Lectures Upon John 4, Part 8 · Lecture 37
Lecture the seuen and thirtieth, Ianuary 2. 1609.
IT remaineth now, that we make Vse of the former Doctrine, and so proceed to finish that, which remaineth in this Text.
The Doctrine which wee heard the last day serueth principally for two Vses.
First, to worke in eueryevery one of vsus an high estimation, and louelove of the Word of God. EueryEvery man desires to be saued. And indeed, what is all Use 1.our wealth, and brauery, and mirth, we enioy here, if in the end our soules be not saued? Matth. 16. 26. Well, as thou esteemest, and louest, and desirest the saluation of thy soule: so must thou esteeme of the Word of God. The Word (as thou hast heard) is the saluation of man. It is the onelyonly euidence any man can hauehave to shew, for his eternall inheritance. It is the field wherein this inestimable treasure of eternall life is to bee found: Iohn 5, 39. Search the Scriptures for in them yee looke to finde eternall life. It is able to make thee wise vntounto saluation, how simple soeuer thou be. It is able to conuert thy soule, and reforme thy life, how strong soeuer thy corruptions or tentations be. It is able to giuegive thee comfort in any affliction, how bitter, or heauie soeuer they be Yea, if euer thou be saued, the Word must saue thee. There is nothing vnderunder heauen, so necessary: nothing that we may not better want, then the Word. This is the thing our Sauiour spake of, when he said, Luke 10. 42. One thing is needfull, Mary hath chosen the better part, &c. If God hauehave giuen thee a heart to beleeue this: thou wilt esteeme of it as Dauid did: Psal. 119. 72. The Law of thy mouth is better to me then thousands of gold and siluer. And verse 97. O how louelove I thy Law. So that of all such as care not for the Word, I may boldly say: as, Psal. 119. 155. Saluation is farre from the wicked, for they seeke not thy statutes. And Acts 13. 46. They that put it from them, iudge themselues unworthy of euerlasting life.
Now, because eueryevery man pretends that he esteemeth highly of the Word: and there is no man so vile (will some say) but he loues the Word. I will giuegive you some notes, whereby men may trie whether they esteeme of Gods Word as they ought, and louelove it indeed.
1. He that esteemes the Word as he ought, will heare it when he may: not onelyonly sometimes, when he hath nothing to doe else, but constantly, as his chiefe worke; and for the louelove of it, neglect other things: this is that that Salomon saith: Pro. 23. 23. Buy the truth and sell it not. By this note our Sauiour commends Mary (not as for doing more then she was bound to doe, but) for esteeming of the Word as she ought; Luke 10. 42. Not onelyonly they that will not heare it at all, but they that heare it seldome, that suffer eueryevery worldly businesse and occasion to withdraw them from it: will be found not to hauehave esteemed it; Heb. 2. 3. How shall wee escape, if we neglect so great saluation.
2. He that esteemes the Word as he ought, will exercise himselfe in the reading of it. Though he be an ordinary hearer of the best Ministry vnderunder heauen, yet he must not rest in that, but exercise himselfe in the reading of it: get him a Bible, and either reade it himselfe, or get some other to reade it to him. It is a commandement that God layeth vponupon the King himselfe, that (though he aboue all others might best pleade want of leasure) though he enioyed the ordinary Ministry of the Prophets, and Leuites, and Priests, (as we know that Dauid had both Nathan and Gad) yet must he hauehave his Bible with him, wheresoeuer he went; and eueryevery day read in it, it shall be with him, and he shall reade therein all the daies of his life, Deut. 17, 19, 20. And marke the reasons there giuen for this, that he may learne to feare the Lord his God, to keepe all the words of this Law, and these Statutes, to doe them: That his heart be not lifted vp aboue his brethren, and that he turne not aside from the Commandement, &c. It was Iobs comfort in his affliction, that he could say he had esteemed Gods Word more then his appointed foode, Iob 23. 12. More duely then he kept his meales, did he tie himselfe to the reading, and meditation of it. Such then as will not get them Bibles: hauehave money to spare many other waies vnnecessarily, but none to spare to buy them Bibles, out of doubt esteeme not of the Word as they ought to do. Men count it their shame if they hauehave not furniture in their houses, not onelyonly for their necessity, but euen for ornament, and decencie; or if they should come to Church in vndecent apparell: but Christians should count it a greater shame to bee without a Bible in their house, to come to Church without their Bibles; I meane such as may conueniently enough bring them with them. Nay, say men hauehave Bibles, yet if they reade not in them: say they reade sometimes, yet if they reade not constantly, if they set not themselues times for this duty, certainely they esteeme not of the excellencie, and necessity of the Word, as they ought: they shall want that comfort in their affliction that Iob had. How shall we escape Gods wrath for this wilfull negligence, for this neglect of so great saluation? Heb. 2. 3. I know Christians pretend for their excuse.
