Four Sermons, Sermon 1
1. Tim. 6.13.
I give thee charge in the ſight of God, who quickneth all things, and before Chriſt Ieſus, who before Pontius Pilate witneſſed a good confeſsion. &c.
HItherto the Apoſtle hath ſet downe unto vsus a perfect patterne, to teach all the ſervants of Chriſt, how to walke in the houſe of God, which is the Church of the living God, in all the parts and portions of their ſpirituall function, for the advancement of Gods glorie, and for the edification of his ſaints, and for the avoiding of all thoſe things, which might offend God in his worſhip, either in Doctrine, or Diſcipline: he hath ſet vsus downe, and hath let vsus ſee, what ſorts of men muſt have charge in Gods houſe: and he hath warned vsus of the errour, that they muſt avoid in Doctrine, and of the vanitie they muſt avoyd in their forme of ſpeach, and he hath likewiſe let vsus ſee, what forme, of Diſcipline is to be uſed in Gods Church. In this Chapter he comes to the concluſion of it all: and firſt before he concludes it, he firſt deales againſt ſervants, who did abuſe their Chriſtian libertie, as a pretext, to the fleſh, refuſing to obey their Maſters: ſome, becauſe their Maſters were heathens, and therefore they thought, that a Chriſtian made free by Ieſus Chriſt, ſhould not be bound to ſerve them, others, becauſe their Maſters were Chriſtians, therefore they thought it equall, that one Chriſtian ſhould not be bound to be a ſervant to another, the Apoſtle anſweres both theſe in the beginning of this Chapter, and after returnes back againe, and gives warning to Timothy, and in his perſon, to all Paſtors what ſhould be done, that they ſhould teach, and exhort the Church, this ſhould be the ſubſtance of their Doctrine, which in this epiſtle is conteined, and to moove him to this, he ſets downe an argument from the miſerable eſtate of thoſe which keep not this commandement of the Apoſtle: for if any man teach otherwiſe, and conſenteth not to this wholſome Doctrine, which is according unto godlineſſe, he is proud not knowing aright: and he lets vsus ſee the vaine ground of this their vanity; as firſt, they are men of corrupt minds, the ſecond is, they are deſtitute of the trueth; the 3. is this, they ſuppoſe gaine is godlineſſe: and the Apoſtle doth manifeſt, that this ſhewes it to be the plaine contrary, and that godlineſſe is great gaine, and this he ſhewes by a ſtrong argument, in the verſes following, and he labours to draw all Paſtors from this vice of coveteouſneſſe, and he teacheth them how they ſhould exerciſe themſelves continually, he ſetting downe a perfect patterne, for all Paſtors, and Teachers to practice, they muſt follow after godlineſſe, faith, love, meekneſſe, and this is the firſt; Secondly they muſt fight the good fight of faith, and the laſt is, the end and intent, that they may lay hold on eternall life: and he ſubjoynes 2. reaſons why Timothie ſhould do ſo, as firſt, becauſe he was called thereunto of God, ſecondly becauſe he had profeſſed a good profeſſion before many witneſſes, therefore it ſhould be a ſhame for him to faint, and not to goe forward and continue.
