The Passion Resurrection and Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Lecture 44
THE XLIV. LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST.
LVKE CHAP. XXIIII.
verse 48 Now yee are witneſſes of theſe things.
verse 49 And behold, I doe ſend the promiſe of the Father vponupon you: but tarie yee in the citie of Hieruſalem, vntill yee be endued with power from high.
AFTER that the Lord (belooued Brethren in Chriſt) in His fift appearing after His Reſurrection, by ſundrie euidences hath gone about to perſwade His Diſciples, that it was Hee, Hee vtters a ſweete Sermon for their inſtruction, wherein firſt Hee inſtructes and informes them in two neceſsities: the firſt is, that all thinges that befell to Him, as His Paſsion and Reſurrection behooued to befell vntounto Him: the ſecond is, that as theſe things befell to Him of neceſsitie, ſo of neceſsitie theſe things behoued to be preached in the world. Next, Hee giues them a direction to goe out, and to preach this Goſpell to the worlde. We hauehave heard alreadie of the two neceſsities: Firſt, that it behooued Him to ſuffer the death: and to riſe againe from death, becauſe theſe things were foretold of Him, in Moyſes, and the Prophets, and the Pſalmes: therefore of neceſsitie they behooued to come to paſſe. We heard thereafter of the neceſsitie of the preaching of theſe thinges. Profane men thinke preaching is for the faſhion, but they deceiue themſelues, for if there be a neceſsitie, that thou ſhouldeſt beleeue, that thou mayſt be ſaued: there is as great a neceſsitie that there ſhould be preaching of the word: for Faith is by hearing, and without hearing no Faith, no life, no ſaluation.
In opening vp of this neceſsitie of preaching, we marked vntounto you the particular circumſtances, that are ſet downe in the Text: Namely, firſt, in whoſe name this preaching behooued to be: to wit, in the Name of IESVS CHRIST: Next, whereof it behooued this preaching to bee: to wit, of Repentance, and Remiſsion of ſinnes: (for that is the ſumme of the Goſpel) Thirdly, to whome this behooued to be preached, not to the Iewes only, but to all Nations: and laſt, in what order this doctrine ſhould be preached: firſt, to the Iewes, beginning at Ieruſalem, and thereafter to the Gentiles. Now in the Text that we hauehave preſently read, the Lord comes to the ſecond part of His Sermon, wherein Hee giues direction to the Apoſtles, to bee Preachers, and witneſſes to the world, of all theſe thinges, promiſing againe to them that Spirit, which Hee had promiſed to them before His ſuffering, and that they might hauehave the greater ſecuritie, Hee giues them a commandement, not to depart from Ieruſalem, vntill they were endued with power and vertue out of Heauen.
But to come to the wordes: after that Hee hath ſet downe the neceſsitie of preaching, Hee giues them a direction and charge, to bee preachers of theſe thinges vntounto the worlde. Now, ſayes Hee, yee are witneſſes of theſe things: that is, Theſe things that yee hauehave heard and ſeene come to paſſe, according as they vvere foretolde: yee muſt not keepe them cloſe and ſecret with your ſelues, but yee muſt declare, preach and teſtifie them vntounto the world.
