Lectures Upon Philippians, Lectures · Chapter 1 · Lecture 8
LECTƲRE VIII.
PHILIP. 1.
Ve…ſe 8. For God is my record, how I long after you all from the very heart root in Ieſus Chriſt.
9. And this I pray, that your louelove may abound yet more and more in knowledge, and in all iudgement.
NOw then, the firſt thing which here I note, is the Apoſtles vehement proteſtation, not concerning any triuiall and ordinarie matter, but touching his ſincere and feruent louelove of the Philippians, nor to ſmall or no purpoſe, but to winne their attention vntounto the word of their ſaluation more gladly. For he proteſteth & ſweareth, an oath being nothing elſe but a calling of God to witneſſe of that wee ſpeake, for their aſſurance to whom wee ſweare, which whole definition is in this proteſtation; hee proteſteth ſayeth, and ſweareth vntounto the Philipp. that he longeth after them all, and greatly loueth them all from the very heart roote in Ieſus Chriſt, that ſo being perſwaded of his louelove, they might giuegive the better heed vntounto the things he wrote. Whence I obſerue that a proteſtation, or an oath by God, when the glory of God, or the good of our neighbour doth require it, may very lawfully bee made. And this is proued, firſt from the nature and definition of an oath. For, what is an oath? It is, as euen now we heard, an holy and religious calling of God to witnes, of the truth of that we ſpeake, for their aſſurance vntounto whom we ſpeake; as here the Apoſtle for the Philippians aſſurance of his ſincere louelove of them, calleth God to witnes how he longeth after them all, how greatly he loueth them all from the very heart root in Ieſus Chriſt. And what herein is vnbeſeeming a Chriſtian, or which may not lawfully be done? Secondly, it is proued from the expreſſe commaundement of God, for thus hath God commanded, ſaying,Deut. 6 13. Thou ſhalt feare the Lord thy God, and ſerue him, and ſhalt ſweare by his name. In which words, as to feare the Lord God, and to ſerue him, ſo to ſweare by his name is commanded. Thirdly, it is proued from the end of an oath, for the end of an oath is to decide debates, & to make an end of ſtrifes; as the Apoſtle ſheweth, ſaying,Heb. 6.16. that an oath for confirmation is among men an end of all ſtrife. And as Moſes in a plaine caſe ſheweth, ſaying, If a man deliuer to his neighbor to keepe Aſſe, or Oxe, Exo. 22.10.11.or Sheepe, or any beast, and it die, or be hurt, or taken away by enemies, and no man ſee it, an oath of the Lord ſhall bee betweene them twaine, that hee hath not put his hand vntounto his neighbours good, and the owner thereof ſhall take the oath, and he ſhall not make it good. And this being the end of an oath, why may it not lawfully be made? Fourthly, it is proued from the practiſe of holy men of God; for Abraham, as we reade, ſwore vntounto Abimelech by God,Gen. 21.23. 26.31. 31.53. that hee would not hurt him, nor his children, nor his childrens children: And Iſaac and Abimelech, afterwards ſware one to another, to the like purpoſe: And ſo Iacob and Laban ſware one to another, to the like purpoſe: Likewiſe our Apoſtle oftentimes in his Epiſtle proteſteth, and calleth God to witneſſe of that he ſaith, Rom. 1.9. 2. Cor. 1.23. & 12.19. And God himſelfe,Eſay 45.23. Heb. 6.13. becauſe hee had no greater to ſweare by, ſware by himſelfe, as it is ſaid in the Prophet, and as the Apoſtle witneſſeth. Laſtly, it is proued from a neceſſary conſequent, for if an oath be a part of Gods worſhip, will it not then neceſſarily follow, that an oath may lawfully be made? Now that an oath is a part of Gods worſhip, appeareth by many places of holy Scripture; as,Eſ. 19.18. where it is ſaid in the Prophet, In that day ſhall fiue Cities in the land of Aegypt ſpeake the language of Canaan, and ſhall ſweare by the Lord of hoſts, Ier. 4.2.that is, ſhall renounce their ſuperſtitions, and ſerue God as he hath appoynted. And againe, where it is ſaid, Thou ſhalt ſweare the Lord liueth in truth, in iudgement, and in righteouſnes. And therefore the Lord by that Prophet,5.7. in the next Chapter complaineth of Iudah, and Hieruſalem, that they had forſaken him: and how did that appeare? becauſe they ſwore by them that were no Gods: Thy children, ſaith he, hauehave forſaken mee, and ſworne hy them that are no Gods. So that to ſweare by them that are no Gods, is to forſake God. And why? becauſe it is to giuegive his worſhip to another, euen to them that are no Gods: which, who ſo doth, he forſaketh God.
