The Abridgment of the Gospel, Sermon 2
THE SECOND SERMON.
Becauſe he hath viſited and redeemed his people.
WE hauehave heard of the Propoſition, (that the Lord God of Iſrael is to be praiſed.) Now followeth the proofe thereof: For he hath viſited and redeemed his people, &c. The ſumme of the proofe is; that God is therefore to be praiſed, becauſe of that great worke which he hath wrought for the good and ſaluation of his Church. Heere we hauehave two things to ſpeake of: 1. The parties to whom the benefit of this great worke appertaines, and for whoſe ſake it is wrought. 2. The worke it ſelfe.
Touching the firſt, they are Gods people, that is, thoſe which belong vntounto the election of grace, and which are in Gods eternall counſell ordained vntounto life. Hence we are taught, That the bleſſings which doe directly & immediately concerne life eternall, onelyonly thoſe are intereſſed in them, The 1. Doctrine.which are Gods people: This is plaine in this place: For if the queſtion be, whom the Lord did viſit and redeeme? It is anſwered by the ſpirit of God ſpeaking in Zacharie, that he viſited and redeemed his people: ſo ſpeaketh the Scripture. It was the ſaying of the Angell, He ſhall ſaue his people from their ſinnes aMatth. 1.21.: there the benefit of ſaluation is reſtrained onelyonly to Gods people. So againe: I bring you tydings of great ioy which ſhall be to all the people. The birth of Chriſt is a meſſage of ioy, but to whom? not to all: (for all doe not reioyce therein) but onelyonly to the choſen of God: The people: The, is a word of ſpeciall diſtinction bLuk 2 10.. Peace ſhall be vponupon them, and vponupon the Iſrael of God cGal. 6.16.. Who be the Iſrael of God, but only thoſe which are here termed his people? Aske then to whom belongs Peace and mercy: what? to all without diſtinction? No: but to the Iſrael of God: Conſider the courſe of the Apoſtles words, Tit. 2.14. For whom did Chriſt giuegive himſelfe? whom hath hee redeemed from iniquitie? whom hath he purged? onelyonly thoſe whom he hath choſen out to be a peculiar people to himſelfe. Chriſt ſpeaking of his death, tieth it to his ſheepe: I lay downe my life for my ſheepe dIoh. 10.15.: but who be his ſheepe? euen thoſe which are giuen to him of his Father everſ. 29.. It is a ſpeciall ſpeech of limitation which Chriſt vſed in his prayer: I pray for them, I pray not for the world fIoh. 17 9.. Many ſuch places might bee gathered together. We heard how God is the God of Iſrael, the God of his Church: Hee is ſo the God of his Church as that none els can hauehave anie intereſt in his louelove.
The Ʋſe.We heare much of ſaluation, of life eternall, of the glorie to be reuealed heereafter: Theſe things are great, and onelyonly they are happie which ſhall enioy them. All men almoſt promiſe theſe things vntounto themſelues: there is not amongſt vsus the verieſt drunkard, or ſwearer, or vicious perſon, or Vſurer, or deſpiſer of good things, but if you talke with him, he will make ſhew of a hope and expectation to bee ſaued; of all other things, he maketh himſelfe beleeue that he is ſureſt of that. But let vsus learne this one thing, and meditate wel of it, That eternal mercy, the benefit of redemption by Chriſt, the deliuerance from the bondage of ſpirituall enemies, theſe things belong not to all: Many, euen of thoſe which profeſſe Chriſt, and which ſay Lord, Lord gMatt 7.21., yea and which preach Chriſt, ſhall be thruſt out at the day of ſeparation. They be Gods peculiar people onelyonly to whom theſe things appertaine. Looke to it, bee ſure thou art one of Gods people; otherwiſe, when mention is made of the things which concerne eternall life, I ſay to thee as Peter did to Simon Magus, Thou haſt neither part nor fellowſhip in this buſineſſe hAct. 8.21.. But how ſhall I know (wilt thou ſay) that I am one of Gods people? I will tell thee plainly: How is a man knowne to be one of the Kings ſubiects? one (as we ſay) of the Kings liege people? Euen by this: his obedience to the holeſome lawes of the kingdome. So in this: holie obedience is the marke and badge of Gods people: My ſheepe heare my voice iIoh. 10.27.. Yee are my friends, if you doe whatſoeuer I command you kIoh. 15.14.. It is not the twanging of religion vponupon the toong, but the practiſe of holines in the life, which ſheweth a man to be a Chriſtian: Gods peculiar people are zealous of good works lTit. 2.14.. To this therefore we are now come: Wouldeſt thou bee ſure that the treaſures of happineſſe which are ſtored vp in Chriſt, belong to thee? enquire into thy ſelfe whether thou be one of Gods people: Remember how Gods people are diſcerned, They heare my voice, ſaith our Sauior. If Chriſts voice in his word be not euen muſicke in thy eares, yea ſweeter than honie, and the honie combe mPſal. 