Light from Heaven, Part 14
Christ must be preached, But to whom? To the Gentiles.
Christ pre…ched to the Gentiles.Here lyes the Mysterie, that Christ, who was manifest in the flesh justified in the Spirit, &c. should be preached to the Gentiles. What were the Gentiles? Before Christs time,What the Gentiles. they were Dogges, in our Saviour Christs censure; Shall I give the Childrens Bread to Dogges? Before Christs time, they sate in darknesse, and in the shadow of death: Before Christs time, they were the halt, and the lame, that He, the great Feast-maker, sent to bid come in: they were aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel; without Christ, without God in the world; without God, because they were without Christ. It is not to be imagined, in what misery the poore Gentiles were, before the comming of Christ, except some few Proselytes, that joyned themselves to the Iewish Church; for the Gentiles worshipped Devils: What were all their gods, but Devils? They were under the Kingdome of Satan, when the Gospel came to be preached among them; they were translated out of the Kingdome of Satan, into the blessed and glorious Kingdome of Christ, Coloss. 1.Coloss. 1. Yet we see here, notwithstanding they were such kind of people, the Mysterie of the Gospel is preached to these, to the Gentiles.
It was such a Mysterie, as that S. Peter himselfe, although he were acquainted with it, oft times by Christ, and he might reade of it in the Prophets; yet notwithstanding he was to be put in mind of it,Act. 10. Act. 10. when he was to goe to Cornelius, he saw a Vision full of Beasts, and a Voice saying, Kill, and eate: and indeed, the Gentiles were little better then Beasts; they were esteemed so, before they had the Gospel; and the preaching of it to them, you see it was a Mysterie to S. Peter himselfe.
But,Object. why did God suffer the Gentiles to walke in their owne wayes? Act 14.16.as the Apostle saith, Act. 14.16. Why did he neglect and over-looke the Gentiles, and suffer them to goe on in their owne wayes, so many thousand yeeres before Christ came; were they not Gods creatures, as well as the Iewes?
I answer;Why the Gentiles strayed so long. this is a Mysterie, that God should suffer those wittie people, that were of excellent parts, to goe on in their owne wayes. But there was matter enough in themselves; we need not call God to our Barre, to answer for himselfe; they were malicious against the Light they knew; they imprisoned the light of nature that they had,Rom. 1. as it is Rom. 1. they were unfaithfull in that they had: therefore, besides that it is a Mysterie, God may well be excused. Doe but looke to the judgement that some of the Heathens had of divine things, what reprobate and malicious judgements they had, how basely they esteemed of the Iewes? Tully.the Iewish Nation, sayth Tully, shew how God regards them, in that she hath beene overcome so oft by Nebuchadnezzar, and Pompey, &c. What a reasoning was this? And that proud Historian Tacitus, Tacitus.how scornfully doth he speake of Christians? It is not to be imagined, the pride that was in the Heathens against the Iewish Religion, especially the Christian Religion, how they scorned and persecuted it, in the beginning of it. So you see, in the best of the Heathen men there was matter and ground of Gods just condemning of them: therefore we need not quarrell with God against that.
Object.But here is another Mysterie; Why the Gentiles, being all alike naught,A Mysterie in calling the Gentiles. God should leave the better of the Gentiles, and reveale Christ to the worst? Were not Socrates, and Plato, and such like, more goodly Moralists then the Corinths, & Ephesians? What kind of people were the Corinthians? A proud people, Fornicator, Idolaters, as the Apostle sayth, such were some of you; here is a Mysterie.
Answer.It is Gods soveraigntie, we must let God doe what he will; he will be mercifull to whom he will be mercifull, and he will neglect whom he will, sayth Austin, we must be very reverent in these matters; it is most safe to commit all to God, and usurpe no judgement here; it is a Mysterie: yet there is some satisfying reason may be given, why the Gentiles were called, when Christ came in the flesh, and not before; besides, many Prophesies foretold that it should be so, and some reason may be given why it was so.
Because they were to be incorporate to the Iewes, Why the Gentiles were not called, till Christs comming.to be fellow-Citizens with the Church of the Iewes, they were to be of Gods Household; as it is excellently and largely set down in Ephes. 2.Ephes 2. Now Christ comming, tooke downe the partition-…all: Christ is the Center in whom they meet, in whom they are one; therefore they met one with another when Christ came, because he is the Saviour of both; he is the Corner-stone, wherupon both are built: so that now they are fellow-Citizens, since Christ came.
