all, but rather that there are many hypocrites in the Church, many who for their pride, rebel on against the Light, and other sins, shall be left by God, and given up to believe a lie, From such differences conclude upon this pious meditation, That even under the known light of the Gospel men may sadly apostatize, and become heretics, yea persecutors of the Truth, if the spirit of God keep them not in an holy fear; Therefore in the midst of these differences say, there is a seeming believer, a seeming Church, a seeming professor, and such commonly for some corrupt end or other make a breach in Christ's body.
3. There is an unity in fundamentals or essentials, and an unity in circumstantials or less principals ; Now as when God hath promised, and Christ prayed for the sanctification of his people, hereby they are seen to have so much grace as shall certainly bring them to heaven, for though they have not all the degrees of grace, and neither are freed from all sin, yet they have the essence of grace that will certainly bring to eternal glory; Thus it is in unity, although in many things they have not attained to the same mind, to the same judgment, yet they all agree in those things, that are necessary to salvation, and this is called all truth, The Spirit of God shall lead them into all Truth, Joh. 26.13. and they have the unction which teacheth them all things, 1 Joh. 2.20. Hence Mat. 25. it's not possible to deceive the Elect, viz. in fundamental things, such as shall exclude Salvation; It's true, the disciples doubted a while about Christ's Resurrection, which was a fundamental Point, but it's one thing to doubt, and another thing heretically to oppose it; The godly then cannot live and die in a fundamental error, no more then in a gross sin unrepented of, because these do necessarily oppose salvation, and this may be a great comfort to the godly under the diversity of Opinions and several subtle ways of those who would bring in damnable Heresies.
4. Even in accessories and less principals their unity shall be consummated in Heaven, and so we must understand Christ's Prayer as in his other Petitions, with an extent to heaven, where is the completing of all grace and holiness; The comfort is, that one day all the godly will lay aside their bitterness and censures of one another, They will all with one mouth, and in one way, praise and glorify God without any difference at all.
5. Christ hath not given his Spirit to the Church to its full measure in this life, and therefore they know but in part, They love but in part, Now all division ariseth from ignorance in the mind and corruption in the heart, as long therefore as these relics shall be in us so long will these divisions be: As long as the earth emits vapors, so long will thunder and lightnings be in the air.
Lastly, The devil doth yet put forth his power, and his work is to fill the Church with differences, and raising up Instruments thereunto, that so his kingdom may the more prosper: Therefore though heretical Incendiaries are taken away, yet because the devil dieth not therefore he is still setting his cloven foot where God hath raised up any Church.
SERMON CXV. Of Unity among Believers; Cautions about it. Also setting forth some good uniting Principles; With a Censure of some bad ones.
JOHN 17.21.
THe next thing in order to be treated on concerning this Unity, is the Cautions that are to be attended unto about it: For the name of Unity, like that of peace, is very specious and fair, yet as Jerome said, Cursed be that peace which forsakes the truth: So cursed be that unity which shall prejudice the Kingdom of Christ. Conspiracy and a sinful confederacy in ways of sin, may be painted over, as if it were this glorious unity commended by Christ. And
First, Let this be considered, That the Unity which Christ commends and prayeth for, is originally from Christ, and terminated in him, and afterwards in those things that are his, his truth, his ways, his commands. So that whatsoever unity doth not begin there, and afterwards diffuse itself to those things, is a sinful and wicked unity. The Devil hath unity in his Kingdom; all the Devils, though full of malice and envy to man, yet agree in their wickedness. Though one wicked man may fall out with another, yet one devil doth not with another. There is order amongst them. There is the prince of the devils, a legion of them could possess one man: So that if we look into hell, we shall find nothing but unity and agreement amongst them, yet all is in their work against Christ and his Church. Thus there is also an Antichristian Unity, the Papists glory in their unity, that they all acknowledge one way, yea they make it a mark of their Church: And in the world, we see all wicked men are as one man in opposing what is godly. Now such unity as this, is matter of shame and mourning. For, 1. It's not terminated on Christ ; they are not first united to the true Head, this oil is not first on Aaron's head; but they are of the devil, who doth move and reign in their hearts. And, 2. It's not an unity in the Scripture way, not an union in the true Doctrine, but heresy, not an union in the instituted worship of God, but idolatry and superstition, an union to overthrow Christ's Kingdom, if it were possible. Look we then to the cause and object of our unity, else it will afford no true comfort.
Secondly, This unity must be a directed and ordered unity. This unity must not be confusion. That Chaos and unformed heap God created at first, it was one thing, but it was confused, it was without form. An house demolished makes one heap, but it's a ruinous disordered one: So then the Scripture unity is that which keeps the order and distinction God hath appointed; and indeed this is greatly to be pressed, lest under this pretence of unity, that all the people of God are one, we should introduce a confusion, and make Christ's body, Monstrum horrendum, &c. Though the Church be that one body of Christ, yet in it there are distinct members, and all have their several operations: So that the Apostle argueth against those that would confound this order; Are all the members of the body an eye? 1 Cor. 12.14, 15, 16. This hath many times sorely troubled the Church. Men through pride and corrupt ends would not religiously keep that order and distinction God hath made in his Church: Hence the Apostle so often presseth the people to hear, to obey, to submit themselves unto their Governors, to have them in high esteem for their works sake, 1 Thess. 5.13. And why is all this? But because while this unity of order is preserved, the Church itself and godliness is preserved.
Thirdly, This unity is consistent with such graces, that yet have an outward appearance, of dissolving unity, as zeal for the glory of God, sharp and severe reproof of such as go astray, to suffer no heresies or profaneness after admonition in such who are of the Church. And certainly this is much to be observed, As there is a sinful and foolish pity, when men would not have justice done against notorious offenders, which pity to the wicked is truly called cruelty to the good; for he that is pitiful to the wolf, is cruel to the sheep: So there is a counterfeit, disguised unity and love, and that is, when because of this peace and agreement, no damnable heresy, no corrupt or evil way is to be severely dealt with, and a Scripture-way taken to stop the progress of it. If this were true, then Ahab did upon good grounds call Elijah, a troubler of Israel, because his zeal would not bear the Idolatries then practiced: If this were true, then all the godly Prophets were justly discouraged, because they reproved the sinful ways of the times they lived in: Yea then, Christ himself and his Apostles were justly condemned, for the zeal of God did so eat them up, that they reproved not only the gross Idolatries, but almost every petty superstitious way: What shall we think the Apostle Paul, who doth so often commend the spirit of love and meekness, That there be no hatred or strife amongst them, yet when he saith; I would they were cut off that trouble you, Gal. 5.12. and their mouths must be stopped, Tit. 2.11. that speak perverse things, that he forgets his own rule, and becomes an incendiary in the Church? or shall we think the Apostle John, who presseth love in every verse, and showeth, He that hateth his brother, is like Cain a murderer, and of the devil ; yet when he saith, If any one bring any other Doctrine, then you have received (2 epist. John 10) receive not that man into your house, or bid him, God speed ; that now he hath forgot his own spirit, that his honey is turned into gall? Be then fully persuaded, that the unity and love Christ prayeth for, doth not oppose Scripture-zeal, and courage against any profane and erroneous ways: It doth not bring in a compliance and symbolizing with all heresies and profaneness. It doth not erect a Temple, as the Romans did to all gods: Nor make the Church like the Ark, wherein all beasts clean and unclean were received. No, such remissness breaketh unity; as the strings not well-wound up cannot make any melodious sound, and the paralytical members of the body, for want of the due firmness, cause many feeble operations. There is a Sect called the Family of Love, as if they only had peace and unity amongst them, but they would have all things, even wives common, and so their unity is a fomenter of sin, and confounds those relations God hath distinguished.