Nowe, it is not without great cauſe that the Lord directes, and ſendes them out to preach: for looke how neceſſarie it is, that the word bee preached, as neceſſarie it is, that ſome bee directed, and ſent out by the Lorde to preach: for, How ſhall they preach, ſayes Paul, except they be ſent, Rom. Chapter 10. verſe 15. A man muſt not runne vnſent, but before hee preach: hee muſt hauehave a commiſsion from God. If we will enter in a particular conſideration, & marke all things ſet downe in this Sermon, we will finde there is nothing either concerning Chriſt Himſelfe, His ſuffering and riſing againe, or concerning the Goſpell of Chriſt, and preaching of it, or concerning the Miniſters & Preachers of the Goſpell falles out raſhly, or by fortoun & chance, but that all things come to paſſe by the determinate prouidence of God, & in a manner of neceſsitie: ſo that in reſpect of this prouidence they coulde not otherwiſe hauehave bene. We hauehave heard before, that there was a neceſsitie of Chriſtes death, & reſurrection, & that there was a neceſsitie of preaching, now here we ſee, that there is a neceſsitie of ſending of Miniſters: to preach the Goſpel, for there is no faithfull Miniſter, but he muſt hauehave his commiſsion of Him: God muſt make chooſe of him, & ſeparate him frō the common ſort of men, as Paul ſayes of himſelfe, He was called to be an Apoſtle, & put apart to preach the Goſpel of God, Rom. 1.1. So muſt it be with all faithfull Paſtors. It is true indeede, ſome wil preach, whō ye Lord hath not ſent, ſome wil run vnſent, & ſome wil preach to get honor, vantage or preferment to themſelues, but theſe are not faithfull Paſtours, but all faithfull Paſtours muſt of neceſsitie be ſent of ye Lord, & receiue their cōmiſsion frō Him. Now, if this be true, yt nothing concerning Chriſt, or His Goſpel, or the Miniſters yt preach, it falles out without ye determinate prouidence & counſel of God, it is as true, that none heares ye Goſpel preached without ye ſame prouidence. The ſpeciall prouidence of God, is no leſſe extended to the hearer, than to ye Preacher of ye Goſpel: ſo that the hearer as well as the Preacher is bound to glorifie God in His gracious prouidence, & in ye riches of His grace. Many oftentimes thinke that it is by conjecture, yt men come to ye Church, & heares the word preached: but ye faithfull man that hath felt the power of this word, in quickening His ſoule, & raiſing it frō death to life, is aſſured, yt the Lord had a ſpecial prouidence & care in making Him to heare yt word at ſuch a time, to his great comfort. But it would be marked, that albeit all ye Preachers of the Goſpel be ſent by God, yet all are not ſent after one manner: there is a great difference amongſt them, for ſome are ſent immediatly of the Lord Himſelfe, without the miniſterie of men, as were the Prophets of olde, and here the Apoſtles: None of theſe were ſent by mens miniſterie, but it was only the Lorde Himſelfe, who ſent them, according to the good pleaſure of His will: ſome are ſent mediately by the miniſterie of men, as are the ordinarie Paſtours and Miniſters, in the Church this daye, who albeit they bee ſent by God, yet the Lord vſes the miniſterie of men in ſending of them. Nowe theſe men whom the Lord employes in this piece of ſeruice, to call and ſend others, ſhould not bee raſh, nor lay handes ſuddenly on any man, but they ought to be verie carefull, to take good heede vntounto the Lords will, and conſider, and trie narrowly, whether it be the Lords will, to call ſuch and ſuch perſons to the Miniſterie, that ſo they may hauehave a good conſcience, that they hauehave ſought to conforme themſelues to Gods will. When Chriſt ſent His Apoſtles, He ſent them according to the will of GOD the Father, 1 Cor. 1.1. So whomſoeuer men call and ſend, they muſt call and ſend them according to the will of God the Father and the Sonne. But yee will ſay: Howe ſhall men knowe theſe men, whome the Lorde thinkes meete to be ſent? How ſhall they know, whether it be the Lordes will, to chooſe ſuch and ſuch men to His Miniſterie? I anſwere: The LORD hath ſet downe ſufficient markes and tokens in the Scripture, whereby wee may know them, whome the Lord would hauehave vsus to ſend, He hath ſtamped them with gifts beyond the common ſort of men. If yee would know what theſe gifts and graces are, wherewith the Lord endues them: read 1. Timoth. 