And you see in the Genealogie of Christ,Christ came both of Iewes and Gentiles. he came both of Iewes and Gentiles, as we see in Ruth: Divers of our Saviours Ancestors, they were Gentiles as well as Iewes; to shew, that he that came of both, he came to be the Saviour of both. But it is the safest (as I said before) in these Quaere's, to rest in the wise unsearchable dispensation of God; and rather be thankfull, that God hath reserved us to these times, and places of knowledge, then to aske why our fore-fathers did not know Christ.Double Spring of the Gospel. We enjoy a double Spring of the Gospel, and the benefits of it. First, we were delivered from Heathenisme: what kind of people were we in Iulius Caesars time? barbarous people. And after when Poperie came in, God delivered us from that; there was a second Spring. Yet how few give God praise, that hath had merciemercy on us Gentiles, that hath delivered us from Gentilisme and from the darkenesse of Poperie? but we grow wearie of Religion, as they did of Manna.
What use to make of the Gospel.Let us therefore make good use of it, that God hath beene mercifull to us Gentiles, in these later times. And let us that are borne in the precincts of the Church, helpe our faith in the time of temptation this way: Certainely, God meanes well to my soule; I might have beene borne before, in times of ignorance, and places of ignorance, and never have heard of Christ: but I have beene baptized, and admitted into the Church; and by that, there is an Obligation; before I understood my selfe, I was bound to beleeve in Christ; God was so carefull of my soule, when I understood nothing, that there should be a Bond for me, to beleeve in Christ: if God had not meant well to my soule, I should not have lived so much as to heare of the Gospell. Thus we should gather upon God, as the woman of Canaan did upon our Saviour Christ, and fight against all distrust, and unbeleefe, and all temptations of Satan, that present God as though he cared not for us: there cannot be too much art, and skill, to helpe our Faith this way.
Againe, the Gentiles have now interest in Christ, since the comming of Christ, and not before; it is a Mysterie: it were not a Mysterie, if the Gentiles had had interest in Christ, and beene within the Pale of the Church before.
There are severall degrees of the dispensation of salvation.Severall degrees of the dispensation of salvation. There is first, the ordaining of salvation; that was, before all Worlds. And then the Promise of salvation; that was, when Adam fell. Then, there is the procuring of salvation promised; that was by Christ, when he came in the flesh. Then, there is the promulgation, and enlarging of salvation to all people; this was, after Christ was come in the flesh. Then, there is the perfect consummation of salvation, in Heaven. Now the execution of the Promise, and the performance of all good concerning salvation, it was reserved to Christs comming in the flesh; and the enlargement of the Promise to all Nations, was not till then. I doe but touch this to shew, that God hath had a speciall care of this latter Age of the World. Some account the fi…st Age of the World, to be a Golden Age; the next, Silver; and then, an Iron Age: but indeed, we may invert the order; we live in the Golden Age, the last Ages, when Christ was manifested: What is the glory of times, and places? The manifestation of Christ. The more Christ is layd open with his unsearcheable riches, the more God glorifies those times, and places; and that is the Golden Age, where the Gospel is preached.
Therfore, we cannot be too much thankfull for that wondrous favour that we have enjoyed so long time together, under the glorious Sun-shine of the Gospel.
Ground of enlarging the Gospel to other people.Hence we have a ground likewise of enlarging the Gospel to all people, because the Gentiles now have interest in Christ; that Merchants, and those that give themselves to Navigation, they may with good successe carry the Gospel to all people: There are none shut out now, since Christ, in this last Age of the World; and certainely, there is great hope of those Westerne people. We see the Gospel hath imitated the course of the Sunne; The Sunne of Righteousnesse hath shined like the Sun in the Firmament: the Sunne begins East, and goes to the West; so the Gospel, it began in the Easterne parts; it hath left them, they are under the Turkish barbarous tyrannie at this time; the Gospel is now come to the Westerne parts of the World: For, Christ will take an holy state upon him, and will not abide long where he is dis-esteemed, where the Gospel is under-valued, and blended with that which is prejudiciall to the sinceritie of it, when there is little care had what men beleeve: The state of the Gospel, and Truth, is such, that if it be mingled over-much with Heterogeneall stuffe, it over-throwes it; and Christ will not endure this indignitie. Therefore, let us take heed, that we keepe Christ and his Truth with us exactly; and let us take heed of sinning against the Gospel, if we would have it stay with us; especially, of sinnes immediatly against the Gospel:Sinnes against the Gospel. as for instance;
1Superstition.Take heed of joyning Superstition and Popish ▪ trash with it, or the like, that will cat out the very heart of the Gospel, and sets up man in the place of Christ.2Decay in love.