These Cautions premised, Let us consider what remedies are fit to heal these wounds. As in the natural b • dy, a wound is Solutio continui ; so in this spiritual body of the Church, and as to wounds, unless there be wisdom and skill, they are made worse by Empericks. Thus unless there be proportionable and fit remedies applied with wisdom and compassion, the breach is made greater. And
First, There are two remedies, and they are in extremes: The one suggested by the Popish party, the other by the Socinian.
The first is, A rigid, imperious and tyrannical commanding of an uniformity and approbation in every punctilio, and minute particular: So that no dissent or liberty shall be allowed to a man, though humble and peaceable, earnestly desiring to find out the truth. This tyranny came into the Church betimes; What a large breach did Victor Bishop of Rome make in the Church about the determinate time of keeping of Easter, whom Irenaeus did gravely oppose? Certainly, the Apostle Rom. 14. in matters of less concernment, where men may err salvâ fide, or when men build only hay and stubble, not laying other foundations, doth there command a charitable carriage between the strong Christian, and the weak. It's true, the least truth of Christ is precious, and we are not to deny it; but yet it is not violently to be obtruded, unless where there is eternal damnation inevitable, if that truth be not received. Our Savior speaks excellently to that, Matth. 9.17. If new wine be put into old bottles, the bottles break ; while men impose opinions or practices of less consequence, upon a people not prepared, instead of unity, they make many fractions, yet this way of unity hath much infested the Church, and especially when men have been in power. They have pressed unity not so much out of love to Christ, as thereby to keep up their interest: As Musculus observeth of the soldiers, that would not have Christ's coat divided, everyone hoping thereby to have it all. Thus when Luther reformed, nothing was more ordinarily preached by the Papists then the inconsutilis tunica, the seamless coat of Christ, which made Luther call them Inconsutilistae and Tunicastri. Now all this endeavor to have such an uniformity, was not out of love to Christ's Church, but their own power; and therefore they were afraid of divisions, lest they should overthrow their kingdom. Certainly to such austere and severe imposers; That of Austin is often to be re-minded, Saeviunt illi, qui nesciunt, &c. let them rage and persecute, who know not with what prayers and tears it is given to understand, but a little of God's truth, yet this political way of unity hath been long in the Church, Aut subscribe, aut discede, was a speech of old in the Church.
2. There is another false way of unity extremely opposite to this, strenuously propugned by the Socinian, and that is, A licentious and unbounded Toleration of damnable heresies and Idolatries, which Julian also studiously promoted, thereby to overthrow the Christian Religion. Now as the former way of unity hath been propugned by those who had power in the Church, so this latter by those, who have been the oppressed party, for the Scripture decides a middle way between these two principles: Hence Rev. 2. & Chap. 3. The Angels of the Church are commended, when they did not suffer, or could not bear such as published unsound Doctrine, and therefore those who did suffer such, are reproved: I say, the Angels of the Church, for we are treating of Church-peace and liberty, not political and external, which is not comprehended in this Petition. Certainly, the Apostles in their Epistles, do as much, if not more, set against false Doctrines and false Teachers, as they do against corrupt practices: Hence 1 Tim. 1.20. Hymenaeus and Alexander for their blasphemies and false doctrines are by Paul delivered up to Satan, and Tit. 3.10. we have an universal Rule given, An heretic after the first and second admonition reject. So that it is very clear, That Church-power and Church-censures are to be inflicted on such as obstinately offend therein; and certainly a boundless Toleration of all kind of heresies, seemeth to be so harsh and unsavory a thing, that even the Remonstrants, who yet cried up a liberty of prophesying, as their great Diana, did disavow this, professing their approbation of that known Rule, It's better living, ubi nulla licent, then where omnia ; and that with this liberty of opinions, there ought to be ways used for the extirpation of heresies. This licentiousness then doth not beget unity, but increaseth breaches, for it gives way to men's corruptions to vent themselves, and is like the warm Summer to snakes and serpents, which makes them come abroad, when the cold winter kept them in.
These remedies then being laid aside, Let us consider, what are truly and properly so, what is the fit oil to be poured into the Churches wounds, seeing it is so often like that man of Jericho ; whereas then this breach of unity may be made three ways, Of the true Doctrine by heresy, Of godly Order by schism, and Of Christian love by wrath and contentions in outward matters. Let us see what are the peculiar Remedies; for what is proper to one is not to another, and as for the way of unity in Doctrine, these are uniting and closing principles.
[ 1] 1. So far as there is an agreement in judgment, to close heartily, and embrace one another in that. It's a mercy that the difference is not in the very fundamentals and vitals of Religion, seeing therefore there are common opinions and doctrines, wherein the godly do agree, let that unity be nourished, this will be a means to produce further union. This Rule the Apostle giveth, Phil. 3.15, 16. Whither we have attained, let us walk by the same Rule, and if any man be otherwise minded, God shall reveal this to them. It's a great frowardness in the rigid Lutherans, that they will not own the Calvinists as brethren, though there may be a reconciliation in fundamentals, as Pareus pleadeth. So far then as men do retain Christ, and fundamental truth with an humble godly disposition, desiring to be further informed. Let not the want of what they should have, make thee despise the good things they have.
[ 2] 2. Let private Christians highly esteem and submit to those godly and faithful Pastors, God hath set over them. For commonly there begins the breach, when they begin to be offended at them. It was some mistake about what Christ preached, that made so many Disciples quite forsake him, it was durus Sermo, an hard speech, they said, and would not seek to be further informed, when men will not own that public office God hath appointed, then they wander into by-paths: Therefore Eph. 4.12, 13▪ You see a twofold end of the Ministers of Christ; the one is, To keep them from being carried about with every wind of Doctrine. The other, for a spiritual edification, till we all come in the unity of faith ; So that a due and fit obedience and acknowledgement of them, would in a special manner prevent divisions.
[ 3] 3. Get a pitiful and compassionate spirit to those that go astray. We are indeed to have zeal, and an holy impatience in the things of God, yet this is to be accompanied with pity, Of some have compassion, making a difference, saith the Apostle Jude. Certainly, when we shall consider, how prone it is for men to receive error for truth; How naturally blind and opposite the mind of a man is to the revealed truths of God, and how that it's the Spirit of God that leads thee into truth, That it's God only who keeps thee from the heresies and errors that others are carried aside with. These things will greatly move thee to tender bowels.
SERMON CXVI. Of Christian Unity; Setting forth some Rules for Unity in Doctrine, Church-Order, and Affection; for the preventing of Error, Schism and Wrath.
JOH. 17.21.
TO prevent or heal any breach that may be made in doctrine by error, we have given some Remedies, and there are more remaining:
[ 4] As first, Candidly and truly to lay down or report the opinions of others that do dissent from us ; There is nothing hath made the gap wider, and more raked into the sores of the Church then such a malevolent and ill disposition, to pervert the opinions of others, to make them hold such monstrous things, as they do with all their hearts detest; It was thought that the Apostle James therefore was moved to write that Epistle for works as well as faith, because some did misunderstand Paul's writings, as if he had taught Faith only was enough to save, though it was not accompanied with an holy life. How often was Christ and the Apostles traduced for preaching such things that they never taught, and all this was done by their malicious enemies to make them more odious, and to bring greater danger upon them; And do not the Papists to this day represent the Protestants as if they were the most damnable and blasphemous heret • ques that ever were? But if it be not lawful in civil matters to bear false witness against another, much less in Religious and doctrinal matters; whether therefore it be by writing, preaching, report, or any other way God's Word and Conscience requireth of us, that we are to represent the Opinions of others truly and really, not put a sense of our own upon them, and then fight with that, this is not the way to bring the straying Sheep back again, this will never reduce to unity, for the party dissenting will presently see, that truth is not sought for but victory, That the end of dissenters is not to bring him to the knowledge of truth, but to disgrace and defame him, and this will never convert, Therefore that is necessary in all disputations to state the controversy aright, for that is like the first concoction, which if it miscarry is not mended afterwards, men may write voluminous books, and bring multitude of arguments to no purpose, if the true state of the controversy be not laid down: To know therefore the true and proper distance is the only way at last to unite, as the best way to recover out of a disease is to be truly informed what it is.