Now the Apoſtle concludeth with a moſt weightie Charge to Timothy, and in his perſon unto all Paſtors, and Teachers, unto the end of the world: and this Charge is continued in 4 verſes, from the 13 verſe, unto the 17. and the ſubſtance of the charge ſtands in two things, the firſt is, in keeping of this commandement without ſpot, unrebukeably, and the ſecond is, the conſtant keeping of it. The firſt part concernes the matter he is to looke unto; The 2 is, concerning the time how long they muſt keepe this, and both parts have their grounds, and reaſons in them. Firſt wee will ſpeake of them as they are generally ſet downe unto vsus, in the firſt & 2 verſes, wherein we have firſt to marke the matter of the charge: the word charg is the ſāe word which the Apoſtle uſeth before, in this epiſtle the firſt chapter, wherin he ſaith, that the end of the cōmandement is love out of a pure heart, where the word here called a cōmandement is the ſame here uſed for charge, ſo that this is not an exhortation, or requeſt, but it is a ſtraight and ſevere commandement: ſecondly this commandement, is ſtrengthened by a double authoritie, the authority of God, and of Chriſt, firſt I charge thee before God, and ſecondly before the Lord Ieſus Chriſt; thirdly this authority is yet more ſtrengthened; and greater weyght is added to it, not ſimply by laying God, or Chriſt before them; but by laying God before him, and Chriſt before him, ech of them in the particular conſideration of them, which is this, that hee doth quicken all things, the particular conſideration of Chriſt in this, that hee witneſſed, and confeſſed, a good confeſſion before Pontius Pilate, of theſe I will briefly ſpeake, before I come to the commandement it ſelfe: which is ſet downe in the next words, to keepe this commandement without ſpot, or blameleſſe, till Chriſts appearing againe. Firſt cōcerning the charge, but before we come to enter into the particulars of it; It may be demaunded, what ſhould move the Apoſtle to ad this heavy charge, to his former precept, eſpecially to Timothie, whom hee ſo much commended, that be found no man like minded unto him: what is the reaſon hee knowing him to be ſuch a man, yet he gives a ſevere charge unto Timothie, and in his perſon to all Paſtores and Teachers; the reaſon I take to be twofold. Firſt that men might not dally with this doctrine, as though it might be alterable by his Church, or changed at the appointment of Princes, therefore hee will have them to know, this is not ſo, but it is of divine authority, which none dare to change, as hee will anſwere unto God, and to Chriſt, in whoſe name he chargeth him, that ſo neither Timothy, nor any other potentate, ſhould thinke theſe precepts, to be the precepts of men: or ſuch as his Church might alter at their diſcretion, but this charge is given us to this end, to force us all, and moſt chiefly Paſtours to obſerve it, as we will anſwere it before God, at his moſt dreadfull judgment, therefore no command of Princes, nor the feare of the loſſe of our lives, might cauſe us to violate this trueth. The ſecond reaſon why the Apoſtle gives this weightie charge unto Timothy, who was ſo rare a man, of whoſe ſtedfaſtnes, the Apoſtle ſo well approved: is this, to ſhew that it is not an eaſy matter to performe this charge, but that all the grace that was in Timothie, was litle enough to inable him, with conſtancie and courage to keepe it inviolably: the reaſon of it is this, becauſe there is nothing in this world which Sathan more oppoſeth, nor that men ſet themſelves againſt, neither any thing ſo contrary to fleſh and blood, as the trueth of Gods worſhip, and the ſincerity of Preaching it, the Divell laboureth to corrupt the purity of doctrine, and the ſervice of God in his Church, above all things in the world: Now ſeing it is ſo much oppoſed by Sathan and the world, who labour to deprive us of ſalvation, that wee might periſh with them; therefore the Apoſtle knowing how the world and Sathan would oppoſe it, hee ſeing by the ſpirit of revelation the great temptations his ſervants muſt undergoe, that would keepe Gods worſhip pure, therefore, hee gives this ſtrait charge unto his Church, that they ſhould lay before their eyes, God, and Chriſt, continually, for otherwiſe, the terrours of men, and the world will ſhake them, and cauſe them to corrupt the waies of God; otherwayes men ſtand allwayes in danger of being overcome, either by entiſements of riches, or by the terrour of perſecutiō, and of impriſonment, therefore the ſpirit gives us this ſtrayt charge, to bind us more ſtrongly to this doctrine, and thus we ſee the reaſons which moved the Apoſtle, to ſet downe this weightie charge unto his Church.
Now let us come and conſider this more particularly, firſt hee chargeth him before God, and ſecondly before Ieſus Chriſt the Lord; the generall conſideration of the manner of this charge, ſerves for to let us ſee, there is nothing cā ſtay the miſerable heart of man in the wayes of God, except the conſideration of God and Chriſt: Take theſe two out of his ſight, and he is in darkneſſe, for if his heart be not ſet to ſee God, and Chriſt, hee will ſoone turne from the trueth, to vanitie: the very ſight of men will make us to ſtoup, and change our mindes, if God be out of our ſight, this made Moſes ſo couragious before Pharaoh.
