Light from Heaven, Part 13
First of all; There must be a dispensation of Christ.Dispensation of Christ.
See the equity of this, even from things among men. It is not sufficient that Physicke be provided; but, there must be an application of it. It is not sufficient, that there is a Treasure; but, there must be a digging of it out. It is not sufficient, that there be a Candle, or Light; but, there must be a holding out of the Light, for the good and use of others. It was not sufficient, that there was a Brazen Serpent; but, the Brazen Serpent must be lifted up, that the people might see it. It is not sufficient, that there is a Standard; but the Standard must be set up. It is not sufficient, that there be a foundation; but, there must be a building upon the foundation. It is not sufficient, that there be a Garment; but, there must be a putting of it on. It is not sufficient, that there be a box of ointment, but the box must be opened, that the whole house may be filled with the smell. It is not sufficient that there be tapestry, and glorious hangings, but there must be an unfolding of them; therefore there must be a dispensation of the mysteries of Christ: for though Christ be Physicke, he must be applied, though Christ be a garment, he must be put on, though he be a foundation, we must build on him, or else we have no good by him; though he in his truth be a treasure, yet he must be digged up in the ministery, though he be a light, he must be held forth, though he be food, there must be an application, of necessitie therefore there must be a dispensation of the Gospell, as well as redemption wrought by Christ, preached to the Gentiles.
To unfold the point a little, seeing the necessity of it, to shew,
What it is to preach.
What it is to preach Christ. And,
What it is to preach Christ to the Gentiles.
To preach, what.To preach is to open the mysterie of Christ, to open whatsoever is in Christ, to breake open the box, that the favour may be perceived of all. To open Christs natures, and person, what it is; to open the offices of Christ, first he was a Prophet to teach, wherefore he came into the world; then he was a Priest, offring the Sacrifice of himselfe, and then after he had offred his Sacrifice, as a Priest, then he was a King, he was more publikely, and gloriously knowne to be a King, to rule: after he had gained a people, by his Priesthood, and Offring,Manifestation of Christs Offices. then he was to be a King to governe them▪ but his Propheticall Office is before the rest: he was all at the same time, but I speake in regard of manifestation: now to preach Christ, is to lay open these things.
And likewise the states,Christs states. wherein he executed his Office.1Humiliation First, the state of humiliation; Christ was first abased, and then glorified: the flesh he tooke upon him, was first sanctified, and then abased; and then he made it glorious flesh: he could not worke our salvation, but in a state of abasement;2Exalta…ion. he could not apply it to us, but in a state of exaltation and glory. To open the merits of Christ, what he hath wrought to his Father for us: To open his efficacie, as the spirituall Head of the Church, what wonders he workes in his children, by altering and raysing of them, by fitting and preparing them for Heaven: Likewise, to open all the Promises in Christ, they are but Christ dished and parcelled out; All the promises in Christ, are Yea and Amen: They are made for Christs sake, and performed for Christs sake, they are all but Christ severed into so many particular gracious blessings: To preach Christ, is to lay open all this, which is the inheritance of Gods people.
But it is not sufficient to preach Christ, Necessitie of application in Preaching.to lay open all this in the view of others; but in the opening of them, there must be application of them to the use of Gods people, that they may see their interest in them; and there must be an alluring of them, for to preach, is to wooe. The Preachers are Paranymphi, the friends of the Bridegroome, that are to procure the marriage between Christ and his Church: therefore, they are not onelyonly to lay open the Riches of the Husband, Christ; but likewise to intreat for a marriage, and to use all the gifts and parts that God hath given them, to bring Christ and his Church together.