[ 5] A second Remedy, uniting in matters of doctrine is, not to impose such Conclusions and inferences upon the doctrine maintained by dissentients, that are not the proper and genuine effect thereof, To cast that upon them as their doctrine which is but our inference that we may make through ignorance or any other distemper, is not fair, especially when they do with their whole soul abhor such Conclusions ; There were some Spiders that would suck poison from those sweet herbs the Apostle had planted, because he shown that where sin had abounded grace did much more; Therefore some forced this consequence upon the Apostles doctrine, Let us sin that grace may abound, Rom. 6.1. And thus the Papists deal with us, and Lutherans also, how often do they charge this hideous calumny and consequence upon the Protestants doctrine, as if we made God the author of sin? whereas we use but the Scripture words and such expressions, no, nor such harsh ones neither, as some of their own Popish Writers do, only it's truth in them but blasphemy in us; Indeed what is the evident and plain Consequence of a Doctrine, that is to be accounted of as the doctrine itself; As whatsoever is a clear genuine consequence from Scripture is Scripture, but not every consequence, We are apt to deduce, Thus it is here, what is evidently a consequence from any Doctrine, we may charge it upon the doctrine, but then we must be sure it's the proper and natural child, not a bastard, that it is the true issue not suppositions.
[ 6] 3. Whatsoever truth God may have indeed made known to us, or if in our persuasion only, we are to be very careful how we publish it ; This hath been constant fire in the Church of God when men either have, or in persuasion only, some doctrine different from the current way of the Church at that time; Now it's a very hard thing thus to be with child as it were, and not to be full of pain till we have delivered it to the world; Why is an obstinate broacher of damnable doctrines called an heretic but because he chooseth his own way? He invents and excogitates a doctrine of his own, therefore compared to thieves and robbers, that go not in by the door but climb up some other way; Now such qualifications as these are necessary,
1. To question and examine thy own spirit, not presently to believe thy own heart; This is a firebrand in the Church, when men have no modest doubtings and questionings of their own ignorance and proneness to err even in that thing they are so confident of; how modestly doth the Apostle Paul speak 1 Cor. 7. when he determined the case about marriage, I think also I have the Spirit of God, and he distinguisheth between that which he had as an express command from the Lord, and what he was inwardly directed unto, wheresoever the Spirit of God leadeth into all truth, there he doth likewise into all humility; Thus Luther's Tune solus sapis es is famously known, though the Papists charge him falsely with contempt of all others.
2. Before we publish it to the world to communicate our thoughts to those that are able, wise, and learned in the Church of God, who have the Spirit of God and his Unction as well as we; Paul though called immediately by Christ, yet went up to Jerusalem to confer with the chief pillars there, and though he was thus miraculously converted, yet he must go to Ananias to be further directed, 1 Cor. 14.14. those that had extraordinary gifts yet were to submit themselves to others, The Spirit of the Prophets is subject to the Prophets, which is interpreted two ways, and both pertinently to my matter:
1. If the meaning be, The spirit of the Prophets is subject to other Prophets, they have power to judge the doctrine we publish, then it will much more follow, that what we have in an ordinary way is exposed to the examen of others.
2. If by it we understand it thus, there is no Prophet having the Spirit of God moving in them that is so extraordinarily wrought upon but he may retain those motions, and vent them in an orderly way, not to speak while others are speaking, which seemeth to be the scope of the Apostle in that place; This is very pertinent to my matter, that no man can have such revelations and impulses from God's Spirit but that he is in a divine method and good order to declare them, for the unseasonable publishing of some things is like good Physic but not administered in its fit season.
Lastly, To keep up the unity of faith this is a special means, when we do highly prize and delight in the known plain truths of Christ▪ Paul that was snatched up in the third Heavens, yet desired to know nothing but Christ crucified; Peter thought it not inconvenient to write the same things they knew already ; Certainly nothing hath more rent and torn the Church of God then affectation of singular high things, To bring in some unheard and unknown Truths, Oh this is the pride of men's hearts, to have it said, Such a man was the first that brought that nation into the world, as the Jesuit of his scientia media, Ego primus inveni ; But to be weary of the known truth is in effect to be weary of the same God, the same Christ, Why do we not desire a new Sun, a new Earth, a new world as well?
In the second place, What will keep up unity in the Churches order, and prevent Schism there ; For although the Scripture use the word schism in a large sense, yet Ecclesiastically it is restrained to the breach of order in the Church, and that hath often been when they have kept the unity of the Doctrine, They did not divide from the doctrine but communion in Church-ordinances; Now to keep up an entire body in this, Consider,
1. That if such be the corruption of the Church, that thou canst not keep fellowship with her but by partaking of her sins, Then before thou leavest that place take the way the Scripture commands, Be sure that it be not for some less corruption, but that which doth eat up the very vitals of Religion ; Do not thou leave it till God leaveth it; Do not thou unchurch it till God doth.
2. Let thy endeavors be in thy place to inform and heal before thou dost depart ; Pleade and strive with thy mother, as Hos. 2. because she hath committed whoredoms: And then Lastly, Let thy secession be unwillingly ; Thou art compelled to make this departure because the Enemies of all godliness will not suffer thee or endure thee under their power; These things observed, then thou art not guilty of any schism or breach, but those that gave the occasion to it; When those of the people of Israel would not join with Jeroboam in his Idolatry, but separated themselves, and went to Jerusalem, where the pure worship was; They did not make a schism, but Jeroboam 2 Chro. 11.13, 14, 15. Thus it is with the reformed Churches; The Papist calls the Protestant a thousand times over a Schismatic because he withdraweth himself from Obedience to the Pope as Head of the Church, but we say, ours was not a schism but a secession; They were Schismatics in falling from the primitive order and institutions in the Church, insomuch that the Pope is the grandest Schismatic that ever was in the Church, and further we departed not from Rome because of petty corruptions, no, she was a Babylon ere we left her, and then we left her unwillingly: They drave us out persecuting with fire and fagot, so that we may say as Musculus, there is a good Schism and a bad Schism, a good schism is when we divide male unita things evilly joined, a bad when been unita things well united.
2. If there be many corruptions in government and administrations, yet thou art not to make sinful Breaches and Rents, for these do plus perturbare infirmos bonos, quam corrigere animosos malos, as Austin well; Therefore two things thou hast to do; First, As thy calling and relation is, so to reprove and oppose the corruptions that abound; Thus the Prophets of old, and Christ with his Apostles they did with great Zeal rebuke the corruptions then prevailing, and although carnal and Athiestical Politicians call this Schism and Faction, yet this is to condemn the generation of all the godly Prophets in their ages, and to justify Ahab as if not he but Elijah had indeed been the troubler of Israel: 2. When you have thus done your Duty, and still corruptions are suffered, leave your Complaints with God who hath promised at last to take all scandals out of the Church, and in the mean while patiently sigh and groan under that burden, for we may have a sinful impatience in this kind, as Elijah in part had, and those Disciples who would needs have fire immediately consume the Samaritans, because they would not receive Christ.
Lastly, To prevent Schism in the Churches order, take heed of pride, ambition, and seeking great things in the Church ; It's reported that most of those who made the greatest Rents in the Church did it upon discontent, missing of that preferment they looked for; The spirit of Diotrephes who loved preheminencies, made great divisions; Even the Disciples began to quarrel with one another de primatu, Who should be the chiefest? Therefore doth our Savior so often press humility, and enjoin everyone to become like a little Child.