The Apoſtle ſaith of him ſelfe to the Corinths, that hee was not as other teachers who adulterated the word of God, he giveth this to be the reaſon, why he was not ſuch an one, becauſe hee ſpake as in the ſight of God: and this kept him that he could not adulterate the word of God, it is his ſight onelyonly that ſtayes us, and keepeth the heart of man, and that keepes our hearts upright in the worke of God: See the trueth of this,Hebr. 11. ſpoken of Moſes, it is ſaid that Moſes by faith, forſooke Egypt, and deſpiſed the wrath of the King, by ſeeing him which is Inviſible: hee had ſuch a ſight of God, which ſtayed his heart, that no threatnings of Pharaoh could make him to alter his mind: and that wee may ſee this leſſon belongeth generally unto us, yea every Chriſtian, as well as unto every Paſtour, it doth appeare in the Hebrewes, where it is ſaid,Hebr. 12. wee are compaſſed about with a cloud of witneſſes; Let us caſt off every thing that preſſeth downe, and the ſinne, which hangeth ſo faſt on: fixing our eyes upon Ieſus, the authour & fimiſher of our faith, who for the glory that was ſet before him, deſpiſed the ſhame or croſſe: If our eyes be fixed upon Ieſus, the authour and finiſher of our faith, we ſhall goe thtough honour, and diſhonour, ſo as nothing can hinder us, till wee have attained unto the price of our calling: God having in Ieſus Chriſt, choſen us unto himſelfe: thus we ſee how neceſſary it is, to have God continually in our ſight.
And this is that which made David reioyce, that God was with him, at his right hand to uphold him: which made him not to be afraid of death: and to the ſame end the Apoſtle ſaieth,Rom. 8. if God be on our ſide, who can be againſt us: This generall ſight of God, and of Chriſt, is the onelyonly thing which will ſtay a miſerable conſcience, and unconſtant heart, againſt the feare of man: we ſee Ioſeph was ſtayed by this, not to yeeld to his wicked Miſtris, where hee ſaid, how ſhall I do this great wickedneſſe and ſinne againſt God.
We have need to ſet God, and Chriſt before us, and that will keepe us from falling into evills againſt God or againſt our Neighbour, and it will eſtabliſh our hearts in goodneſſe: againe it may be demanded why the Apoſtle joynes God, and Chriſt; is not the ſight of God ſufficient to ſtay our hearts? Now here may be 2 reaſons given for it, in giving this charge, to joyne God, and Chriſt togeaher, firſt becauſe there is no fruit to us, in the ſight of God alone, except the ſight we have of God we have it in and through Chriſt, that except we know God, in Chriſt, our Saviour, the ſight of God will never allure thee unto obedience, for there is no ſight of God, that will eſtabliſh thy heart in obedience, except thou ſee God as the Father of Chriſt, that gave his ſonne unto the death for our tranſgreſſions, and this ſight makes us to love God, with all our hearts, and to preferre this God, before all the world, which cauſeth us, wee dare do nothing that ſhall offend him, for to pleaſe men.
Secondly the diſtinct conſideration of theſe two, is of great force to further and provoke mans heart unto obedience: Firſt in conſideration of God, who is the judge of all the world, before whoſe face, all the world ſhall appeare, to receive according as they have done in their bodies, whether it be good or evill:Rom. 3. the conſideration 2of God, as my judge, as the Apoſtle calleth him, and Abraham calls him ſo likewiſe, this is a great ſtay to reſtraine men from ſinne, when I do know that hee who is my judge is before mee, and hee ſees me, and hee doth obſerve all my waies; and this if I do mind, is of mightie force, to keepe mee from ſinning againſt him.
Moreover if there be any ſafety from Gods judgments, it is by the mediation of Chriſt alone: Now ſeeing that God, and Chriſt, are perpetually joyned togeather in judgment, ſo that what the one approves, the other approves, therefore I muſt ſee God as my judge, and Chriſt as my mediatour, as a meanes to keepe mee from ſinne, and for both theſe reaſons it is, that the Apoſtle joynes them together, God and Chriſt in this his charge, to let us ſee, wee have God, and Chriſt, for our enemies to convince us, and to condemne us in that great day, ſeeing in both their names we were charged, to keepe this commandement without ſpot, and thus we are taught the reaſons, wherefore hee joyneth God, and Chriſt together in this great Charge.