O, but will the godly ſoule ſay, this needed not in ſuch a ſwearing age, to proue the lawfulnes of ſwearing; and will the curſed ſwearer ſay, this is well indeed, that I hauehave ſo good allowance for my ſwearing from the Preacher. Hearken therefore yet a while, and know how we may proteſt and ſweare lawfully. Firſt therefore, if wee will ſweare lawfully, we muſt ſweare by the name of God. For both the cōmandement & practiſe are ſo, as already we hauehave heard, & the reaſon therof is very plain: for who can witneſſe, that he that ſweareth lyeth not, but God onelyonly that beholdeth the heart, and knoweth what is in man? Or who is omnipotent and able to maintaine and defend him that ſpeaketh truth, or to puniſh and take vengeance on him that ſweareth a lye, but God onelyonly which is able to deſtroye both ſoule and bodie in hell? Secondly, if wee will ſweare lawfully wee muſt ſweare in truth,Ier. 4 2. in iudgement, and in righteouſneſſe. In truth, for the confirmation of the truth, becauſe wee may not call God to witneſſe a lye, leaſt hee giuegive vsus our portion with lyers and ſwearers, in the lake that euer burneth. In iudgement, vponupon cauſes weighty, certaine, and neceſſarie, when the glorie of God, or the good of our neighbour doth require it, becauſe we may not call God lightly, or raſhly to witneſſe vponupon triall, or vncertainetie, or vnneceſſarie cauſes, leaſt our iudgement be as theirs that take his name in vaine. In righteouſnes, for the confirmation of things godly, iuſt, and lawfull, becauſe wee may not call God to witnes things vngodly, vniuſt, or vnlawfull, leſt we be not holden guiltles for taking his name in vaine: for thus much thoſe three points imply. Thirdly, if we will ſweare lawfully, it muſt be when wee hauehave no other way of proofe of our words, or confirmation of our promiſe: for if otherwiſe the thing for which we are to ſweare can be debated, decided, & ended, then by an oath we are not to ſweare, as by the end of an oath it doth appeare, which is to end a ſtrife; ſo that where the ſtrife may otherwiſe be ended, there an oath is not to be vſed. Sweare then wee may lawfully, but not otherwiſe then by the name of God, and that in truth, and in iudgement, and in righteouſneſſe, and that when things cannot otherwiſe be cleared and ended then by an oath.