Preaching of the Law.And because people are in a contrarie state to Christ; to preach Christ, is even to begin with the Law, to discover to people their estate by nature: a man can never preach the Gospel, that makes not way for the Gospel, by shewing and convincing people what they are, out of Christ. Who will marry with Christ, but those that know their owne beggerie and miserie, out of Christ? That he must be had of necessitie, or else they dye in debts eternally; he must be had, or else they are eternally miserable. Now, when people are convinced of this, then they make out of themselves to Christ. This therefore must be done, because it is in order that which makes way to the preaching of Christ; for, the full stomack despiseth an honycombe: Who cares for Balme, that is not sick? Who cares for Christ, that sees not the necessity of Christ? Thefore we see Iohn Baptist came before Christ, to make way for Christ, to levell the mountaines, to cast downe whatsoever exalts it selfe in man. He that is to preach, must discerne what mountaines there be betweene mens hearts and Christ, and he must labour to discover themselves to themselves, and lay flat all the pride of men in the dust; for, the Word of God is forcible to pull downe strong holds and imaginations, and to bring all into subjection to Christ. And indeed, though a man should not preach the Law;The Law wrapped in the Gospel. yet, by way of implication, all these things are wrapped in the Gospel. What need a Saviour, unlesse wee were lost? What need Christ to be Wisedome to us, if we were not fooles in our selves? What need Christ be Sanctification to us, if we were not defiled in our selves? Wat need he be Redemption, if we were not lost and sold in our selves to Satan, and under his bondage? Therefore, all is to make way for Christ; not onelyonly to open the Mysteries of Christ, but in the opening and application, to let us see the necessitie of Christ. In a word, being to bring Christ and the Church together, our ayme must be, to perswade people to come out of their estate they are in, to come and take Christ; whatsoever makes for this, that course we must use, though it be with never so much abasing of our selves. Therefore the Gospel is promulgate in a sweet manner;Manner of publishing t…e Go…pel. I beseech you, Brethren, by the mercies of God, &c. The Law comes with, Cursed, Cursed; but now in the Gospel, Christ is preached with sweet alluring; I beseech you, Brethren; and, we as Ambassadours beseech you, as if Christ by us did beseech you, &c. This is the manner of the dispensation in the Gospel, even to begge of people that they would be good to their owne soules. Christ (as it were) becomes a beggar himselfe; and the great God of Heaven and Earth begges our love, that we would so care for our owne soules, that we would be reconciled unto him. It was fitter indeed, we should begge of him; it was fit we should seeke to be reconciled to him: but God so stoupes in the dispensation and Ministerie of the Gospel, that he becomes a begger and suter to us, to be good to our soules; as if he had offended us, he desires us to be reconciled: the wrong is done on our part, yet he so farre transcends the doubtings of mans nature, that he would have nothing to cause mans heart to mis-give, no doubts nor scruples to arise; hee himselfe becomes a beseecher of reconciliation, as if he were the partie that had offended. This is the manner of the publication of the Gospel: I doe but touch things, to shew what it is to preach Christ.
Vse.Seeing then of necessitie there must be a dispensation, together with the Gospel;To magnifie this dispensation. let us labour to magnifie this dispensation of Preaching; that, together with Redemption, and the good things we have by Christ, we have also the Standard set up, and the Brazen Serpent lifted up by Preaching the unsearchable Riches of Christ unfolded to us. It is a blessed condition: Let us magnifie this Ordinance, (without disparaging other meanes of Reading &c.) This Preaching is that whereby God dispenseth salvation and grace ordinarily.
God dispenseth the Gospel by men.And God in wisedome sees it the fittest way to dispense his grace to men by men; why?
1To trie our obedience.To trie our obedience to the Truth it selfe; he would have men regard the things spoken, not for the person that speaks them, but for the excellencie of the things. If some glorious creatures, as the Angels, should preach to us, we should regard the excellencie of the Preachers, more then the Truth it selfe; we should beleeve the Truth, for the Messengers sake.
And then,2To knit man to man. God would knit man to man by bonds of love; now there is a relation betweene Pastor and people, by this ordinance of God.
And then,3As fitting our condition. it is more sutable to our condition; we could not heare God speake, or any more excellent creature: God magnifies his power the more, in blessing these weake meanes.
And it is more proportionable to our weakenesse, to have men that speake out of experience from themselves, that preach the Gospel, that they have felt the comfort of themselves; it works the more upon us.Why sinners preach to sinners. Therefore, those that first preached the Gospel, they were such as had felt the sweetnesse of it themselves first. S. Paul, a great sinner out of the Church; and S. Peter, in the Church; he fell, after he was in the state of Grace: that these great Apostles might shew to all people, that there is no ground of despaire, if we humble our selves; if they be sinnes out of the Church, if they be sinnes against the first Table; as Paul, he was a blasphemer; or against the second, he was a persecutor; yet he found mercy, notwithstanding: and for this end he found mercy (he sayth) that he might teach the mercy of God to others, that he might be an example of the mercy of God to others. And so, if we relapse, and fall, let none despaire: Peter, a great Teacher in the Church, an Apostle, see how foulely he fell. Now, when men subject to the same infirmities, shall discover the merciemercy of God out of the Booke of God, it workes the more upon us.