19.10., dearer than thouſands of gold and ſiluer nPſal. 119.72., the ioy and reioycing of thy heart oIer. 15.16.: If the fruits of holineſſe appeare not in thy life, but rather the vnfruitfull works of darkneſſe pEph. 5.11., thoſe works of the fleſh which S. Paul ſpeaketh of qGal. 5.19.; thou art none of Gods people, no ſubiect to his kingdome, but a very rebell & traitor to his Maieſty; and when thou thinkeſt to thruſt in among Saints, to enioy the felicitie of his choſen rPſal. 106.5., thou ſhalt heare that heauy ſentence paſſe vponupon thee and ſuch as thou art; Thoſe mine enemies, which would not that I ſhould raigne ouer them, bring hither and ſlay them before me ſLuk. 19.27..
Now wee are come to the worke it ſelfe, where manie things come in order to be touched. 1. The fountain & beginning therof, (He hath viſited). 2. The generall nature of the worke it ſelfe, (Redeemed). 3. The meanes of it, (And hath raiſed vp the horne, &c.) 4. The euidence of it; the teſtimonie of the Prophets, in whom the couenant of grace and the oath of God to Abraham are at large recorded (As he ſpake by the mouth, &c. 5. The end of it, (That we being deliuered &c.) Of theſe ſhall be ſpoken in order.
The beginning and fountaine of all is Gods viſitation: (He hath viſited) There is a twofold viſiting aſcribed to God in Scripture: One of diſpleaſure: In the day of my viſitation I will viſit their ſinne vponupon them tExod. 32.34.. The Lord commeth out of his place to viſit the ſinne of the inhabitants of the earth uIſay 26.21.. The other is of mercy; The Lord viſited Sarah as he had ſaid xGen. 21.1., that is, he performed the good which he had promiſed. In this ſenſe, the day of ones conuerſion is called, the day of viſitation y1. Pet. 2.12.: So then heere: God hath viſited, that is, he hath graciouſly and mercifully looked vponupon his people, he hath ſcene and beheld with a pitifull eie the miſerie and bondage of his choſen, and he is now, as it were, come amongſt them to ſhew them kindneſſe. This viſiting on Gods part hauing this ſignification, and being heere put in the firſt ranke, is the ground and ſpring of all which followeth;The 2. Doctrine. and it affoords vsus this doctrine: That the kindneſſe and mercy, and free grace of God, is the beginning and the fountaine of all thoſe good things which doe concerne eternall life. Conſider the place: Manie things are heere ſpoken of Redemption: of a Horne of ſaluation; of a Couenant and oath of grace: But whence proceed all theſe, but from the ſole merciemercy of God; euen from his gracious diſpoſition to viſite his people? Where viſiting is, there is preſuppoſed a very wofull eſtate: Ʋiſit now yonder curſed woman, ſaid Iehu of Iezebel, meaning to reſpect her aboue her deſert z1. King. 9.34.. It is eaſie to ſhew out of the Scripture how the louelove, merciemercy, and grace of God are noted, as the beginning of thoſe things which concerne ſaluation. The Lord (ſaith Moſes to the old Iſraelites) did not ſet his louelove vponupon you, nor chuſe you, becauſe ye were moe in number than any people, but becauſe the Lord loued you, &c. aDeut. 7.7.8.. Now the people of Iſrael were a type of Gods people: Canaan a type of heauen: it was Gods free louelove which moued him to bring them into Canaan; it is his free grace for which hee vouchſafes to aduance vsus to heauen. When mention is made of the courſe and order of our ſaluation, theſe and the like ſpeeches ſtil come in: So God loued the world bIoh. 3.16., the good pleaſure of his will, cEph. 1.5., freely by his grace dRom. 3.24., not by the works of righteouſneſſe which we had done, but according to his merciemercy eTit. 3.5., not that we loued God, but that he loued vsus f1. Ioh. 4.10., who hath giuen vntounto him first gRom. 11.35.? Theſe ſpeeches agree with the maner of ſpeech heere vſed, and doe ſhew plainly that there was nothing in man to mooue the Lord to reach out his arme of deliuerance; all proceeded from the abſolute and vndeſerued freedome of his grace. Manie things there were in man to prouoke God in his iuſtice finally to forſake him, nothing which might induce him to ſhew the leaſt degree of fauour.