Which ſerueth firſt for the confutation of that error of the Anabaptiſts, who deny it to be lawfull for a Chriſtian to ſweare at all: the plaine contrary whereof wee hauehave heard euidently proued out of the ſcriptures. The places of ſcripture whereon they ground their error are two;Matth. 5.34, 35, 36, 37. Jam. 5.12. the one the ſaying of our bleſſed Sauiour in Matthew; the other the words of Iames in his Epiſtle. The ſaying of our Sauiour in Matthew is, Sweare not at all, neither by heauen, for it is the throne of God &c. The words of Iames are, Before all things ſweare not, neither by heauen, nor by earth, nor by any other oath &c. from both which places they conclude that a Chriſtian may not ſweare at all. For anſwer whereunto wee muſt vnderſtand, 1. that not all kindes of othes are forbidden in theſe places. 2. what kinde of othes are there condemned. For the firſt, that not all kinde of othes are forbidden in Mathew, appeareth by the very ſcope and drift of our Sauiour in that place. For what was his ſcope and drift there? It appeareth by his expoſition there of ſundry lawes, that his meaning was not to deſtroy the law, for ſo he ſaith,Mat. 5 17. I came not to deſtroy the Law and the Prophets; but his meaning was to purge the Law from the corrupt gloſſes of the Phariſees, and to open the true meaning of it, as he doth firſt in the Law touching murther, and then in the Law touching adulterie, and not in the Law touching ſwearing. The Law then not hauing ſimply forbidden ſwearing, neither doth our Sauiour ſimply condemne ſwearing Againe, if all kindes of othes be ſimply here forbidden, and onelyonly yea, and nay commanded, what ſhall we ſay for our Apoſtle that contenteth not himſelfe onelyonly with yea and nay? What ſhall we ſay for our Sauiour himſelfe, that not therewith content ſaith, Verily, verily, I ſay vntounto you? And againe, othes being a part of Gods worſhip, as before we heard, if all kinde of othes be here forbidden a Chriſtian, then is a part of Gods worſhip forbidden and condemned. Seeing then thus it may appeare, that not all kindes of othes are here forbidden, let vsus now ſee what kindes of othes are here forbidden and condemned. And this will appeare by a ſhort view of the corrupt gloſſes, which the Phariſees added to the Law touching ſwearing. The Law was, Thou ſhalt not forſweare thy ſelfe, but ſhalt performe thine othes to the Lord. Their gloſſe was, that if any ſweare by the name of God, or by the things that were immediatly belonging to the ſeruice of God, as by the gold of the Temple, or the offering on the Altar vainely or perfidiouſly, not performing his oath, he offendeth but if he ſweare by any other creature, as by heauen, or earth, or Ieruſalem, or his head, or the Temple, or the Altar, or any that is not God, hee offendeth not, nor is bound to performe his oath. Our Sauiour his expoſition of the Law againſt their gloſſe is, that not onelyonly to ſweare in our common talke by the name of God, but alſo to ſweare by any other creature is an offence againſt the Law. So that here are not forbidden othes made in truth, in iudgement, and in righteouſnes, but all othes in common talke, either by God, or by any creature whatſoeuer, or by any thing that is not God. Yea but it is ſaid, Sweare not at all. True, in common talke ſweare not at all, not by the name of God, for that the Law forbids, nor by any creature, although the Phariſees allow you, but let your communication be yea, yea; nay, nay. Nay I adde in great and weighty matters ſweare not at all, if any way you can auoide it, and when your yea, and nay may be truſted: for whatſoeuer is more then yea and nay, alwaies commeth of euill, euen of the deuill in thee if thou ſweare of a wicked cuſtome, and of euill in him to whom thou ſweareſt, if hauing no cauſe to diſtruſt thy yea and nay, he doe not truſt thee but cauſe thee to ſweare. The like anſwer is to be made to that of Iames, who vſeth the very words of our Sauiour. Yea, but Iames addeth, Sweare not by heauen, nor earth, nor by any other oath. True, not vainely, or perfidiouſly. So that no oath by God, or any creature in common talke is lawfull for any Chriſtian, nor in weighty and neceſſarie matters if wee can auoide it, but if wee cannot auoide it, an oath by the name of God in truth, in iudgement, and in righteouſnes is lawfull, the Anabaptiſts grounds as yee ſee prouing nothing to the contrary.