To have a right esteeme of Gods Ordinance.It is good for us to have a right esteeme of the Ordinances of God, because the prophane heart of man doth thinke it a needlesse matter.
Question.Some are ready to say; Cannot I as well reade privatly, at home?
Answer.Yes: but the use of private Exercises, with contempt of the publike,Private Exercise, with contempt of publike, cursed. they have a Curse upon them, instead of a Blessing. It is with such men as with those that gathered Mannah, when they should not; it stanke: Hath God set up an Ordinance for nothing; for us to despise? Is not he wiser, to know what is good for us, better then we doe for our selves? God accompanies his Ordinance with the presence of his blessed Spirit. The Truth read at home, hath an efficacy; but the Truth unfolded, hath more efficacy. As we say of Milke warmed,Simile. it is fitter for nourishment; and the raine from Heaven hath a fatnesse with it, and a speciall influence, more then other standing waters: so there is not that life, and operation, and blessing, that accompanies other means, that doth Preaching, being the ordinarie meanes, where it may be had.
Object.I, but this Ordinance of God, Preaching, it is only for the laying the foundation of a Church; it is not for a Church, when it is built: then, other helpes, or Prayer, and the like, without this, may suffice.
Those that have such conceits,Answer. they make themselves wiser then the Spirit of God: in S. Paul, Ephes. 4.we see in Ephes. 4. Christ, when he ascended on high, Vse of preaching.he led captivitie captive, he gave gifts to men, some Apostles, some Prophets, some Evangelists, for the edifying and building up of the Church. So that this Ordinance it is necessarie for building up still, and for the knitting of the members of Christ together still: Therefore, that is a vaine excuse.
Oh,Object. but what need much, lesse would fere he turne?
Thus people grow to contemne and despise this heavenly Mannah: Answer.Necessitie of much preaching.but those that are acquainted with their own infirmities, they thinke it a happinesse to have plentie: for, naturally we are dull, we are forgetfull, we are unmindfull; though we know, we doe not remember; and though we remember, yet we doe not minde things: we are naturally weake, and therefore we need all spirituall supports and helpes that may be, to keep the vessell of our soules in perpetuall good case: the more we heare, and know, the fitter we are for doing, and suffering; our soules are fitter for communion with God, for all passages both of life and death: therefore we cannot have too much care this way.
Oh, let us therefore chuse Maries part, the better part, that will never depart from us, and take heed of prophane conceits in this kind; it is to the prejudice of our soules. We must know, that whensoever God sets up an Ordinance, he accompanies it with a speciall blessing▪ And wee are not so much to consider men in it, but consider the Ordinance, which is his, and being his, there is a speciall blessing goes with the dispensation of the Word, by the Ministerie.
Object.Others object, they know it well enough; and therefore they need not to be taught.
Answer.The Word of God preached, it is not altogether to teach us,Religion not easily learned. but (the Spirit going with it) to worke grace, necessarie to strengthen us in the inward man. And those that say they know it enough, deceive themselves, they know it not: Religion is a Mysterie; and can it be learned at the first? There is no▪ Mysterie, but it requires many yeeres to learne: if it be but a handy-craft, men are six or seven yeeres learning it; and is Religion, and the Mysteries and depths of it learned so soone, thinke we? There is a Mysterie in every Grace, (in Repentance, in Faith, in Patience) that no man knowes, but those that have the Graces, what belongs to those Graces. Religion consists not in some parts, and abilities, to speake and conceive of these things; and yet that is hardly learned, being contrarie to our nature, having no seedes of these things: even the outside of Religion, that is the preparative to the inward, there is somewhat to doe, to bring our hearts to these things. But then, Religion it selfe it is a deepe Mysterie, it requires a great deale of learning.