The last particular wherein divisions are amongst the godly is in their particular civil deportments, and those are the quarrellings and wranglings the Apostle James speaks against; Now to prevent these, first remove the cause, kill the Serpent in its Egg, and that is, the lust of the soul: The Apostle asketh, From whence comes jars and fightings? Is it not from your Lusts? James 4.1. There is warring within against your own souls first, and then one with another; Dry up this Fountain of lust, and then the streams will quickly run no more; Now any kind of lust unmortified is spark great enough to set the Church on fire, a covetous lust, when men are immoderately given to the world, that causeth great discord; As the Philistines and Isaac strived about the Well, till at last Isaac came to a place which he called Rehoboth, that is, Rome, Gen. 26.22. Thus here on earth we fall out about earthly things, because the creature is too scant to give content to all, but in heaven there will be room enough, So a proud envious lust, that breaks all Union, insomuch that till there be a mortification of coveting within there will never be Union without: We might mention the excellency of this Union to prevent heat, but that hath been done already; Let the Sum of all be, as much as in us lieth, to put this prayer of Christ into practice; Peace is so great a matter, that it's called the peace of God, and God is called the God of peace, and Christ is called our peace, seeing Christ prayeth for it; We see it's not all the Sermons, all the irenicall books can do any good till God give one heart, Be importunate therefore with God, and strive with him for this unspeakable mercy.
SERMON CXVII. Of the Distinction of Persons, and Unity of Essence in the Deity: against the Socinians.
JOHN 17.21.
THe second thing considerable in this Text, is the Pattern and Example of Unity. It's not all kind of unity he prayeth for, but that which is the most absolute and perfect, even such unity as is between the Father and Son: Not as if this did denote equality, but similitude only. Because this pattern was mentioned in the prayer for the Apostles unity, I shall not repeat what then was delivered: Only this must be acknowledged, That there is a twofold Interpretation of this being of the Father in the Son, and the Son in the Father. The Ancients they understand this of the Divine Nature, as if the unity here spoken were homeousial: But Calvin saith, Huc eos abripuit contentio cum Arianis, the heat of dispute with the Arians carried them off from the sense: So that he giveth a second interpretation, making the speech to be understood, not of the son in respect of his Divine Nature, but of his Mediatorship, for by that he is made one with God the Father, and one with us: For whereas before Christ's Mediatorship there was a miserable confusion and dissipation of mankind, God the Father against man, and man against God; Through Christ there is an happy unity obtained: So that in Calvin's judgment, this unity is that of a Mediator, whereby Christ as Head of his Church, being joined to us, doth thereby also join us to the Father. In this sense also he explaineth that known place, John 10. I and my Father are one ; Neither may we think (as some have calumniated, that Calvin doth Judaize or Arianize ; for though he deny this to be the sense of these places, yet otherwise he doth firmly propugn the true Doctrine about Christ's Divine Nature. But there is no solid ground to make these interpretations distinct, for one doth necessarily suppose the other. Christ could not be our Mediator and Head, to make us one with the Father, unless he were God, and so of the same nature with the Father; and therefore the unity of their Nature must be understood, as the foundation.
So that we have in the words, The distinctions of their Persons, by their peculiar proprieties, and the unity of their Nature ; Their personal proprieties are Father and Son. The oneness of their Nature is in those words, Thou in me, and I in thee. From whence observe,
That the Father and Son are two distinct Persons, yet one in Nature and Essence. I speak not of the holy Ghost, which in other places is made the third person, but of these two only, because they alone are mentioned in the Text.
To open this, Consider some things in general, and then what is implied in their peculiar relations,
1. That God is absolutely known, as God.
2. Relatively, as in these three Persons. God absolutely considered may be known by the book of nature, relatively only by the Scripture and revelation. By the creatures we only can come to know that there is a God, maker of all things, but that this God is distinguished by three personal proprieties, is not matter of investigation, but faith only: Therefore howsoever some learned men have endeavored to illustrate this mystery from human Philosophers, especially the Platonists, who speak of three principles, the Mind, the Word, and the Spirit, yet they made these three distinct Essences, and cannot be applied to this mystery, though, it may be, they had these confused notions from some ancient tradition of the Hebrews. In the Old Testament this mystery was believed and received; Therefore good and solid Arguments may be fetched thence to prove this Doctrine, yet in the New Testament, Christ, who is the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the Word, doth more expressly reveal it; so that in those who do believe the Scriptures, yet obstinately and blasphemously not only deny, but deride the Doctrine of the Trinity, it is a very high sin and blasphemy.
2. Although the Scripture reveal unto us three Persons, yet this is not to be understood, as if thereby were constituted many God's. There were Heretics called Tritheita, that made three God's of these three Persons. Now this is clear, that though the Scripture acknowledge three Persons, yet it doth as plainly declare, there is but one God ; Therefore though every Person be God, yet there are not three God's: Therefore when the Father is called the alone God, this is not to exclude the other Persons from being God, but any other made god. The Heathenish Idols were not gods, nor will God give this glory to any creature.
3. This Doctrine therefore of the Trinity is purely an object of faith, and cannot be demonstrated by reason. The Schoolmen do well declare, That the same things in Divinity may be demonstrated by reason, and believed by faith, as that there is a God; this may be known both ways; so that though faith and science cannot have the same formal motive, yet they may be conversant about the same object, we know there is a God by demonstrations of reason, we believe by authority and testimony from Scripture: But now this truth about the Persons in the Divine Nature, is only to be believed: It cannot be demonstrated by reason. Indeed when once this revelation is made, then it is not hard to find out such reasons and consequences grounded on Scripture, that may serve to answer all the objections of any adversaries; for nothing revealed to be believed, is contrary to reason, though it may be above it. Therefore when Scripture hath laid the foundation, then reason may make a superstruction, yet we must take this Caution; although reason be allowed to be a servant to faith, we must look she grow not imperious, as Hagar to Sarah, for then we are to cast her out of doors, then the Rule is, Mulier ista ratio, taceat in Ecclesiâ. This Doctrine therefore is to be adored with humble believing, and not to be searched into by curious or furious rashness; and certainly the devil is very ready to tempt in this point, sometimes he prevaileth to seduce in this point, as appeareth by the multitude of Arians of old, and Socinians of late, sometimes he cannot seduce, yet he doth shake and disturb the minds of the godly exceedingly by suggestions; so that their temptations about dogmatical faith, sometimes are as grievous, as about justifying faith. But now although we have a twofold light, the light of reason, and the light of faith, and the latter ought to correct & direct the former, yet such is our corruption, that we make the light of reason to correct the light of faith, as if we should make the Sun to borrow its light from the stars. But these two lights are as superior and inferior; so that although nothing can be false by the light of reason, which is true by the light of faith, yet the light of faith comprehends many things, which the light of reason cannot, as nothing can be false to sense, and true to reason, yet reason can comprehend many things which sense cannot: Therefore when the light of the Moon which is reason is very dim and staggering, let the light of faith like that of the Sun fully enlighten and confirm thee.
In the next place, Let us proceed to the peculiar characteristical properties, for though the Father and Son have the same common Nature and Essence, yet a different subsistence: So that though they are one God, yet not one Person. It's a known Rule, In Christ there is aliud and aliud, another nature, and another nature, but not alius & alius, another Person and another person; but in the Trinity there is not aliud & aliud, but alius & alius ; As for the use of the word Trinity, Person, &c. though not Scripture words, yet the sense being there, it's lawful for distinction and explication sake to use them, though the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifying a Person, be a Scripture word, and there is the conjugate 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , from whence we may make the abstract, as Paul from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 doth 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Concerning therefore the relation of the Father, there are these things.