The ſecond vſe of our obſeruation is, to reſtraine the wicked othes of the prophane ſwearers of our time. For firſt are we when we ſweare, only to ſweare by the name of God, & not at all by any creature, or any thing that is not God? How then dareſt thou, whoſoeuer thou art, ſweare by the Maſſe, by thy faith, by thy troth, by our Lady, by St. George, or the like? Are theſe thy gods whom thou haſt made to ſerue them? Or dareſt thou giuegive the worſhip due vntounto God, vntounto any but vntounto him? Did the Lord threaten ruine vponupon Iſrael becauſe they ſwore by their idols in Dan, & Beerſheba, ſaying,Amos 8.14. they that ſweare by the ſinne of Samaria, and ſay, thy God O Dan liueth, and the maner of Beerſheba liueth, euen they ſhall fail, & neuer riſe vp againe, & dareſt thou ſweare by that idoll of the Maſſe, which was the ſinne of England, and is the ſinne of Rome? Did the Lord tell Iudah that her children had forſaken the Lord, becauſe they ſwore by them that were no Gods, ſaying, Thy children hauehave forſaken me, and hauehave ſworne by them that are no gods, Ier. 5.7.and dareſt thou ſweare by our Lady, by S. George, by S. Iohn, or S. Thomas, or the like, which are no gods? Doeſt thou not ſee that thus ſwearing thou forſakeſt God, and bringeſt ruine vponupon thy ſelfe? Did our bleſſed Sauiour tell the Scribes and Phariſees ſaying, Whoſoeuer ſweareth by the Altar ſweareth by it, Matth. 23.20, 21, 22.and by all things thereon; and whoſoeuer ſweareth by the Temple ſweareth by it, and him that dwelleth therein; and whoſoeuer ſweareth by heauen ſweareth by the throne of God, and by him that ſitteth thereon; and doeſt thou thinke that when thou ſweareſt by thy faith, thou ſweareſt not by him in whom thou beleeueſt; or when thou ſweareſt by thy troth, that thou ſweareſt not by him in whom thou truſteſt &c? In one word, thou that commonly ſweareſt by any thing that is not God, tell me what thinkeſt thou, doeſt thou therein ſweare by God, or no? If ſo, then thou takeſt his name in vaine, and he will not hold thee guiltles. If no, then thou forſakeſt God, in that thou ſweareſt by that which is no God. And looke then what comes vponupon thy ſwearing by any creature, or any thing that is not God.
Againe, are we when we ſweare not to ſweare by any creature, or any thing that is not God, but onelyonly by the name of God, and not thereby, but onelyonly in truth, in iudgement, and in righteouſnes, and when things otherwiſe cannot be cleared and ended? How then dareſt thou, ô wretched man, in thine ordinarie talke, vponupon eueryevery fond and light occaſion, no neceſſitie of Gods glory, or thy neighbors good vrging, ſweare by the holy name of God, and of Ieſus Chriſt? How doth not thy fleſh & thy ſpirit tremble within thee? how doth it not pierce thy very heart and ſoule to ſweare by the life, by the body, by the ſides, by the wounds, by the bloud of Chriſt Ieſus? Doeſt thou, curſed wretch, hope to liue by his life that ſweareſt by his life; hope to be benefited by his bodie, that ſweareſt by his body; hope to be healed by his wounds, that ſweareſt by his wounds; hope to be waſhed from thy ſinnes by his bloud, that ſweareſt by his blod? Nay, thou that doſt theſe things, doſt crucifie againe vntounto thy ſelfe the Sonne of God. Thou art one of them that ſpitteſt vponupon him, and buffeteſt him, that nayleſt him vntounto the croſſe, that thruſteſt thy ſpeare into his ſide, that art acceſſary to the death of that iuſt one, and his bloud ſhall ſurely be vponupon thee, vnleſſe he grant thee grace vntounto repentance. A pittifull caſe that a man can almoſt come into no place, into no companie, but he ſhall heare ſuch ordinarie ſwearing by the name of God, that eueryevery third word almoſt ſhall be ſuch an oath. A pitifull caſe that a man cannot paſſe the ſtreets, but he ſhall heare little ones that hauehave little more then learned to ſpeake, yet ſweare wickedly by the name of God. And yet ſo it is, as if our yong ones had neuer learned to ſpeake, till they had learned to ſweare, and as if the elder ſort had neuer ſpoken well, till they had ſworne luſtily. A great many thinke themſelues no bodie, vnleſſe they can ſweare it with the beſt, and that it is their credit to ſweare ſtoutly. But wretched credit with men, that is got with the loſſe of Gods fauour: and better no bodie, then ſuch a ſwearing bodie. Heare the word of the Lord by his Prophet Zachary, this ſaith he is the curſe that goeth forth ouer the whole earth: Zac. 5.3, 4.for eueryevery one that ſtealeth ſhall be cut off, aſwell on this ſide as on that, and eueryevery one that ſweareth &c. Enough a man would thinke to make the ſwearers countenance change, and his knees to ſmite one againſt another.