Beſides that this doth ouerthrow all Popiſh opinion of merit,The Vſe. and (which is the maine end of all) ſets out the grace and mercy of God to the full; it ſerueth to quicken in vsus that duty of thankfulneſſe, of which we heard before, and which Zacharie did here performe. A great bleſſing requireth great thanks, but the freer the bleſſing is, the greater ſhould the thankfulneſſe be. All my fathers houſe (ſayd Mephiboſheth to Dauid) were but dead men before my Lord the King, yet diddest thou ſet thy ſeruant among them which did eat at thine owne table h2. Sa. 19.28.. The leſſe deſert he found in himſelfe, the more deeply did hee hold himſelfe bound vntounto Dauid: ſo that when we looke vponupon the greatneſſe of the bleſſing on the one ſide, (namely, life eternall, and a kingdom which can not be ſhaken) and then the ſmalneſſe of our owne deſert on the other ſide, who were but dead men before the Lord, euen dead in treſpaſſes and ſinnes iEph 2.1., we may well ſay with Dauid, What ſhall wee render vntounto the Lord kPſal. 116.12.? This muſt needs condemne our carnall mindedneſſe: ſome things doe ſometimes fall from vsus, by way of thankfulneſſe for outward things; as health, peace, ſeaſonable weather, and ſuch like: but the greateſt bleſſing, the chiefeſt fauor, and to which of al other we can lay the leaſt claime, is ſcarſely once made mention of: Bleſſed be God that hath viſited vsus when we were dead in ſinne; thanks be to God for his Sonne Chriſt Ieſus. How are we bound to his Maieſtie, who hath ſhewed vsus this mercy to redeeme vsus! It is a rare thing to heare of ſuch a ſpeech. It ſheweth that we minde onelyonly earthly things lPhil. 3.19.. Corne and Wine, a full basket, and a ful barne, theſe things wil affect vsus; but the Lords merciful viſitation in his Son Chriſt, in pulling vsus out of the iawes of Sathan cannot mooue vsus: It is a fearefull ſigne, euen that we are enthralled vntounto Sathan, and in the very bond of iniquitie mAct. 8.23.. For did we feele and apprehend our owne deſert, to be eternally forſaken, and the riches of Gods mercy in viſiting vsus with his ſaluation, our ſpirits would be ſo rauiſhed therewith, that all other things would ſeeme vile and baſe in compariſon of this one. Thus much of the fountaine of this great worke, which ſerueth notably to beate downe Merit, and to ſtirre vp thankfulneſſe.