Againe, take heed of decaying in our first love: We see God threatneth the Church of Ephesus, for not cherishing and maintaining her first love; that he would remoove not onelyonly the Gospel, but the Candlestick, the Church it selfe; for securitie in abundance and plentie, and decay in her first love, God threatneth, that he will scatter the Candlestick, the Church it selfe, into forraine places.
Againe,3Vnfruitfulnes. a sinne against the Gospel, is unfruitfulnesse under it: When men shall have the blessed influence of the Gospel, the Soule-saving Truth, the good Word to be long among them; and to be as barren under it, as if they were Pagans: For the Gospel to have no more power over our soules, then if we had no Gospel at all: That there is no difference betweene us and Heathens, in regard of our conversations: To goe no further then they; nay, not so farre in honestie, and justice, and sobrietie: Let us take heed of these and the like sinnes against the Gospel. And I say, it should be a ground of labouring the conversion of those that be Savages, be they never so barbarous, to labour to gaine them to Christ.Hinderances to the conversion of Pagan. There are indeed some hinderances: there be Iannes and Iambres among them, instruments of the Devil, to keepe them in blindnesse and ignorance; and then custome, that they are bred in, (which prevailes most with the sorriest people) for ignorant people, that have their wits determined to one way they are so strong in it, as they are not to be untaught; as it is hard to teach a Beast, because he is taught to goe one way, for want of varietie of conceptions, being void of reason: now, people by nature are little better then Beasts; therefore they are so fixed and determined in that way they are brought up in, and are so settled by the Devill and those Priests among them, and by the tyrannie of those that have come among them, the Spaniards, &c. that hath hindred their conversion much: yet take them as bad as they can be, God hath a time for them. What were wee of this Nation sixteene hundred yeeres agone? There is a fulnesse of the Gentiles to come in; and certainely, it is not yet come, fully: For, it is probable, nay, more then probable, that there are some people that never had the Gospel; and the fulnesse of the Gentiles must come in, before the other Mysterie of the calling of the Iewes. I speake it, to encourage those that have interest that way, not to take violent courses with them. There is nothing so voluntarie as Faith; it must be wrought by perswasions, not by violence: and there is a ground of encouragement hence, that since the comming of Christ, there is a libertie for all Nations to come in, Christ must be preached to the Gentiles.
Gospel preached, the excellencie of a Nation.To conclude this point; let us consider, that we are those Gentiles, that have enjoyed this preaching of Christ; and it is the glorie of our Nation: it is not our strength, or riches, or any ornament above others, that sets us forth so much as this, that we have the Gospel preached among us, that these blessed streames runne so plentifully every where among us. Let us labour to value this inestimable benefit: Where the Gospel is not preached, there the places are Salt-pits, despicable places, whatsoever they are else, as it is in Ezechiel; they are under the Kingdome of Satan: it is the glory of a Nation, to have the Truth among them. The glory of Israel was gone, when the Arke was taken: the Religion and Truth we enjoy, it is our Arke; our glory is gone, if we part with that. Therefore, whatsoever God takes from us, let us desire that he would still continue the Gospel of Truth; that he would still vouchsafe to dwell among us, and not leave us. What were all things in the world besides, if we had not the blessed Truth of God? we must leave all ere long. Therefore let us labour to have the eyes of our understanding enlightened, to conceive aright of the difference of things, and to value our selves by this, that Christ is manifested to us; and thereby we have interest in Christ, more then by any interest and part and portion in the world besides: for then Christ will delight to be with us still, when we make much of him, and esteeme, and prize, and value him.