Let this be enough, beloued, to warne you of this foule ſinne of ſwearing, and to reſtraine you from it. Sweare not at all in your common talke, either by God, for then he will not hold you guiltles; or by any thing that is not God, for then yee forſake God, but let your communication be yea, yea, and nay, nay. Let not your children, or your ſeruants, or your ſcholars ſweare by any thing that is not God; leſt in ſtead of performing their promiſe in their baptiſme to forſake the deuill, they forſake God: Neither let them ſweare by the name of God, leſt by vſing it without reuerence & feare, they prouoke him to plague them. You muſt all of you know and remember, that his name is glorious and fearefull, that he is a ielous God and a conſuming fire, and therefore ye may not thinke or ſpeake of him, but with reuerence and humbleneſſe, with feare and trembling. To conclude this point, He that vſeth much ſwearing, ſaith the ſonne of Sirach,Eccl. 23.11. ſhall be filled with wickednes, and the plague ſhall neuer goe from his houſe, and if he ſweare in vaine he ſhall not be innocent, but his houſe ſhall be full of plagues. Accuſtome not therefore thy mouth to ſwearing, nor take vp for a cuſtome the naming of the holy One; 9. 10.for as a ſeruant which is often puniſhed cannot be without ſome skarre, ſo hee that ſweareth and nameth God continually, ſhall not be vnpuniſhed for ſuch things. HaueHave your faith and your troth with God, but let your communication be yea, yea, and nay, nay, for whatſoeuer is more then this commeth of euill. Pardon my dwelling on this point, being ſo needfull to be ſpoken of, and hauing occaſion but ſeldome to ſpeake of it.
The ſecond thing which here I note, is the thing whereof the Apoſtle maketh ſuch vehement proteſtation, which is his ſincere louelove of the Philippians. Hee proteſteth and taketh God to witnes, that he longeth after them all, or greatly loueth them all from the very heart roote in Ieſus Chriſt. Whence I obſerue how the Paſtor ought to be affected towards his people, and generally one Chriſtian towards another, and that is thus, the Paſtor ought to louelove his people, and one Chriſtian ought to louelove another, euen with ſincere louelove. Owe nothing ſaith the Apoſtle,R…m. 13.8. to any man, but to louelove one another. Which rule is generall for all Chriſtians, and conteineth in it two good inſtructions; the one, to flie debt, that we ſhould not owe any thing one to another; the other, to follow after louelove, that wee ſhould louelove one another. And writing vntounto Timothie more particularly, hee noteth the Paſtors louelove of his people, where hee ſaith,1 Tim. 4.12. Be an enſample vntounto them that belieue in word, in conuerſation, in louelove; in louelove I ſay, that as they ſee your louelove to be towards them, ſo their louelove may be one towards another: euen as the Apoſtle prayeth for the Theſſalonians, ſaying,1 Theſſ 3.12. The Lord encreaſe you, and make you to abound in louelove one towards another, and towards all men, euen as we do towards you. Wherin his louelove towards them is ſignified, the louelove which ſhould be in the Paſtor towards his flocke, that as his is towards them, ſo theirs might be one towards another.