Now we are to come to the particular conſideration, of this Charge, firſt he laieh God before us to be conſidered in this particular, that hee quicke neth all things, ād ſecondly, he laieth Chiſt before us, who before Pontius Pilate witneſſed a good Confeſſion, why this?
The reaſon of this, is, of great moment to be conſidered of us; for the ignorance of this one point, is the cauſe of many fooliſh paſtors, and of many fooliſh Chriſtians? for it is not the naked ſetting of God and of Chriſt before us, that wil ſerve the turne, to ſtay thy wicked heart from pollution; Vnleſſe I ſet God before mee as hee is in Chriſt & as he is a patterne of doing good, ſhewing me how I ſhold walke, I ſay unleſſe I thinke of them, & thus ſee them, the ſight of them ſhal never do mee good, or be of force to ſtay my wicked heart from ſinne, for wicked men beleeve there is a God, and ſo do the Divells alſo, and this workes as much in the divells, as in many Chiſtians: (doth the ſight of God and of Chriſt, hinder men from prophaneneſſe, in this world, doth it either ſtay the heart of Preacher, or hearer, from ſinning? it doth not;) the reaſon is, becauſe they have onelyonly a generall mooving, and notion of God, but they never, or ſeldom take notice of him, in his nature, and properties, as hee is layd before us, as a patterne, in whoſe footeſteps we muſt walke, and therefore the Apoſtle laide God before Timothy in the particular conſideration of him, as he quickeneth all things, & Chriſt as he witneſſed a good confeſſion before Pontius Pilate.
Touching the firſt, the ſpirit of God throughout the ſcriptures, when they ſpeake of any matter concerning God, or his glory, Commonly hee ſets downe a certaine deſcription of God, that out of it, men may ſee him ſo, as to feare to do any thing that hee forbiddeth: Yet among all the gloriouſe diſcriptions of God, there is none more glorious then this, which the Apoſtle hath here ſet downe in theſe 4 verſes; firſt that it is hee, that quickneth all things, ſecondly that hee is the onelyonly Potentate, & king, of kings, & Lord, of Lords; dwelling in that light which no man can attaine unto; to whom be honour, and glorie everlaſting, ſo hee ſets downe a ſtrait diſcription of the living God, becauſe much is to be conſidered of God, to make all paſtours and teachers, to be faithfull, and to ſtay ſinfull man from corrupting Gods trueth: it is not the knowledge of one particular concerning God; nor yet of many, that will ſerve the turne; but it muſt be a great and wonderfull knowledge of God, that will ſanctify a prophane heart, to true obedience therefore Chriſt himſelfe aſcribeth eternall life, unto the knowledge of the true God,Joh. 17. and him whom God hath ſent.
This is not the generall knowledge of God, which many have, & yet ſhall be damned, but it is ſuch a knowledge, as will daunt the moſt vaine, & proud heart of man, and make it to ſtoupe under his hand: I ſay ſuch a knowledge of God we muſt have, & ſuch an apprehenſion of God, as will not make us to jeſt at it, but ſuch a knowledge as may make us perpetually to tremble, and it ſhould be our care to increaſe in this knowledge of God, and to learne to know him aright; for it is not the knowledge of God ſimply, but the knowledge of God aright: that will make both Paſtour, and Chriſtians, to walke conſcionably, and ſincerely, whereas on the contrary wicked men through their Ignorance of God; becauſe God holdes his peace, and doth not preſently execute Iudgment, therefore they thought that God did approve of their wickedneſſe, as if God tooke pleaſure in ſinne, as much as they; we reade in the pſalmes: the wicked ſaith in his heart that God hath forgotten,Pſ. 10.11 hee hideth his face, he will not ſee it, and this makes them to ſcorne at them which reprove them, and all becauſe the ſight of God is hid from their eyes.