The generall nature of the benefit is ſet downe in this word (Redeemed.) To redeeme is (as we know) to buy out: the very word in the common vſage of it preſuppoſeth a bondage and captiuitie.The 3. Doctrine. Whereupon iuſt occaſion is giuen vsus to conſider that miſerable ſeruitude in which by nature we are all. This ſeruitude is ſaid to be vnderunder the power of darkneſſe nCol. 1.13., that is, vnderunder the power of ſpirituall enemies: which are three: 1. Sinne. 2. Death. 3. The Diuell. Sinne maketh vsus ſubiect vntounto death: for the wages of ſinne is death oRom. 6.23.. Death brings vsus into the full and abſolute power of the diuell: That we are naturally ſeruants to ſinne, it is plaine by the Apoſtles complaint: I am carnall, ſold vnderunder ſinne pRom. 7.23.. It is a true rule, To whomſoeuer wee giuegive our ſelues as ſeruants to obey, his ſeruants we are qRom. 6.16.: and, whoſoeuer committeth ſinne, is the ſeruant of ſinne rIoh. 8.35.: Now it is apparent that naturally wee obey ſinne in the luſts thereof: and, giuegive our members as weapons of vnrighteouſneſſe vntounto it ſRom. 6.12.13.; eueryevery member hath his taske in the ſeruice of ſinne, as the Apoſtle ſheweth tRom. 3.13. &c., and whereas ſlaues and bondmen doe their ſeruices and baſe offices grudgingly and diſcontentedly, we doe the buſineſſe of ſinne, willingly, readily and ioyfully. Againe, that wee are ſlaues to eternall death it cannot be denied: For what was it which God ſaid to Adam: In the day that thou eateſt thou ſhalt die the death uGen. 2… ▪7.? Aſſoone as hee had ſinned, that ſentence laid hold vponupon him, and death eternall became his portion. Now, laſtly for bondage vnderunder Sathan, the Apoſtle ſaith, that ſo long as we are the children of diſobedience xEph. 2.2.he worketh in vsus, wee are in his ſnare, and are taken of him at his will y2. Tim 2.26.. This is the common ſlauerie of all: there is not the greateſt, nor nobleſt, nor mightieſt, nor faireſt, nor wealthieſt among the ſonnes of men, but he is in his naturall eſtate thus enthralled. Let men boaſt neuer ſo much in outward reſpects, as ſometimes the Iewes did, We were neuer bond to any zIoh. 8.33., yet till the Sonne ſhall make them free averſ. 36., this is their captiuitie. We read of the bondage of the Iſraelites in Egypt, there they were kept vnderunder with burdens, and made weary of their liues by ſore labour bExod. 1.11.14.; vnderunder the Philiſtims c1. Sam. 13.19.; vnderunder the Midianites dIud. 6.3.4.; vnderunder other nations ePſal 66.12.78.60.61. &c.; of the ſlauery of Samſon bound with fetters and made to grinde fIud. 16.21.like a horſe: Theſe particulars were grieuous to be born, but to this ſpirituall captiuitie they are nothing. When baſeneſſe, and crueltie, and ſpight are ioyned together in an oppreſſour, how heauie muſt the yoke needs bee? Now, what baſer thing than ſinne; what more cruell than death; what fuller of venom than the diuell? Who is able to deſcribe the miſerie of that bondage, where there is ſuch a concurrence of ſuch a threefold extremitie? This is our ſlauerie, this is that from which we are redeemed: from ſinne vntounto holineſſe, from death vntounto life eternall, from the power of Sathan into the glorious libertie of the ſonnes of God. For this purpoſe a Price g1. Cor 6.20.was paid, but of no common value; (for we were not redeemed with corruptible things h1. Pet. 1.18., hee gaue himſelfe a ranſome i1. Tim. 2.6., he tooke on him the forme of a ſeruant kPhil 2 7., to free vsus from this eternall ſlauerie. We may truely ſaie, This was the Lords doing, and I pray God, it may be maruellous in our eieslPſal. 118.23. The 1. Vſe.
Here is firſt a good lecture of humilitie, the beſt and the hardeſt leſſon of all others: the beſt, becauſe I may ſay of it as Iacob did of Bethel; This is the gate of heauen mGen. 28.17.: the hardeſt, becauſe we are full of ſelfe-louelove, and there will be no ſmall a doe to make vsus low in our owne ſight n2 Sam. 6.22., and as nothing in our owne ſeeming. Let vsus in this word (Redeemed) (as in a glaſſe) behold what wee are, and what iuſt matter we hauehave of humilitie, and how little reaſon to be ſecure. The very name of a ſeruant or bond-man, or vaſſall, were enough to put a man downe in his owne conceit; but to be ſeruant to ſo baſe a thing as ſinne, to ſo hatefull a perſon as the diuell, to ſo terrible a thing as eternall death, I do not ſee how any man may be able to expreſſe it. Whoſoeuer therefore thou be, who hast beene fooliſh in lifting vp thy ſelfe oProu. 30 32., thinking better of thine own ſoules eſtate than there is cauſe, henceforth lay thine hand vponupon thy mouth, learne to abhorre thy ſelfe in dust and aſhes pIob 42.6., remember, that whatſoeuer opinion thou haſt conceiued of thy ſelfe, yet the verdict of the Scripture (which is the voice of God) is, that thou art by nature a ſlaue vnderunder the power of darkneſſe: Satan is the prince of darkneſſe, thou art his ſubiect; hell is the kingdome of darkneſſe, and that is thine inheritance. When thou conſidereſt this, ſmite thy brest with the Publican qLuk. 19.13., pray the Lord to humble thee, that the glad tidings of ſaluation in Chriſt may be welcome to thee.