1. In that he is called the Father, and Christ the Son, it's implied, that he is the first Person in the holy Trinity, and the Son the second, only when he is called the first, you must not understand it in dignity and perfection, for the Father hath no absolute perfection, which the Son hath not; for seeing both have the nature of God, therefore one cannot have greater perfection then another; The Father is not more wise, more powerful, more holy then the Son; Nor is he the first Person in respect of duration, as if the Father was God before the Son; for seeing he was from all eternity Father, therefore he had also this Son from eternity, as the Sun was never without its beams. Indeed the Orthodox do well deride, and justly, the Socinians, That whereas they confess the Father from all eternity, and the Son, a made, or constituted God in time, that they thereby introduce an old God, and a young God, not indeed as these words denote infirmities, but as old is taken for ancient, and young for that which is new. And certainly, if there was a time, when Christ was not the Son of God, then he became to be so in time, but he is called the first Person in order : for so the Scripture represents an order to our conceptions in this glorious mystery, as appeareth by the form of Baptism, whereby we are baptized first into the name of the Father, and then of the Son ; The Father then is the first Person, and the Son the second, not in respect of dignity or duration, but order.
2. When God the Father is said to be the Father of Christ his Son, It is not in a large sense, as he is called Father sometimes, but in a proper, peculiar and incommunicable sense ; for therefore he is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the only begotten Son of God, and indeed we see plainly the unity of the Father separated from the unity of believers in this Text, That they may be one, as thou in me, and I in thee, for God is called the Father of all men. To which purpose the Apostle alledgeth that of the Poet, We are his offspring, Act. 17.27. Thus also he is called the Father of Believers in respect of Adoption, for so our Savior, Joh. 20.17. I ascend to my Father and your Father, but he is called the Father in respect of a true and proper generation of his Son; as is more to be shown. The Socinians would have him called the Son of God, partly, because of that extraordinary conception and birth, partly, because of the constituting and sanctifying of him to the Office of a Priest, and partly, but principally, because of his Resurrection and Exaltation to that great power and dominion which now he hath, but these things are only declarative and consequential to that eternal generation, whereby indeed he is the Son of God properly, and thus the Jews understood it, when they accused him for blasphemy, because by saying, He was the Son of God, he thereby made himself God, which our Savior doth not deny or refuse ; but proveth it more firmly.
Lastly, In that he is called the Father, it is thereby implied, That he is the fountain and original of divine being to the Son. Thus John 5.26. As the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given the Son, to have life in himself. To have life in himself is only proper to God: Now as the Father hath it, so also hath the Son, but he hath it by donation, or communication from the Father: In this sense it is, that Christ saith, He speaketh nothing of himself, but as he heareth of the Father, still reducing all things unto him, not that the Divine Nature is begotten, but the second Person, who hath the Divine Nature.
[ II] Secondly, The property of the Son is, to be begotten of the Father. And herein lieth the true proper difference of those two Persons, The Father is of himself not begotten, the Son is of the Father and begotten: Now this doth imply, that Christ hath not his being by creation, as Adam had, and Angels, who therefore are called The sons of God, but truly and really by generation, for so the Scripture appropriates this to him, That he is the only begotten Son of God ; only you are not to measure this spiritual and eternal generation with that of the creatures, but to abstract it from all such human imperfections; and therefore though it be truly a generation, yet it's not of the same univocal nature with that of creatures: So that as God is not in a predicament, neither is there the same univocal being to God, and the creature: Thus it is also in this generation. Let us not therefore judge of this mystery by examples and instances from the creature; for as the nature of God is incomprehensible, so also is this generation.
Use 1. To bewail the doctrinal errors and blasphemies whereby the devil hath seduced many in this point: Oh pray to God to preserve thee from such poison! Many desperately preach and write, that Christ is not truly God, nor the eternal God, and so make us guilty of horrible Idolatry, and withal overthrow the pillars and foundations of Religion. By this we see, that blasphemy and damnable heresies are in our nature, which we should be plunged into, if God leave us unto ourselves.
Use 2. Of Exhortation, To take heed not only of unbelief in respect of the promises, but also the doctrinals: This gift is also of God; It's he that enableth and confirmeth the heart in this particular also; and indeed dogmatical faith is the foundation of salvifical.
Use 3. To admire the love both of Father and Son in procuring our salvation for us; The Fathers love is seen, to send his only begotten Son, the Son of his love, in whom he delighted, more then in all creatures into the world, and to die such an ignominious death for us enemies: And then the Sons love is seen in leaving that glory and blessedness he had for a while, to be in a state of wrath and anger for our sakes; No wonder if the hearts of men and Angels can never be sufficiently enough taken up with these things.
Use 4. To endeavor after such an unity as the Father and Son have; It's the president in the Text: Doth the Father and Son ever disagree? Doth the Son will one thing, and the Father another? Neither ought there to be any disagreement amongst believers.
SERMON CXVIII. The Glorious Mystery of the Saints Union with Christ, and with the Father by him, Opened.
JOH. 17.21.
IN these words we have the nature and quality of the godly man's Union declared. 1. That it is an holy and godly Unity, they are one in Christ, not in the devil or sin as wicked men are. 2. It's not a bodily Union and visible, but spiritual and invisible, because it's an Unity in the Father and the Son. 3. It's not absolutely and adequately equal to the Union between the Father and Son, for our Savior doth plainly separate and make a difference, he said not before, As thou Father art in us and we in thee, but in me, and I in thee, distinguishing himself thereby in a transcendent way from the creature, so neither in this place doth he say, That they may be one with us (though that also is true in a mystical sense, Christ the Head and the Church his body, being one in that respect) because that might imply Unity of nature and essence, but one in us: Now for all believers to be one in the Father and the Son, may admit of a twofold Exposition: 1. The Preposition 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 may be as much as 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 per, for so it's often used, and then the sense would be, That they may be one by us, that is, by thy grace, for it's not nature but grace that makes this Unity; Thus Eph. 5.8. we are said to be light in the Lord, that is by the Lord ; But this seemeth not so genuine, therefore the 2 d Interpretation is more received, which makes the expression to be declarative of that terminus in which all the godly are united, The Center in which all the lines meet, The Head in which all the members, The Root in which all the branches, The Spring in which all the streams are conjoined, and he saith in us, for though we are proximely and immediately united unto Christ our head, yet thereby we also are united to the Father.
Obs. That all believers are united to Christ, and in him to the Father ; This Union of Believers with Christ is an unspeakable mystery; The Scripture represents it under many similitudes, yet we cannot conceive of it according to its dignity; But as the hypostatical Union of the two Natures in Christ into one person doth exceed our comprehension, so likewise doth the mystical Union of believers with Christ, and in him with the Father, yet because the Foundation of all our Christian comfort is in this Union, and Unity is our whole spiritual Treasury;
Let us follow the Scripture Light in Explication of it: And
First, It is good to Consider what synonimous or equivalent expressions the Scripture hath to represent this Unity ; And we read of an emphatical one, 1 Cor. 6.17. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , He that is joined to the Lord ; The metaphor is from glue, that doth so closely and inseparably join things together, He is made one Spirit, Is not this a wonderful expression of that intimate Union the believer hath with God? He is made one Spirit with him not essentially as if he were made infinite, omniscient, &c. but as it were morally, as they say, Amicus est alter ego: Another word is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 1 Joh. 1.2. Truly our fellowship is with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ : Thus 2 Pet. 2.4. we are said to be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , partakers of the divine nature, and often we read of the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 of the Communion of the holy Ghost ; This Communion indeed is a consequent of our Union, our Union is the Foundation of our Communion, although the word doth not only signify Communion but Communication sometimes, howsoever this signifieth the unspeakable privilege the godly have by their Union, that now all things do become theirs which Christ hath, our mala and his bona are communia ; We cannot fall and perish unless Christ also be destroyed with us; A last word I shall instance in is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Rom. 6.5. and hereby is intimated our co-planting into him, and this the similitude of the Olive-Tree, and the Vine doth admirably represent, and certainly there is no kind of Union scarce but the Scripture expresseth our Unity with Christ by it, as that of the Head and the body, of a Foundation and building, of a Vine and its branches, of a Husband and wife, to show hereby the Excellency and fullness of it, everyone of those unions having something that another hath not; As David doth attribute several Titles to God, of a Shield, Rock, Tower, &c. to show that God was all things to him; Thus is Christ all Unions to the godly, as I may so say.