3, &c. & Tit. 1.6. In the which places ye will ſee, what properties the Spirit of God, requires to be in a faithfull Paſtor. Indeed, I grant, there are ſome of the properties rekoned out there, by the Apoſtle, that are common to other true Chriſtians with the Paſtour: As to be temperate, wiſe, holy, righteous, and ſuch other: but there are ſome other, that properly belong to a Paſtour: As, that hee bee apt to teach, that he be able to exhort with wholeſome doctrine, and conuince the gaineſayers, that hee hauehave skill to guide and rule the Church of God. Let them who hauehave power to call Miniſters, take heed vntounto theſe properties, that they call not men to this High calling, vponupon a priuate affection (which vice and corruption hath beene too common in all ages) but that they call them whom the Lord hath ſtamped with theſe graces, and pointed out as meete to vndertake this charge, that they may hauehave the better conſcience in their proceeding. Yet before we leaue this, it would be conſidered who theſe were whom the Lord ſendes: were they wiſe men? were they ſuch, who conſtantly auouched Him, & profeſſed His Name? Were they ſuch men as deſerued much at His hand? Were they ſuch as were meete and ſufficient for ſuch a glorious calling? No certainely: For who is ſufficient for theſe things, ſayes the Apoſtle, 2. Cor. 2, 16. Wee are not ſufficient of our ſelues, to thinke any thing as of our ſelues, 2. Cor. 3.5. What manner of men are they then? Euen theſe who before His death and ſuffering were offended in Him, who were aſhamed of Him, and fled away: euen theſe who after His Reſurrection were ſo hard to beleeue, that He was riſen againe from the dead: for all the paines that the Lord tooke vponupon them, men altogether vnmeete, and vnſufficient for ſuch an high and glorious calling, men, who by nature were fraughted with ſuch ſtuffe, as was directly repugnant to ſuch a worthie calling: and yet for all this, the Lord caſtes them not off, but ſends them to preach ſaluation to the world. He made them of darkneſſe to be light, to ſhine to the reſt of the world: for ſayes Paul, God who commanded light to ſhine out of darkneſſe, is He that hath ſhined in our heartes, 2. Cor 4 6. Our hearts are darke by nature, yet the Lord by ſhining in them, brings light out of darkneſſe: for as the Lord in the firſt creation, commanded light to come out of darkneſſe: ſo dayly in the new creation and regeneration: and namely, when Hee ſets a man in His Miniſterie, He makes light to ſhine out of darkneſſe. We hauehave a notable example of this, in the Apoſtle Paul, he had bene before, a blaſphemer, and a perſecuter, an oppreſſour, yet ſuch was the mercy & fauour of God toward Him, that for all this, He not only beautifies him with that common grace, to be a Chriſtian, and to get an aſſurance of the Remiſsion of his owne ſinnes, but alſo countes him faithfull to place him in His Miniſterie, to preach Repentance and Remiſsion of ſinnes to others.
The world thinkes it an eaſie thing, to make a man a Miniſter, but if wee conſider what ſtuffe is in man, and how farre his nature is repugnant to that calling, wee will thinke that of all things in the world, it is moſt hard, and moſt painefull.
It is an hard thing indeede, to bring a man out of nature, and make him a Chriſtian, but it is farre harder, to make a man a teacher of Chriſtians, and a diſpoſer of the treaſures of grace, and of the ſecrets of God. Nowe, when I beginne to conſider what ſhould hauehave mooued the Lord to hauehave choſen ſuch perſons, and ſo vnmeete for ſuch an high calling, I thinke this chiefly hath beene it, that when the Apoſtles went out to preach Repentance, and Remiſſion of ſinnes, to others, and to exhort all perſons, howe grieuouſlie ſo euer they had ſinned, to come and to ſeeke merciemercy in Chriſt, they might propone themſelues, as examples of the ſuperaboundant merciemercy of God, and that they in their Miniſterie might declare, and make manifeſt the gentleneſſe and long ſuffering of God towardes all men, euen the greateſt ſinners in the worlde, and that by the proofe and experience that they found in their owne perſon, of the merciemercy of God in calling them, and placing them in that high calling, who before vvere ſo miſerable wretches: and ſo vponupon their owne experience, they might the more eaſily perſwade, euen the moſt miſerable ſinners, to ſeeke for merciemercy and grace in Chriſt. When Paul preaches, Where ſinne aboundes, there grace and merciemercy ſuperaboundes: if hee had not found this by experience, and had not ſtoode for example hereof, hee would not ſo eaſily hauehave perſwaded ſinners of the exceeding greatneſſe of the merciemercy of God.