The 2. Vſe.Secondly, heere is alſo a good leſſon of obedience. Ye are bought for a price, therefore glorifie God &c. r1. Cor. 6.20.. It is a very direct inference. God hath redeemed vsus, freed vsus from thraldome and from captiuitie: what ſhould we refuſe to do for him, euen by way of thankfulneſſe? Beſides, it is a matter of great equitie: Ye are not your owne, ſayth the Apoſtle ſverſ. 19.; wee are not in our owne power, his wee be who hath redeemed vsus: and wherefore hath he redeemed vsus? what, that we ſhould ſtill ſerue ſinne, that we ſhould follow the vaine conuerſation of the world, and bee led by the ſwaie of our owne hearts? Surely no. But to be zealous of good wonks tTit. 2.14.. I ſay then with Paul: How ſhall we, who are thus redeemed, and to this end redeemed, liue yet in ſinne uRom. 6.2.? Shall we liue to the diſhonour of God, to the ſhame of religion, ſeruing our owne luſts, and drowning our ſelues in the pleaſures of ſinne, who hauehave receaued ſo great a deliuerance? God forbid. What ſhall we thinke of the vnthankfull Iſraelites, who being mightily deliuered out of bondage, yet cryed, it had beene better for vsus to ſerue the Egyptians xExod. 14.12.? We muſt needs ſay they were vnworthie of ſo great a bleſſing. Take heed wee doe not make it our owne caſe. God hath ſent his Sonne to redeeme vsus, and to free vsus from the thraldome of death, of ſinne, and of Sathan: We profeſſe that we reioice in this: yet when we be called vponupon to ſhake off the yoke of ſin, & to become the ſeruants of righteouſneſſe yRom. 6.18., we ſeeme to ſay as thoſe Iſraelites did, Let vsus be at reſt: we would be content to be freed from death, the wages of ſinne, but the buſineſſe of ſinne we would rather than our life we might continue in. Wee hauehave ſome corrupt humour or other, that, let the Lord ſay what hee will, wee muſt needs giuegive ſatisfaction to. Men would ſerue God and Mammon too zLuk. 16.13., God and their bellies too aPhil. 3 19., God and drunkenneſſe too, God and whooredome too, God and their pleaſures too. This is a poore religion: this is a ſlender requitall for ſo great a benefit as redemption: Thoſe which are redeemed, are redeemed from their vaine conuerſation b1. Pet. 1.18.. If thou bee enſnared in the ſenſuall delight of thine owne ſinnes, I cannot ſee how it can bee ſaid of thee, that thou art one of Gods redeemed. When a battle is ended, can it bee ſaid that ſuch a one is ranſomed from the enemie who ſtill followeth his campe, and willingly doth whatſoeuer he commands? No. If I ſee thee liue in the ſeruice of ſinne: I am ſure thou art not yet within the compaſſe of redemption. Remember wee this Vſe: when thou heareſt Redemption ſpoken of, thinke thou; Hath God redeemed vsus by his Sonnes blood, and ſhall I draw backe and chuſe rather to runne mine old courſe in following the luſts of ſinne? God forbid: Say rather: O Lord, I am thine, thou haſt bought me, thou haſt paid full dearely for mee, thou haſt beſt right vntounto me, thee will I ſerue: O ſtrengthen me by thy grace, that my ſecret ſinne may not enſnare me, that corruption may not get dominion ouer me.