The Treasure of the Church, Lecture 17
The seuenteenth Lecture.
Verse 25. O righteous father, the world also hath not knowne thee.
IN these verses following, the meanes are expressed whereby we may attaine vntounto euerlasting glory, described in the former verse, and they are two: the knowledge of God, vers. 25. and the liuely sense and feeling of Gods louelove, verse 26. First, in this verse our Sauior sheweth, that the world is vtterly ignorant of God, and void of true knowledge.
1. As the Euangelist testifieth, The blindnes & ignorance of the world.He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not, Iohn 1. 10. So the Apostle rehearseth out of the Psalme, There is none that vnderstandeth, none that seeketh after God, Rom 3. 11.
2. Such a worldly man was Pharao, who prophanely said: I know not the Lord, neither wil I let Israel go, Exod. 5. 2. Such an ignorant person and blasphemous wretch was the messenger of the King sent for Elisha: Behold this euil (saith he) commeth of the Lord, why should I waite on the Lord any longer. 2. Kin. 6. 33.
3. Like as a foole or ideot knoweth not the way into the citie; such fooles are all wordly men, that know not the way which leadeth to the celestiall Ierusalem, Eccles. 10. 15. who are herein worse then the oxe or asse, which know their owner and their masters crib, Isay 13. but these hauehave no knowledge of God, who made them and dayly feedeth them.
4. The cause of this ignorance of the world, is the hardnes of their heart. Eph. 4 18, because through their corrupt and froward affections, they corrupt that light of nature which they hauehave, Because when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankefull, but became vaine in their imaginations, and their foolish hart was full of darknesse, Rom. 1. 21.
5. We see then what a dangerous thing it is, not to hauehave the knowledge of God, and to be ignorant of his wayes: all such are as yet of the world, and being of the world are vnderunder the regiment and kingdome of Satan: vnderunder Christs protection they are not, for he prayeth not for the world, Iohn 17. 9. This should be a caueat to all those, who, some of contempt, some of negligence, care not for the knowledge of God or his word. Ambrose well saith, duplicate page duplicate page Leprae medicina verbū est, Lib. 5 in Luc.contemptus vtique verbi, lepra mentis est: The word is the medicine for the leprosie of the soule, the contempt then of the word, maketh the soule leprous. Though a man had no other sins to condēne him (& yet ignorāce cānot be alone,Ignorance a sufficiēt cause of condemnation. but hath other sinnes following it) it were a sufficient cause of condemnation, that he regardeth not to know God: as the Prophet saith▪ My people go into captiuitie, because they hauehave no knowledge, Isay 5. 13.
But I know him, Doct. 2.and these hauehave known that thou hast sent me. Al holy knowledge deriued from Christ.We know God, because Christ first knoweth, and by him and from him his members also know: so that Christ to his church is the fountaine and author of all spirituall knowledge.
1. No man hath seene God at any time, the onelyonly begotten sonne, which is in the bosome of the father, he hath declared him. Iohn 1. 18.
2. Nicodemus til he came to Christ, was ignorant of the first principles of Christian religiō, he knew not what it was to be born again, Iohn 3. The holy Apostle could not find out true knowledge at the feete of Gamaliel, nor in the sect of the Pharises: he was taught the Gospell by no other meanes, but by the reuelation of Iesus Christ, Galat. 1. 12. neither had Zacheus euer be come the child of Abraham, if he had not come downe from the figge tree and followed Christ, Luke 19.
3. So that as the Israelites could neuer hauehave found out the way to the promised land, through the vast and vnknowne wildernesse, vnlesse Christ had gone before them in a cloudie piller by day, and a fiery piller by night: and like as Moses could neuer hauehave described the forme and fashion of the tabernacle, if the Lord had not first shewed it him in the mount: so as impossible it is, without Christs direction in his word, to find out the way to eternal life. He is therefore that oliue tree, that doth conuey into the candlesticke of the church, that oile and fatnesse, whereby the light thereof is cherished and preserued, Zach. 4.
4. For none in heauen or in earth was found worthy to open the book of Gods secrets, and to looke thereon, but onelyonly the lambe, Reu. 5. 3. 9. The booke had remained sealed still, if Christ had not taken the booke out of the right hand of him that sate vponupon the throne, and opened the seales thereof.
5. First then their blind endeuor is condemned, which by the light of nature thinke to find out the truth. The Philosophers among the heathen,A vaine labor to seeke for true wisdome without Christ. and wise among the Gentiles, much busied themselues to find out the truth, but they labored in vaine. The three wise-men that came from the East, did not content them selues with their humane wisedome and natural experience, but followed the conduct of the starre to seeke for Christ. If Saul must hauehave a prophet to tell him what was become of his fathers asses; to find out heauen, hath much more need of a propheticall light.
Secondly, all carnal and secure persons are admonished, that if they desire knowledge, they should seek it at Christs hands in his word: it is no maruell that so many yet continue in ignorance, seeing they despise the meanes of knowledge. Heauen cannot be scaled without Iacobs ladder, the top whereof resteth vponupon Christ, Gen. 28. Amb. serm. 14▪ in Psal. 1 19.One well saith, Nemini credas tuum, nisi praeeunte lucernae istius luce processum, sit fides itineris tui praeuia, sit tibi iter scriptura diuina: Trust no man to direct thee, vnles this light go before: let faith be the foreman in thy iorney, and let thy way be by the scripture.
Verse 26.Doct. 3. And I hauehave declared vntounto them thy name, and will declare it.] Here our Sauior promiseth the perpetuall assistance of his spirit, and continuall declaration of his word to his church,God will neuer leaue his Church destitute of his word. that as he had preached and declared it, so he would still instruct his seruants, & not leaue his church destitute of the ministerie of his word.