The cauſe of all looſenes of life, and wickedneſſe of heart, is cheifly this, that though we thinke wee know God, yet wee know him not as we ſhold, therefore let us every one labour to underſtand this, that God will have us to know him, as hee hath revealed in his word.
To come to ſpeake of this knowledge more particularly, how God is ſet before us, to be conſidered in his working, in his power, and in his Omnipotency, but in this place hee is ſet before us, in his mightie power and the efficacie thereof, & Ieſus Chriſt is here ſet before us for an example to us, who witneſſed a good Confeſſion, and this we muſt conſider of God more particularly, for we may not conſider God onelyonly in his goodneſſe, and mercy, & not in his power & juſtice: for that will make men make ſhipwracke of faith, & not to walke with an upright heart before God; when men looke onelyonly to Gods mercy, and forget his power; indeed Gods mercy is the moſte kindly motive, to make us to obey God, but it is not the onelyonly motive, for the power of God muſt likewiſe be laid before our eyes: David was aſtoniſhed when hee did ſee, what judgments God did execute upon men, & in the 1. Corinth. the Apoſtle tells us what it is, that made him a faithfull miniſter, knowing the terrour of the Lord to perſwade men, he ſets before himſelfe, the horrible judgments that ſhall be inflicted upon unfaithfull miniſters at the laſt day: and this made him to ſet himſelfe, to draw men to God, by all tbe ſtrēgth hee could, he conſidered not onelyonly Gods goodneſſe, but he likewiſe ſetts before himſelfe the terrour of the Lord, ſo as he durſt not dalley with Gods trueth, but he did labour to the utmoſt of his power, faithfully to diſpenſe Gods truth.
Ieſus Chriſt hee is ſet before us as a patterne, for Chriſt is not onelyonly to be conſidered by us, as our Redeemer, or mediatour, for this doth but beguile fooliſh men, & cauſeth them to ſinne more, but they ſhould conſider an other thing in Chriſt: to witt, that hee is not onelyonly given for this, but alſo for a patterne, and unleſſe wee ſerve God, after his example, his blood ſhal never ranſome us.
Theſe are the two things we are to marke, to ſet God before us, not onelyonly in mercy, but alſo in his power, & we are to ſet Chriſt before us, not onelyonly as a redeemer, but alſo as a patterne for us to follow his footſteps: concerning God, he makes choice of this, that hee quickneth all things: why this? (to be ſhort,) Gods power is to be ſeene in many things, but eſpecially Gods power ſhines in this, and hath the greateſt force in it, to daunt the hearts of men more then any thing whatſoever when he ſees God to be the authour of life to all things: ſo that no man lives but by him, if any man conſider this, to wit, that they have no breath, nor life, nor mooving, but from God; and that it is not in the power of any king, or Potentate in the world, to give life but God alone, and thy life is in Gods hand to give it to thee, & to continew it, and to reſtore it, when it is taken from thee; this conſideration, is of great moment to preſerve us, not to offend this God, for the pleaſure of any Potentate in the world, ſince all the world cannot give mee life, nor continue life, and when I am dead, and life is gone, none in heaven, or earth, can reſtore me to life, except God do it; why then ſhould I not be carefull, that I offend not this God, nay farre be it from me, for to do it, for any fleſh in the world: O let us be carefull that wee provoke not this good God to wrath, who hath given us life, that in his wrath, we provoke him not to take it from us againe: ſeeing that God onelyonly gave it mee, to honour him: am I not bound to conſecrate my life to him alone, & not to obey any creature to diſobey him, it was not my father, or mother, that gave mee life, but the Lord onelyonly, who is the Lord onelyonly, who is the Lord of life, hee hath put life into me, therefore neither for father, nor mother, ſhould I give my life otherwiſe then for the honour of God: O but ſome may ſay,Objection. if I do ſo, & ſo, theſe men will take away my life from mee, have they power to doe it without God? ſaith not Chriſt,Luc. 22. feare not them which can kill the body, but rather feare him, which can caſt both ſoule and body into hell fire, and he ſaid againe, are not there two ſparrowes ſold for a farthing