That 1. They can finde no time: they hauehave no leisure.Obiect. 1.
But the true cause why they hauehave no leisure, is that their hearts esteeme Answ.not of the necessity of this duty, as they ought, they take no delight in it, they sauour it not, if they did, they could finde time to reade it oftener then they doe.
2. That they cannot vnderstand it, it is so darke, that they cannot read it Obiect. 2.with delight.
But this will not excuse thee. For 1. Many bookes of Scripture are plaine Answ.and easie. 2. If the fault were not in thine own heart, they would not seeme so difficult to thee. Pro. 8. 9. They are plaine to him that vnderstandeth. 3. Euen those places thou canst not vnderstand, it is profitable for thee to reade; and when thou shalt heare them interpreted in the Ministry of the Word, it will be an aduantage to thee, that thou hast read them before: as we may see in that example, When Christ was risen from the dead, his Disciples remembred that hee had said this vntounto them, and they beleeued the Scripture and the word which Iesus had said, Iohn 2. 22.
3. He that esteemes, and loues the Word as he ought, will reade it, and heare it with great diligence, desire, and care to profit by it: Hebrewes 2. 1. Wee ought diligently to take heed to the things which wee hauehave heard, least at any time wee should let them slippe. The Word (as I told you) is the field wherein the treasure of our saluation is hid: but they that desire to finde this treasure, must search for it: Iohn 5. 39. To this end foure duties are inioyned by the Lord. 1. Before our hearing, and reading wee must prepare our selues. They that desire the sincere milke of the Word that they may grow thereby; will first lay aside all their carnall and corrupt affections; 1. Pet. 2. 1, 2. 2. When wee hauehave heard or read it, wee must meditate vponupon it, ponder, and thinke of it, that we may vnderstand it, bee affected with it, remember it and put it to vse. Dauid makes this a note of a happie man, Psal. …. 2. And of himselfe he saith, Psalm. 119 15. I will meditate in thy precepts, and consider thy waies: and hee adds two fruits of it, verse 16. 1. I will delight in thy statutes. 2. I will not forget thy Word. 3. Wee must delight to talke and conferre of it with others: Deut. 6. 7. Thou shalt rehearse them continually to thy children, and talke of them in thy house, and by the way. Iosh. 1. 8. This booke shall not depart out of thy mouth. 4. We must cry to God by prayer that he would teach vsus to profit by it. As Dauid doth oft, Psal. 119. 18. 33.
They that heare, and reade the Word ordinarily, but without all care to profit by it; neuer vse any preparation before, neuer meditate nor thinke of it after, take no delight to talke, or conferre of it, neuer pray that they may profit, doubtlesse esteeme not, nor louelove the Word as they ought to doe.
4. Hee that esteemes, and loues the Word as he ought, will make it the rule, and guide of his life, will be directed and guided by it, yea, will bee afraid to transgresse it, Psal. 119. 24. Thy testimonies are my delight, and my Counsellors. He was wont to take nothing in hand, but he would first aduise, and consult with the Word. Yea, Psal. 119. 161. When Princes did persecute him without cause, his heart (he saith) stood in awe of Gods Word. He had rather hauehave them against him, then to hauehave Gods Word against him. It is noted for a property of Gods Elect to tremble at his Word, Esay 66. 3. So that though a man heare, and reade the Word neuer so ordinarily, and say he professe great louelove to it, yet if he will not be ruled, and reformed by it, if he will liue as he list, if he beare that mind, that let the Lord forbeare to punish him (though the Word be against him) he cares not. Certainely he loues not the Word, nor esteemeth of it as he ought to doe.