1. Thus the Lord promiseth by his prophet: I will make my couenant with them, saith the Lord, my spirit that is vponupon thee, & the words which I hauehave put in thy mouth shal not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of the seed of thy seed (saith the Lord) from henceforth, euen for euer. Isay 59. 21.
2. Thus our Sauiour leauing the world, ordained his Apostles in his stead, to be witnesses of him to the ends of the world. Act. 1. 8. The Apostles also constituted Euangelists, as Timothy, 2. Tim. 1. 6. To second their work, the Euāgelists ordained Bishops, Pastors and Elders in eueryevery citie Tit. 1. 5. to finish the work of the Gospell.
3. For like as it is not enough to sow the corne, and cast it into the earth, but it must hauehave both the first and latter raine, Ioel 2. 23. so it is necessary that Apostles & other succeeding Ministers, should water that which Paul and the other Apostles had planted, 1. Cor. 3. 6. And like as after the house is builded, it must be continually repaired, lest through the idlenesse of the hands the house drop through, Eccl. 10. 18. so after the foundation laid, and building finished by Christ and his Apostles the chiefe builders, others must be raised vp to repaire the ruines of Gods house.
4. Therefore as Saint Paul saith, Christ gaue some to be Apostles, some Prophets, some Euangelists, some Pastors and teachers, for the gathering together of the saints the work of the ministery, the edificatiō of the body of Christ, Eph. 4. 11. So that al these offices are necessary, Prophets to assist, Apostles and Euangelists to second Prophets, Pastors and teachers to succeed Euangelists, that all the Saints in all ages may be gathered together, and the whole body of Christ edified.
5. How much then are we to giuegive thankes vntounto God, for this his prouident care ouer his church, neuer leauing the same destitute of his word, which we see to the praise of God this day: for God hath furnished this Church of England with such abundance of learned pastors, as I thinke few churches in the world may compare with it. So that as Elias ascending, left his spirit doubled vponupon Elisha: as Ambrose well noteth,Ambros. Epist. 60. O haereditas preciosa, in qua plus haeredi relinquitur, quàm habetur: mirum in modum plus Helias gratiae dimisit in terris, quam secum portauit ad coelos: A precious inheritance, wherein more is left to the heire, then was first had; Elias leaueth more grace in earth, then he caried to heauen: so I doubt not but many faithfull seruants of God departed this life, hauehave transmitted their spirit and giftes double vponupon their posteritie. Seeing Christ then hath such care to instruct his flocke, as he hath declared his word, so doth yet and will further declare: let no man despise this so great riches, but profit more and more by the ministerie of the word, that the oftener it is declared, the greater may be our increase in faith: that as Gods graces are doubled vponupon our teachers, so they may be multiplied also vponupon the hearers.
That the louelove wherewith thou hast loued them, Doct. 4.may be in them: that is, they may hauehave a liuely sense & feeling of the louelove of God:Knowledge without sense and feeling fruitlesse. that as they abound in knowledge, so they may also be quickned in the liuely feeling and apprehension of it.
1. This is that which the Apostle saith: That ye may be able to comprehend with all Saints, what is the breadth, length, depth and height▪ and to know the louelove of Christ which passeth knowledge. Ephes. 3. 18. 19.
2 Such sense of the louelove of Christ the Apostle Paul had, who thus in particular professeth of himselfe: Christ loued me, and gaue himselfe for me, Gal. 2. 20. Thus also the prophet Dauid spake from his inward feeling of Gods goodnesse toward him: how deare are thy thoghts toward me, ô God, how great is the sum of them! Psal. 132. 17.
3. Like as Iob saith, I hauehave heard of thee by the hearing of the eare, but now mine eye seeth thee. Iob 42. 5. so they which hauehave only a speculatiue knowledge of God, do heare as with the eare; but they that hauehave an inward feeling and experience of his louelove, do see him with the eye: this the prophet Dauid calleth, the tast of the soule: Tast ye and see how gracious the Lord is, Psa. 34▪ 8. Like as Manna, though pleasant to the sight, yet was more pleasant to the tast: so is the merciemercy and louelove of God more ioyous felt and comprehended, then vnderstood onelyonly and apprehended.
4 For we are commanded to louelove God with all the heart, soule and mind, Mat. 22. 37. God must not only hauehave our mind and vnderstanding, but our heart and affectiō: we do not otherwise honour God with all our strength.
5 Hence then we are taught a most nenessarie point of Christian doctrine, that we should labour to our knowledge to ad affection, to our iudgement zeale, to our vnderstanding cōscience & feeling. Many seeme to know much, but there is withall a coldnesse in their heart.We must not onley vnderstād the word but ioy in it. Happy it is with those, that when they heare the word, do not onelyonly conceiue and vnderstand it as Herode did, Marke. 6. 20. but their hearts are inflamed, as the two Disciples, while Christ preached vntounto them, found their hearts burne within them, Luke 24. The Prophet Dauid saith: O how I louelove thy law! Psal. 119. 97.Serm. 20. in Psal. 119. whereof Ambrose well saith; Diligere amplius est, quàm custodire, hoc necessitatis est & timēs, illud charitatis: To louelove is more then to keepe, this is of feare and necessitie, that proceedeth of charitie▪ So o…r obedience to God should proceede from a willing affection and louing heart. That as God delighteth in the faithfull, My delight is with the children of men. Pro. 8. 31 so our delight may be in God, that we may say with the prophet, The desire of our soule is to thy name, and to the remēbrance Isa. 26. 8. So shall we be sure, that if we desire his waies now, the Lord wil delight in vsus for euer, and cause vsus to enter into his euerlasting ioy.
FINIS.
End of the text · Andrew Willet, The Treasure of the Church (1604)