Let us therefore set a price upon Gods Ordinance: there must be this dispensation;Simile. Christ must be preached; Preaching, is the Chariot that carryes Christ up and downe the world;Christ profits not, but as preached. Christ doth not profit, but as he is preached: For, supernaturall benefits, if they be not discovered, they are lost; as we say of Jewels, if they be not discovered, what is the glory of them? Therefore there must be a discoverie by Preaching, which is the Ordinance of God for that end. Whereupon God stirred up the Apostles before, that were the maine converters of the world: they had some Prerogatives above all other Preachers, they had an immediate Calling,Priviledge of Apostles. extraordinarie Gifts, and a generall Commission; in them, was established a Ministerie to the end of the world▪ Christ, when he ascended on high, and led captivitie captive, (he would give no meane Gift then, when he was to ascend triumphantly to Heaven) the greatest Gift he could give, was, some to be Prophets, some Apostles, some Teachers, for the building up of the Bodie of Christ, till we all meet a perfect man in Christ. I will send them Pastours according to my owne heart, sayth God,Ier 3. Ier. 3. It is a Gift of all Gifts, the Ordinance of Preaching; God esteemes it so, Christ esteemes it so, and so should wee esteeme it.
And to adde this further,Experience of the benefit of Preaching. to cleare it from whatsoever may rise up in any mans mind; doe but consider in experience, where Gods sets up his Ordinance, how many soules are converted; some are savingly cast downe, and then raysed up againe; their lives are reformed, they walke in the light, they know whither they goe, they can give an account of what they hold: the state of those that live under the Ordinance of God, is incomparably more lightsome, and comfortable, and glorious, then those that are in the darke, that want it. If we had no other argument, experience is a good argument. Where doth Poperie and prophanenesse reigne most? In those places where this Ordinance of God is not set up; for Poperie cannot endure the breath of the Gospel. Thus we see the necessitie and benefit of Preaching.
But then (in the next place) this Preaching it must be of Christ; Christ must be preached.
Question.But must nothing be preached but Christ?
Answer.I answer, nothing but Christ, or that that tends to Christ:Christ the object of preaching. if we preach threatnings, it is to cast men downe, that we may build them up; if a Physician purge, it is, that he may give Cordials: whatsoever is done in preaching, to humble men, it is to rayse them up againe in Christ; all makes way for Christ. When men are dejected by the Law, we must not leave them there, but raise them up againe: what ever we preach, it is reductive to Christ, that men may walke worthy of Christ. When men have beene taught Christ, they must be taught to walke worthy of Christ, and of their calling; that they may carry themselves fruitfully, and holily, and constantly, every way sutable for so glorious a profession, as the profession of Christian Religion is: The foundation of all these duties, must be from Christ; the graces for these duties, must be fetched from Christ; and the reasons and motives of a Christians conversation, must be from Christ, and from the state that Christ hath advanced us unto; the prevailing reasons of an holy life, are fetched from Christ. The grace of God hath appeared (sayth S. Paul, it hath shined gloriously) teaching us to denie all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts, and to live soberly and righteously and holily in this present evill world. So that Christ is the maine object of preaching. This made S. Paul, when he was among the Corinthians, to professe no knowledge of any thing, but of Christ, and him crucified; to esteeme and value nothing else: he had Arts, and Tongues, and parts, he was a man excellently qualified, but he made shew of nothing in his preaching, and in his value and esteeme, but of Christ, and the good things we have by Christ.
Now Christ must be preached wholly,Christ preached, how. and onelyonly, we must not take any thing from Christ, nor joyne any thing to Christ. The Galatians did but beleeve the necessitie of Ceremonies with Christ, and the Apostle tells them, Yee are fallen from Christ. It is a destructive addition, to adde any thing to Christ: Away with other satisfaction, the satisfaction of Christ is enough; away with merits, the merits of Christ are all-sufficient; away with merit of works, in matter of salvation, Christs righteousnesse is that that we must labour to be found in, and not in our owne; all is but dung and drosse, in comparison of the excellent righteousnesse we have in Jesus Christ. You must heare, and we must preach all Christ, and onelyonly Christ. S. Paul sayth, he was jealous with a holy jealousie over those he taught: why? Lest Satan should beguile them, and draw them from Christ, to any other thing. Why is the Church of Rome so erroneous; but because she leaves Christ, and cleaves to other things? Therefore we must labour to keepe chaste soules to Christ; and those that are true Preachers, and Ambassadours, and Messengers, they must be jealous with a holy jealousie over the people of God, that they looke to nothing but Christ.