But to goe forward: Becauſe this direction that He giues them, and this Miniſterie He calles them to, was very painfull and troubleſome, and ſo they might hauehave taken hardly with it: therefore in the words following, the Lord goes about, to encourage them, to vndertake it, and to diſcharge it chearfully: the Argument is of great force, Beholde, ſayes He, I will ſend the promiſe of my Father vponupon you: that is, I will ſend vntounto you the Holy Spirit Himſelfe, & with Him His extraordinarie giftes and graces: as the gift of prophecie, of working of miracles, of tongues, and ſuch other, that ye may bee the more able to diſcharge this calling, and to performe the worke I ſend you for, Hee calles this the promiſe of His Father, becauſe the Father long before by His Prophetes promiſed at the comming of the Meſſias, to ſend His Spirite in great abundance vponupon them that beleeue. Yee may read this promiſe in ſundrie places of the Olde Teſtament, but chiefly in the 2. Chapter of the prophecie of Ioel, and the 28. verſe. In the last dayes, I will powre out my Spirit vponupon all fleſh, and your ſonnes, and your daughters ſhall prophecie, your olde men ſhall dreame dreames, and your young men ſhall ſee viſions, and alſo vponupon the ſeruants, and vponupon the maides will I powre my Spirit, &c. And of the accompliſhment of this promiſe, ye may read in the 2. Chapter of the Actes of the Apoſtles. Out of this place wee may marke firſt: That the things which the Father promiſed of olde to His Church, the Sonne in the appointed time accompliſhed them: the Father promiſed of olde the Spirit, and His graces, the Sonne in the fulneſſe of time ſendes the Spirit and His graces, and giues them to His Church: and for this cauſe the Spirit, and His giftes that is giuen to eueryevery faithfull man, is called the meaſure of the gife of Christ, Epheſ. Chapter 4. verſe 7. And thereafter in that ſame Chapter ver. 11. the Apoſtle ſayes: That Chriſt, to the end He might fill all things, Hee gaue ſome to bee Apoſtles, ſome Prophets, and ſome Euangeliſts, and ſome Paſtours and Teachers: that is, He gaue all ſorts of gifts vntounto His Church, that He might fulfill the promiſe of His Father: and all theſe giftes and graces, that we ſee are now in the Church, from whome came they, but only from the Lord Ieſus? This leade… vsus to an higher ground, that the Sonne hath receiued of the Father, all graces, and all the giftes of the Holy Spirit, together with the Holy Spirit Himſelfe: the Father hath giuen all firſt to the Sonne, and not to vsus: for the Father loues the Sonne, and hath giuen all thinges into His hand, Ioh. 3.35. And, In Him are hid all the treaſures of wiſdome & knowledge, Coloſſ. Chapter 2. verſe 3. Yet there is an higher cauſe of this, to wit, that the Sonne only hath merited the Holy Spirit, with the fulneſſe of all His graces. No man euer merited any of them: for who can merite them, but hee who firſt receiued them. The Lord Ieſus receiued them firſt: wee hauehave none, but as He giues vsus: Hee merited and purchaſed them to vsus, with no leſſe price, than with the ranſome of His owne blood.
Now wouldeſt thou know, how all theſe graces, that the Lord hath bough… with ſuch a deare price, are communicated to thee, and made thine? I will tell thee: Not by any merite of thine own, for thou couldeſt merite nothing at the Lordes handes, but Hell and damnation: but it is of the free grace and liberalitie of the Father and the Sonne, that they are made thine: it is of this grace, that out of His fulneſſe we receiue grace for grace.