2. There must be an unition, as Cameron well observeth, before there can be an union, a Communication before a Communion ; Unition is to be conceived efficiently as the work of God's Spirit, joining the believer to Christ, and union is to be conceived formally, The joining itself of the persons together; Now there is something on God's part uniting, and something on ours ; On God's part, that is, the spirit of God, Eph. 2.8. the Jew and Gentile have through Christ access unto the Father through one spirit, So that as it's the Spirit that sanctifieth, the Spirit that worketh mightily in believers, the Spirit that sealeth; Thus it is also the Spirit that unites to Christ, for of ourselves we are aliens from God, we all lie dissipated in ruin, but it's the Spirit of God that quickens us, and engrafteth us into Christ; As the Spirit on God's part, so Faith on our part, Eph 3.15. Thus Christ dwells by Faith in our hearts, and it's by Faith we are engrafted into the Olive-Tree, therefore that is called eating of his Flesh, and drinking of his blood, whereby we are made one with Christ our head; We then may easily conclude all men living in their natural condition without the Spirit of God have nothing of this Unity, They must needs wither and perish in their sins.
3. We may conceive of a natural union with Christ and a supernatural ; A natural union all men have, in that he took man's nature and not Angels upon him, So that in this respect all men though never so wicked yet agree with him in his human nature, and thousands are damned, though Christ took man's nature upon him; The other union is supernatural, for as Christ though man yet was conceived in a supernatural way by the holy Ghost, So all those who are mystically united to Christ are in a supernatural way changed by the holy Ghost, and thereby joined to Christ, for it's the Spirit of Christ as well as of God the Father that doth thus unite us to him; We cannot then take any comfort simply in this, that Christ was made man, unless we have a spiritual Union with him, as well as a natural; Therefore the Apostle excellently to this purpose urging Christ's Incarnation, Heb. 2.11, 14. doth not press absolutely his being made man but so as thereby to help not all men but such as are his brethren, all men are not Christ's brethren but such as by faith are made one with him; Both he that sanctifieth, and they who are sanctified are all of one, that is, of one Adam, of one root, as it is generally expounded, but though other men be of that one root, as well as such as are sanctified, yet the Apostle limits it to such only that are sanctified, and from thence draweth that comfortable inference, Christ is not ashamed to call them brethren ; and v. 14. because the Children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself took part of the same, so that it's plain by these Texts, No man can simply take comfort in this, that Christ became a man, That he is of the same human nature with Christ, for it's only to the children, only to such as are sanctified, that his Incarnation is advantageous.
Hence 4. This union is wholly spiritual and invisible, Christ is the head and we the body, Christ the husband and we the wife, but all this is after a spiritual and mysterious manner; The ligaments are spiritual, insomuch that this is better felt experimentally then palpably expressed; Therefore to carnal and natural men it's wholly a paradox, They cannot imagine what it is, Even as spiritual and immaterial objects cannot be discerned by the eye, No man hath seen God at any time, So neither can this spiritual union be naturally perceived, if we should preach all our life time upon it, a natural man would never understand one iota or tittle about it, Therefore when the Apostle speaking of the union between man and wife, Eph. 5.32. thereby representing the union of Christ and his Church, addeth, This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and his Church ; Oh pray therefore that thou mayest experimentally feel this union with Christ; That something within may close with this, and thou mayest be able to say, O Lord, though I read it in no Book, hear it in no Sermon, yet my own heart can discern it.
5. Though this union be spiritual, yet for all that it is real, it's not imaginary and a mere fancy, but as Christ is a real Christ, God a real God, faith a real grace, so real is our union with these, and therefore the effects of this union are altogether real, such as justification, and a vivifical influence from Christ into us; He is not an head in vain, he is not a vine in fancy and imagination, Therefore he saith, I am the true Vine, Joh. 15.1. not corporally but spiritually, yet the expression showeth, that a natural vine doth not so truly nourish its branches as Christ doth his people; Hence Joh. 6. he saith, My flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed ; Not as the Capernaits understood it, but in a spiritual reality, and certainly the wonderful effects of Christ's union with the godly do demonstrate the reality of it; There is love of God, an heavenly life, support in all Exercises, &c. which are the blessed effects of this glorious union.
6. Consider the necessity of this union with Christ, without this we are in a necessity of perishing ; For without Christ there is no justification, no Sanctification, no Salvation; The branch withers that is not in this Vine, The stream drieth up, that is not joined to this spring, That member must needs die that is not joined to this head; Oh then that natural men would tremble at that distance they are in from Christ! The Scripture saith, such are afar off, and indeed there is a great gulf between them and heaven, God is an Enemy to them, and they to God, till they be made one in Christ; Alas, they can no more approach to God in any duty, then stubble can endure before the fire; This made Paul Gal. 2. say, he no longer lived but Christ in him ; And again, Phil. 3. he would not be found in his own Righteousness, but in Christ ; And Col. 2. Ye are complete in him: It pleased the Father that in him all fullness should dwell. 1 Cor. 1. God hath made Christ wisdom, rigteousnesse, and redemption ; So that Christ hath the preeminence in all things, he is Alpha and Omega, he is all in all ; Who art thou then poor, wretched, and miserble sinner that darest abide an hour, a day in thy natural condition without Christ? Why dost thou not fear the curses of the Law, the devils of hell, and all the vengeance of God may immediately devour thee?
7. The excellency of this union can never be enough meditated on, for this is a Catholicon to all diseases, evidence of this will answer all doubts: Dost thou fear perishing if united to Christ? thou canst not perish anymore then he: Dost thou fear God may leave thee and forsake thee? This cannot be no more then that Christ should be forsaken, for this union makes thee and Christ one mystical person, so that by this union there is a communion of all Christ's good things to thee, and of thy evil things to him, thy sins were laid on him, he became sin for thee, and thy evils are felt by him; Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? saith Christ from heaven, Act. 9.4. yea, the Church is called Christ, because of this intimate union, 1 Cor. 12.1 • . So that no Son, no wife can take such comfort and confidence from a Father or husband as the believer from Christ, he may truly say Christ is better then all husbands and fathers, and all relations whatever
8. There is the inseparableness of this union ; All natural unions will be dissolved, the wife will one day be parted from her husband, the child from his Father; They are not everlasting relations, but this is eternal; Even as Christ took his natural body never to be divided from it, so also he doth his mystical; and upon this union is the perseverance of God's children immovably fixed: Christ's members can never be broken from him and thrown into hell.
9. There is the efficaciousnesse of it where Christ is united to the soul, there he puts forth his vigor and power, as Christ while on earth, wheresoever he went put forth his miraculous power, healing the blind, the lame, and raising the dead, thus also Christ dwelling in us can be no more hid then the Sun when it ariseth on the Earth.
10. It's an immediate union, all believers are immediately united to Christ, one is not more united then another; In the body every member is not proximely joined to the head, but in Christ the meanest and weakest believer is immediately joined to him.
11. It is an harmonious Union, Every believer receiveth proper supplies for its own peculiar necessities, as Eph. 4.16.
Lastly, This union is of so great concernment that the principal end of the Sacrament is to represent and seal this, as if this were the great privilege we were always to live upon.
Use, Are the godly united to Christ? then how holy and Christ-like should they be in all their operations; Can there be a greater argument to holiness? What saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 6. Shall I take the members of Christ and make them members of an harlot?