The second Vse of this Doctrine is, to teach vsus to examine those good things that seeme to be in vsus, whether they be such as doe accompany saluation; Use 2.such as may giuegive a man any assurance of his saluation in the day of tryall: the Apostle calls vponupon the faithfull themselues, to examine themselues, 2. Corinth. 13. 15. And Galat. 6. 4. Let eueryevery man prooue his owne worke.
Here are two rules giuen vsus in this Doctrine, whereby we may be much helped in this case.
1. The Word is the only worker of eueryevery sauing grace, we are borne againe of the incorruptible seed by the Word of God, 1. Pet. 1. 23. There may be many good things in a naturall man: Rom. 2. 14. A Gentile without the Law, may doe the things contained in the Law. 1. He may make conscience of many sins, Luk. 18. 11. The Pharisee could say he was no extortioner, no adulterer. 2. He may doe the workes of iustice. Luk 18. 12. The Pharisee could say he gaue tythe of all that he possessed. 3. He may do the workes of mercy, Matth. 6. 2. The Hypocrite gaue almes in Synagogues, and streets, and had a trumpet blowne before him which he would neuer hauehave done, if his almes had not beene large and bountifull. 4. He may doe good workes of piety, Matth. 6. 5. The Hypocrites vsed to pray in the Synagogues, and corners of the street. 5. He may be a good neighbour: a kind and thankfull man to his friend, Matth. 5. 46, 47. The Publicans were such. 6. He may bee apt enough to forgiue an enemie, 1. Kings 20. 32. Ahab when he saw his enemie Benhadad humble himselfe, and seeke his fauour, forgaue him presently, and vsed him kindly. Now these ciuill vertues are in themselues very good things, for God in his Law requires them: Yet can none of all these ciuill vertues, yeeld the naturall man any true comfort, nor giuegive him assurance that he is in the state of saluation. Why so? They are but the fruites of the flesh, they are not the fruits of the Spirit: because they are not wrought in him by the Word. Vnlesse a man can say, the Word hath brought me to make conscience of these and these things, which before I made no conscience of: these workes of iustice, of mercy, and of piety, I hauehave done them in obedience to the Word, a man can neuer hauehave comfort of any good thing that is in him. If either the authority of the Magistrate onelyonly, or the example of thy neighbours, or the respect thou hast to thine owne praise, and profit, or the inclination of thine owne minde, thy owne good meaning, hath drawne thee to it, if the Word hauehave not brought thee to it, thou shalt neuer hauehave comfort of it.
The second rule this Doctrine affoords vsus for the tryall of our selues, whether we be in the state of grace, is this. That the Word (as it is the onelyonly worker of eueryevery sauing grace) so is it the onelyonly Touch-stone, whereby eueryevery sauing grace may be tried, and discerned, from that which is counterfeit. Thy faith is but a fancie, thy repentance, thy charity, thy good workes are but counterfeit, vnlesse thou canst approoue them by the Word: Iohn 3. 21. Hee that is of the truth, commeth to the light, that his deeds might bee made manifest, that they are wrought according to God.
We see then, how vaine that confidence is, that most men hauehave in their estate toward God, they glory in some good things that are in them, in a kind of deuotion toward God; and care of an honest life toward men, and yet none of all this hath beene wrought by the Word, or proceeds from any conscience or obedience vntounto it. They thinke they hauehave faith, repentance, and other sauing graces, but they cannot approue them by this Touch-stone of Gods Word.
The third Vse of this Doctrine is for such as though they heare, and read Use 3.the Word, can finde in it no such light, power, or comfort as we hauehave heard of. 1. Either thou hast not sought it aright, not with earnestnesse, or not with a good heart. 2. If thou hast, and doe not at first finde it, yet shalt thou hereafter, if thou seeke it here with an honest heart, Iohn 13. 7. What I doe thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter. And 12. 16. These things vnderstood not his Disciples at the first; but when Iesus was glorified, then remembred they that those things were written of him: and that they had done these things vntounto him. 3. If the Word cannot saue, inlighten, conuert, and comfort thee, nothing shall be able to doe it: Iohn 8. 47. You therefore heare not (that is not with vnderstanding, and louelove, with faith, and feeling, with profit, and fruit) because you are not of God.