When the Apoſtle, Coloſſ. Chapter 2. verſe 9. hath ſaide: In Him dwelles all the fulneſſe of the Godhead bodily: thereafter he ſubjoynes: And ye are compleete in Him: as if hee had ſaide, All this fulneſſe is made yours, of free grace, whilſt as by Faith yee take holde of Him.
Conſider the wonderfull bountifulneſſe and liberalitie of the Sonne, to thee, who giues thee theſe graces freely, that Hee bought ſo dearely, and purchaſed with ſuch a worthie price: Yee know, ſayes the Apoſtle, the grace of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, that He beeing rich, for your ſakes became poore, that ye through His pouertie might be made rich. 2. Cor. 8.9.
Now, ere I go forward, I marke another leſſon, that the Spirit of God pointes out clearely, in theſe words, for our inſtruction: for when the Lord ſayes, I will ſend you the promiſe of my Father vponupon you, that is, the Holy Spirit, with His graces, He lets vsus ſee, that without His Spirit, His preſence and aſsiſtance, a Miniſter cannot be able to doe any thing well in His calling, but that in the diſcharge of eueryevery part of His calling, hee muſt bee aſsiſted by the Spirit. The Apoſtle Paul, when hee is telling what good ſucceſſe his preaching had among the Gentiles, he takes not the praiſe thereof to himſelfe, but he aſcribes all to the preſence of Chriſt, by His Spirit: I dare not, ſayes he, ſpeake of any thing, which Chriſte hath not wrought by mee, to make the Gentiles obedient in word and deede, Rom. 15.18. It is not with a Miniſter, as it is with a man in the ciuile policie: No, there is a great difference: for in the ciuile policie, a man by his naturall giftes, by his wiſdome, and quickneſſe of his wit, may doe ſome things without the ſpeciall aſsiſtance of the Spirit of Chriſt, but in the Church no man can doe any thing without the preſence of the Spirit, the man that hath not the Spirit, and His graces in ſome meaſure is altogether vnprofitable and vnmeete for the Lordes worke, for this cauſe, the Lorde makes a ſpeciall promiſe of this Spirit, to them whome He places in His ſeruice, becauſe their calling and function, in all reſpects is ſpirituall. Looke to experience, and ye will finde the trueth of this promiſe: There is not a faithfull Miniſter, but in ſome meaſure hee hath the Spirit of God, to bee powerfull with him in his calling, in ſuch ſort, that not himſelfe only, but others alſo, who ſee and heare him, will ſenſiblie perceiue and take it vp. The Apoſtle Paul, found ſenſibly the Spirit of God to be powerfull with him in his labouring in the Miniſterie, when hee ſayes, It was not I that laboured, but the grace of God, which is with me, 1 Cor. Chapter 15. verſe 10. And againe, when he ſayes, That hee laboured and ſtroue, according to His working, which worketh in him mightily, Col. Chapter 1. verſe 29.
And on the other part, when hee ſayes to the Corinthians, Yee ſee the experience of Chriſt that ſpeakes in me, which toward you is not weake, but is mightie in you, 2 Cor. Chap. 13. verſe 3. he importes, that as he himſelfe found the power of the Spirit within him, ſo they to whome he preached, found it by His Spirit.
But I inſiſt not to bring in particular places, for if we conſider well the Epiſtles of Paul, vvee will finde many ſentences teſtifying to vsus, that not only he himſelfe found the power of the Spirit in his Miniſterie, and the life of Ieſus working mightely in him, in the middes of his infirmities: yea, euen in death it ſelfe 2. Cor. Chapter 4. verſe 8. but alſo that ſame power was manifeſt vntounto them that heard him. Naturall men thinke all is but ſcorne that is ſpoken of the Spirit, and of His power in the preaching of the Goſpell, they laugh at it, as if there were no ſuch thing: but the faithfull man findes, that it is not for nought, that Chriſt promiſed His Spirit to them whom Hee ſends, as alſo that vvithout that Spirit, no grace could hauehave bene wrought in their ſoules.