and yet not one of them falls on the ground, without the providence of our heavenly father, how much better are yee then many ſparrowes: if a ſparrow cannot fall to the ground, nor any man can take away the life of it, without Gods providence, than ſurely all the tirants of the world, cannot take away thy life, except the Lord ſuffer them: the Lord Ieſus himſelfe, giveth a ſweet warning to his diſciples, when hee ſaieth to them, Riſe, & let us go to Iudea againe, & his diſciples ſaid unto him, Maſter, the Iewes of late ſought to ſtone thee, & goeſt thou then thither? they thought it an hard ſaying of Chriſt, that they ſhould goe thither againe: but Ieſus anſwered them & ſaid, are there not 12. howers in the day? if any man walke in the day, he ſtumbleth not, becauſe hee hath the light, & ſeeth the light of this world,question but if a man walke in the night, hee ſtumbleth becauſe there is no light in him. What means Chriſt by this, hee meanes by this to tell them, that as lōg as the day of mans life doth laſt, which hath a period ſett, ſo long he goes without feare, as hee that walketh in the day, feares not, for the Lord is with him, but if they walke in the night, that is, if the time appointed of their life, be at an end, he muſt fall then, letting us thereby underſtand; that men may walke in their lawfull callings without feare: for all the world cannot make him ſtumble, if God give them not leave, as Chriſt ſaid concerning Herod, tell that foxe, I muſt walke to day, & to morrow, untill the third day, which is appointed of God for mee: ſo that wee may ſee, that none can give us life but God, ſo in the laſt place, when wee are dead, none can reſtore our ſouls and bodies to life againe but God onelyonly, & therefore wee muſt not conſecrate our life to any but to God alone, theſe conſiderations are worthy to be laid up in our hearts.
Beſides theſe conſiderations, of Gods quickning all things, it is an eſpeciall ground of our faith,Rom. 4.17▪ as it is written concerning Abrahā, I have made thee a father of many nations before God, & hee beleeved the word of God, even that God that quickneth the dead, and calleth thoſe things which be not, as though they were, and this was that which made Abraham to walke ſtedfaſtly with God, becauſe hee knew as the Apoſtle boaſteth ſaying, I am perſuaded that neither life, nor death, nor any other creature can ſeperate mee, from the love of God:Rom. 8. death is not able to keepe me under the power of it, for Chriſt by death hath overcome death, as the Apoſtle affirmeth, if the ſpirit of him which raiſed Chriſt from the dead, dwell in your mortall bodies, even hee that raiſed the Lord Ieſus, ſhall likewiſe raiſe your mortall bodies by the ſame ſpirit: ſo that this is the ground of our faith, and hope, to wit, that God quickneth all things: and this made Abraham to be obedient, & ready to offer up his ſonne Iſaack, for hee knew, that (notwithſtanding) God would not faile to make good what he had promiſſed in the perſon of Iſaack.
To conclude this point at this time, there be manifold conſiderations of this argument, to ſtrengthen all, Paſtours, eſpecialy in their calling, that they pervert not Gods word, for any mans pleaſure in the world: for if I looke to their lives, that will oppreſſe mee, or if I ſhall looke to my owne life, I ſhall finde it to be a great terrour, to keepe mee from diſpleaſing God in my calling, for any mans pleaſure; firſt, if I conſider their lives, they have it from God, and as their life is from God, ſo is all their working, power; that they cannot ſtirre a foote further then it pleaſeth God: for God can cut off their daies in an inſtant: is it not then a vaine thing to feare man, whoſe breath is in his noſtrils, it being ſo eaſy a matter for God to take away the life of all fleſh, how dare I then ſinne againſt God, to obey any man? Secondly, if I cōſider mine owne life, I have no cauſe to obey man, and to ſinne againſt God, ſeeing none can take my life away, but God: and none can give it mee, but hee which gave it: therefore I ſhould onelyonly feare him, who gave mee life, and can take it from mee: and thus wee ſee, how the ſpirit of God, in this particular conſideration of God, who quickneth all things; laies a ſtrong ground to all Paſtours, & Teachers, for to harken unto this Charge, that they violate not this commandement.