SERMON CXIX. Showeth, What a special means Unity among Believers is, to enlarge the Kingdom of Christ; And yet notwithstanding that Unity without true Doctrine is no infallible Mark of the true Church: against the Papists.
JOHN 17.21.
WE are now arrived at the last part of this Text, as it stands divided, which is the consequent and fruit of all Believers Unity. It will convert the world, and bring them to the true Faith, when they see such agreement. It's true, Austin makes not this a consequent, but a distinct prayer, and therefore repeateth the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , as if our Savior's sense was, I pray that the world may believe in me ; And upon this foundation he makes this Question, How Christ that said before he prayed not for the world, doth here pray for the world? And answers, The world is here taken for the world not of reprobates, but predestinated ones, in which sense the world is taken (he saith) in these two places, I came not to judge, but to save the world, John 3.17. And God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, 2 Cor. 5.19. So that it's plain, Austin thought that the world might sometimes be taken for the elect only, howsoever some cannot endure that Exposition; but though there may be truth in this, yet I think the Context is to the contrary; for it's plain, that the particle 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 doth denote here some event or consequent from the believers unity.
Therefore others by faith do not understand saving, but an historical faith, and by the world do understand reprobates, for even such by the preaching of the Word, and other demonstrations are many times so far convinced, as to believe the Christian Doctrine: Therefore (they say) Christ doth not here pray for the world of reprobates, only this is a consequent of believers amongst themselves.
But I rather with Calvin, take the world here for mankind, in a negative and indefinite sense ; First, Negative, for such as do not believe yet, and then Indefinitely of those who do believe. Some do truly and savingly believe; others, but for a season only. The sum then of this speech amounts to this, Christ therefore prayeth, that believers may be united amongst themselves, because hereby a wide door is opened for the progress of the Gospel. Hereby the world may be persuaded, that Christ was the true Messias, because he had brought such true peace amongst his Disciples. From whence observe,
That Unity amongst believers is a special means to enlarge the Kingdom of Christ. There is no such obstruction to the Gospel, and scandal to the world, keeping it off from faith in Christ, as to see those who profess Christ divided, and subdivided into many Sects and opinions: Is it not imbred in all, to think that truth cannot be contrary to itself; That Christ cannot be divided; That the Spirit of God is the same Spirit, and therefore men do very speciously conclude, certainly these men are not of Christ, have not his Spirit, they are so contrary to one another. No wonder therefore if Christ thus earnestly pray for believers unity, as being the most effectual means to propagate and preserve the Gospel, which made the Apostle Rom. 16.17. when he had spent the Chapter chiefly in saluting of the Saints, an expression of dear love, he doth in a most fervent manner break out thus, I beseech you, Brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses, and avoid them. We are in a special manner to take heed of such turbulent and dividing persons. The Apostle gives this general character of all such, They serve not Jesus Christ, but their own lusts and ends.
First, That though our Savior press Unity of believers, as a sign of his Disciples, and a means to win others to the Faith, yet Unity simply as so, is not an inseparable note of the true Church. The Papists indeed they professedly maintain this, That where we see a Church in it's members all united together, and that under one visible Head and Pastor, there we are to conclude is the true Church; and on the contrary, when we see divisions and multiplicities of Sects and Opinions, as (they say) there are almost an hundred amongst the Protestants, there cannot be any true Church; And indeed they have no fairer way to entangle men, and to fill the hearts of people with prejudices against the truth, then because of the many opinions that are amongst us. But to this we answer these things,
First, Unity, as Unity without true Doctrine, cannot be any distinctive Note of a true Church. A whole Church, as that of Israel, may be universally corrupted, so that neither the Worship or Truths of God were in any visible way received, and yet in this universal corruption, they were all as one man. Thus the Jews and Turks they have wonderful unity amongst themselves; yet who will conclude the Truth is amongst them? Although the Heathens had multiplicity of God's and religious ways, yet the Jews are at great consent in the main things amongst themselves. It is necessary therefore that to Unity there must be joined true and sound Doctrine.
In the second place, We say, There is no such cause for Papists to boast of Unity amongst themselves: For our Divines do abundantly show, That these Philistines do not only fight against the Israelites, but even one with another. Their Swords are often set one against another, witness the Jesuits and Dominicans, and that in great controversial points; so also between Thomists and Scotists. Now to this Bellarmine hath these answers.
First, That their differences are not in substantial things, they are only in secondary points. But
First, So we say, The Protestants truly so called (for we cannot tell how to call the Socinians Christians) do agree in Fundamentals; so that although there be great disputes in their circa fundamentalia, yet the foundation itself they fall not upon.
Secondly, We say, They have dissented in Fundamentals; for is not that a principle of Religion with them, Whether the Pope be above the Council? And yet there have been hot differences amongst them in this point; And therefore some have asserted, The Pope may be deposed by the Council, and deputed for an Heretic: Now certainly with them, either the Pope, or a Council is the general Head of the Church, and it's of the necessity of salvation to be in obedience to such an Head, yet they cannot agree who that is.
In the next place, Bellarmine hath this evasion, If (saith he) our Church have any divisions, they arise from the mere malice of the Devil, not for want of a remedy to keep the unity, for we have a visible Judge to determine all controversies, whereas (saith he) among Protestants their differences do arise from the very Genius of their Doctrine, because they hold no visible efficacious remedy to such contentions.
But to this also its answered easily, That all the differences amongst the people of God, come from the Devil without, and corruptions within. The Devil is not wholly conquered, nor are our corruptions altogether vanquished, and therefore it cannot be, but that breaches and wounds will sometimes be made.
Yet in the second place, We have a more sure and efficacious remedy to compose all differences, then they have; for they indeed allege the Pope, or a Council, as a visible Judge to end all controversies; but these being men are subject to ignorance and passions, and so cannot perform the Office of an infallible visible Church, because not sufficiently qualified thereunto. Again, They have not de facto, silenced all those debates that are amongst them. Some of the fore-mentioned Disputes are as fervent as ever. Neither hath the Pope yet interposed to decide, Whether those Doctrines about scientia media, and absolute predefinitions with the dependent controversies thereon, be true on the Dominicans side, or their adversaries?
Therefore thirdly, We hold, The Scriptures to be the infallible and unerring Rule, and therefore have a proper and sufficient means to end all controversies. And although it be said, That many differences arise about the sense of the Scripture, therefore that cannot be a Judge, but the Church. We reply, That many controversies also may arise about the Church, the Authority of it, and it's infallibility, and therefore they who acknowledge the Scripture the only adequate Rule of faith, do thereby confess a powerful remedy to remove all differences.
Further, That Unity is not, de facto, always a note of the Church, appeareth, from the opposition of Satan against the peace and quietness of it: And therefore as it is in matter of practice, peace and quietness is not always a sign of a good conscience; for our Savior saith, The Devil keepeth all things quiet, while he ruleth, Luke 11.21. Thus it is also in respect of Churches, many times a false superstitious Church hath more plenty and ease, then a true one, because the Devil will not disturb his own; but where the Kingdom of Christ is, there the Devil doth also desire to erect his Throne. Thus when the good seed was sown, the Devil superseminated his Tares. In a wilderness, or a place of weeds, he would not have been so diligent: Therefore breaches and divisions, because they are a kind or part of afflictions and troubles, may sooner accompany the true Church, then outward unity and prosperity.
Lastly, We grant, That if the Church of God were fully perfected, both in respect of knowledge and holiness, it would always have unity: As we see in Heaven, where there is no difference at all, but because we know in part, we are godly in part, therefore these breaches may be made upon us; Discord then and division may be in an imperfect Church, but not a perfect: Therefore our Savior's prayer will have it's accomplishment only in Heaven.