But ſince there are ſo many ſleights in louelove, how can Chriſtians ſhew that they louelove one another, and Paſtors that they louelove their people euen with ſincere louelove? that is, our louelove muſt be a great louelove, ſo great, that if we be abſent from them whome wee louelove, we long after them with a longing deſire to ſee them, that if we be their Paſtors, wee may beſtowe ſome ſpirituall comfort among them, and if otherwiſe, that we may performe ſome duties of louelove vntounto them. Such was our Apoſtles louelove to the Romanes, as he witneſſeth, where he ſaith,Rom. 1.11. that hee longed to ſee them, that he might bestow vponupon them ſome ſpirituall guift to ſtrengthen them. Such alſo was Epaphroditus louelove towards theſe Philippians, as our Apoſtle witneſſeth in the next chapter, verſe 26. And ſuch was his owne towards them, as this place ſheweth. And ſuch after their example, muſt bee the louelove of all Paſtors towards their people, and of all Chriſtians one towards another, if their louelove be ſincere. Yea, but ſuch and ſo great may be their louelove one towards another, as that they greatly long and deſire to ſee one another, and yet their louelove be not heartie, but full of diſſimulation. True, and therefore a ſecond qualitie is requiſite in ſincere louelove, namely, that it be without diſſimulation, euen from the very heart roote. Such louelove our Apoſtle requireth in all Chriſtians one towards another,Rom. 12.9. ſaying, Let louelove bee without diſſimulation. 1 Pet. 1.22.And ſo the Apoſtle Peter, ſaying, LoueLove one another with a pure heart feruently. Such was our Apoſtles louelove towards the Philippians, louing and longing after them from the very heart roote: and ſuch muſt be the louelove of all Paſtors towards their people, and of all Chriſtians one towards another, if their louelove bee ſincere. Yea, but yet ſuch, and ſo great may bee their louelove one towards another, as that they long one after another, euen from the very heart roote, and yet their louelove be not ſincere, but after the fleſh, as the manner of many carnall men and worldlings is to louelove;Gen. 33.3. as we ſee that Shechems heart claue vntounto Dinah. True, and therefore yet a third qualitie is requiſite in ſincere louelove, namely, that it be in the Lord, euen in Chriſt Ieſus, a ſpirituall, holy, and ſanctified louelove in Chriſt, and for him. Such was our Apoſtles louelove towards the Theſſalonians, 1 Theſ. 2.7.as himſelfe witneſſeth, ſaying, We were gentle among you, euen as a Nurſe cheriſheth her Children. Thus being affectioned towards you, 8.our good will was to hauehave dealt vntounto you, not the Goſpell of God onelyonly, but alſo our owne ſoules, becauſe ye were deare vntounto vsus. And a little after he ſaith,11. We exhorted you, and comforted, and beſought eueryevery one of you, as a father his children. And ſuch, hee taketh God to witneſſe, his louelove was towards the Philippians. And ſtill the precepts runne, to louelove one another in the Lord, and ſuch muſt be the louelove of Paſtors towards their people, and of Chriſtians one towards another, if their louelove be ſincere, they muſt long after them in their abſence from them, and that from the very heart roote, and that in Ieſus Chriſt.
If Paſtors ſhould examine their louelove towards their people, and Chriſtians their louelove one towards another by this rule; how much ſincere louelove (thinke yee) would there bee found either in Chriſtians generally, or in Paſtors particularly? For ſuch is mens louelove generally, that they doe not greatly long after one another to ſee them, if they be abſent from them, at leaſt, not from the verie heart roote, or ſurely, not in Chriſt Ieſus. Nay, be we ab…ent from them, or they from vsus, we care not whether we …ee them againe, or no, but to long after them, or to louelove …hem from the very heart roote, that we thinke needs not; or, if we doe, it is in ſome carnall or worldly reſpect, not for Chriſt Ieſus his ſake, or in Chriſt Ieſus. Nay, commonly wee can ſatisfie our ſelues well enough with our louelove of one another, as Chriſtian inough, ſincere inough, and holy enough, though in our louelove there bee neuer a one of theſe qualities, though neither we long after them from the very heart roote, in Chriſt Ieſus; nor long after them from the verie heart roote, nor long after them at all. And as it is with men generally, ſo is it with the Paſtors particularly. Too many that can bee long abſent from their flockes, and yet not long after them to ſee them, to beſtowe ſome ſpirituall gift vponupon them: too many that louelove not their flockes, from the very heart rootes: too many that louelove their flockes onelyonly for their fleece, but not in Chriſt Ieſus: but very few like vntounto Aaron, beare the names of their people before the Lord,Exod. 28.12. vpō their two ſhoulders for a remēbrance: very few that beare as Aaron the names of their people in a breaſtplate vpō their hart, that is,29. very few that hauehave their people in their hearts, to deale vntounto them not the goſpel only, but alſo their own ſoules, becauſe they are deare vntounto thē, whereas it ſhould be ſo with all Paſtors. Well, ye ſee what louelove ſhould be, both in a Paſtor towards his people, and generally in all Chriſtians one towards another. Thinke on theſe things, and bleſſed ſhall yee bee if yee thinke on them, and doe them.