Now in the laſt wordes of this Text, to aſſure them the more, that they ſhould receiue this Holy Spirit that was promiſed, the Lord commands them, That they goe not out of Ieruſalem, but that they tarie there, vntill they be endued with power from on high: that is, Vntill they hauehave receiued this Spirit that He promiſed to ſend vntounto them: So in a manner, for their further aſſurance, He preſcribes to them a particular time, within the which they ſhould receiue the Holie Ghoſt. The Lord, commonly, when Hee makes a promiſe of anie thing to His owne, Hee will giuegive them ſome wa…rand, to confirme and aſſure them, vntill Hee fullie performe His promiſe: for becauſe He knowes our weakneſſe and infirmitie. He giues vsus as it were an earneſt pennie to ſtrengthen our Faith and Hope, vntill He pay the whole ſumme to vsus for ſuch is our weakn…ſſe, that albeit vve hauehave no more, wee cannot bee able long to depend vponupon His naked word. It is true indeede, that the Lord ſometime, for the triall of the Faith of His owne, will charge them to reſt vponupon His bare and naked word only, to beleeue His promiſe, Hee will giuegive no fur…her aſſurance, as likewiſe for a ſeaſon it may bee, that they depend vponupon His bare word: but it is as true, that this cannot continue long: for except as by Faith they depend vponupon the worde: ſo alſo they hauehave ſome feeling and foretaſting of the thing promiſed, and ſome earneſtpennie and ſecuritie to aſſure them of the obtaining of the promiſe, their Faith will faile and decay. So weake are we in Faith, ſo ready are we to miſtruſt, that we cannot ſtand nor continue, except wee bee vnderpropped and vpholden by ſome ſpeciall warrand from God.
Now to end: One thing further may be marked in theſe words: The Lorde diſcharges the Apoſtles to goe out of Ieruſalem, vntill they hauehave gotten t…is Holy Spirite, that Hee promiſed them. The leſſon is: A Miniſter ſhould not couet to goe to the worlde, to preach the Goſpell, vntill the time hee bee aſſured that the Holie Spirit accompanies him, and his trauells: for if the Apoſtles themſelues might not goe out to preach, vntill the Spirit were ſent vntounto them, it is a fooliſh thing for any man, after them to preſume to doe it. But, alas, it is a thing greatly to be lamented in this age, that there are ſo fewe, that waite vntill they be accompanied with the Holy Spirit in their Miniſterie, and that ſo many goe raſhly to vndertake ſuch an high calling.
Many vponupon a conceite that they hauehave of their naturall giftes, their wiſdome, their quickneſſe, ingine memorie, eloquence, and ſuch other giftes will ſtart vp to the pulpet, and preach confidently to the people in the Name of Ieſus. But the Lorde in His juſt Iudgement, not only withdrawes all bleſsing from their labours, but alſo heap…s ſhame and ignominie vponupon them, and makes it manifeſt to the world, that He ſent them not, but they ranne vnſent: But thou who wouldeſt hauehave a good conſcience, who wouldeſt hauehave the Lord to bleſſe thy trauells in His Miniſterie, preſume not too farre of thy naturall giftes, how great ſo euer they be, but waite vponupon the Lordes leaſure, vntill Hee preuent thee with His Spirit, and endue thee with power from on hie, and in the meane time be crying earneſtly for the preſence of that Spirit, who when Hee comes, will open thine heart, and looſe thy mouth to ſpeake with boldneſſe, and freedome in the Name of Ieſus. To whome with the Father, and that bleſſed Spirit, be all praiſe, and honour, for euermore.
AMEN.