Let us now proceed to show, Why unity is such an attractive and a divine loadstone to bring others unto the faith. And
[ 1] First, Because it's engraffed in a man, to cleave to such a way of Religion, as will abide and continue. Have any Nations changed their god, saith the Prophet Jeremy 2.11? You see the States-man argued on this ground, that they should not oppose the Christians, for if that Religion were of God, it would stand, Act. 5.39. Now this is a clear axiom, confirmed also by our Savior, That no Kingdom divided against itself can stand, Luk. 11.17. By that Argument our Savior proveth, he could not cast out Devils by the help of the Devils, for then the Devil would overthrow his own Kingdom. Divisions then and differences must needs be a stumbling block; for who will go into that house, which hath it's chiefest parts falling from one another? Who would venture in that ship, which is full of leaks? Do not all say, let them alone, they will destroy one another, there needs no outward force to ruin them, they will consume themselves at last?
[ 2] Secondly, Divisions must needs put a stop to the progress of truth, because God is acknowledged by all to be a God of peace and of order. The Apostle useth this consideration to restrain those confusions and disorderly customs the Christians had in their public Assemblies, 1 Cor. 14. If then God be a God of peace and order, how can any man think his truth and people are there, where all disorder and confusion is? It's Babel, and not Jerusalem, that in the building thereof men were so confounded, that they understood not the language of one another, Jam. 3.16. Where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. Now everyone is apt to argue, certainly if this were the way of God, if these were the people of God, there would not be such confusion amongst them; God that made this great world in such excellent order, would much more make his Church, his choicest plant more beautiful.
[ 3] Thirdly, Divisions do retard the Gospel, Because men who have any ways heard of the holy Ghost, that he alone it is, who leadeth into all truth, will quickly conclude, that this Spirit cannot be against itself. And this is the more observable, because every party doth pretend to the Spirit of God, which is the cause of that command, 1 John 3.1. To try the Spirits, and not to believe every spirit, that is, Doctrine pretended to be of the Spirit; if then all parties do plead God's Spirit, and it's teaching, they are the more confirmed in their unbelief, when they see contrary spirits, of contrary doctrines, and that with great zeal condemning each other. Thus we have shown you, what a world of hurt, divisions amongst the godly do; insomuch that it is a wonderful work of God, that any are brought off from their former vain conversation, when the spirit of division hath so sadly reigned amongst us. Wonder not if conversion be so rare a thing, if so few come in cordially to own Christ, for sad offenses are made by these differences; and such as cause them, do as much as in them lieth, that never anymore one soul may be brought into Heavens way.
In the next place, Let us consider, what are those proper sins, that divisions amongst the godly, are apt to breed in the world. And
The first is Atheism and irreligion, to be persuaded that there is no such thing as a true Religion, but that such things are the fancies and imaginations of men. No doubt but thousands are confirmed in their atheistical way; they will believe there is no God at all, no Religion better then another, for they see the world cannot agree about it.
2. It breedeth stiffness and obstinacy in their former erroneous and superstitious ways. No doubt this keepeth multitudes hardened in their Popish ways, and many silly people they will keep to their old way; and why? because there are so many ways, and everyone hath a Religion for himself, therefore they will stay where they are, they know not whither they may stumble at last; They think to go out of their old ways, is to go out of their old wits likewise at the same time.
Lastly, It's apt to breed fickleness, inconstancy and scepticism. Are there not many called Seekers, that think there is now no Church since the Apostles times, and therefore are in their souls, what Cain in his body, vagabonds about the earth? and whence is all this? The bitter root of this was diversity of opinions, which they entertain one after another, which at last makes them quite without any bottom at all.
Use of Instruction, to every Christian again and again, to take heed of causing divisions in the Church of God; Be afraid by any opinion or practice to make an unnecessary rent; for doest thou not as much as lieth in thee to hinder all others from coming to the Kingdom of Heaven? Will not this be a sad aggravation, when men damned in hell shall plead, Lord, I was coming, even I was hopefully inclining to such things, but this man and that man by his division stopped me, he made me a proselyte to some pernicious way, while I was going to Christ? Had not such a man been in the way, I had never been seduced? Certainly, if our Savior pronounce such a woe to those by whom offenses come, how sore will it fall upon those who make these offenses in the highest nature?
Use 2. To take heed that these divisions prove not a snare to thee; bewail dividing times, but look they do not divide thee and God, thee and truth; but do thou,
1. Walk humbly, renouncing thy own strength, for it's God, not thyself, must preserve thee.
2. Pray much for the Spirit of God to give thee that unction, and senses exercised to discern between good and evil.
3. Take heed of fomenting differences, and making the wounds wider, but with the good Samaritan bring oil, not salt to the wounds.
Lastly, Let this make thee long for Heaven, where the strifes of brethren will then cease.
SERMON CXX. A Consideration of Faith in its General Nature as Dogmatical or Historical, carried out to Scripture-Truths, because of Divine Authority.
JOH. 17.21.
WE are treating on the Consequent of Unity amongst the Godly, That the world may believe, which belief hath been already considered relatively, as a product of Unity: We shall now take notice of it absolutely as it is in its own self; It is believing that the Father hath sent Christ into the world.
We formerly spake of believing in its specifical nature, as it justifieth by laying hold on Christ.
We shall here speak of it in its general Nature, because this believing is common both to the Hypocrite and the sound Christian; For of that world which doth believe, all do not believe in a saving manner, So that although none who believe Christ sent into the world, ought to stay in that general, but particularly to improve Christ, that he may be sent for their good, yet because the expression is here general, I shall consider of it as a general.
For whereas in the former Verse the Object of Faith was made Christ himself, Ens incomplexum, Here it is a Proposition, though that only is the Objectum quo and not quod, upon which our Faith is ultimately terminated.
Obs. That the Believing of Christ being sent unto the world is the foundation and first principle of our Conversion unto God ; Though men have never so much understanding in other Religious Points, as that Scribe spoken of, Mark 12. though not far off, yet they are not in the Kingdom of Heaven, until they believe in Christ as sent by the Father to be our Mediator; That as the Apostle Hebr. 11. makes it a Fundamental requisite in everyone to believe that God is, no less is required to believe that Christ is; Therefore 1 Cor. 3. Jesus Christ is called the Foundation, and by some made the adequate object of Divinity, because everything considered there, doth either directly or reductively lead unto Christ; So that I shall not speak of that peculiar Act of Faith applying Christ, but that general act whereby we know and assent firmly and immovably, That there was a Christ, God and man, who was sent by the Father to redeem and save sinners ; For though all be thought to believe this, yet the right and powerful assenting to it is the foundation both of all holiness and consolation, but ere we speak of the Nature of it some distinctions are to be premised,
[Distinct. I] As First, That Faith is sometimes taken for the Object, the Faith quae creditor, The Doctrine believed, and sometimes for the Grace of Faith quâ creditor, whereby we do believe Colos. 2.5. To be established in the Faith, that is, in the Doctrine; So some are said to err, to deny, or depart from the Faith, that is, the Doctrine; But commonly it is used for the gracious actings of the Soul towards those Objects, only it's good to observe this distinction, because some places are brought to prove Apostasy from inherent faith, which speaks only of the doctrine.
2. Faith is taken sometimes actively, and sometimes passively, Actively for fidelity and veracity in promises, in which sense it's attributed to God, and to men. Sometimes passively for the assenting unto Truths because of another's Testimony; And this again is twofold, Either Human Faith, when we believe anything merely because of human authority; or divine, when we believe, because of divine authority; (and this is greatly to be observed) for when I believe a divine Truth for human Authority or witness, my Faith all that while is but human; as those that believed Christ, for the Samaritan Woman's Testimony, all the while they had no higher a ground then that, it was but an human Faith, and then a Papist as a Papist, and by Popish principles can have no more then an human Faith, for the utmost motive in which their Faith is resolved is the Authority of the Church, which is but human, and so if the Church had propounded