Sermons Preached Upon Several Occasions, Sermon 2
SERMON II.
PHILIP. 1. 21. For to me to live is Chriſt, and to die is gain.
JEſus Chriſt is the Life of every Believer; that's the Point in hand: He is the life of righteouſneſs; he it is that gave life unto all thoſe that were dead, dead under the Law, though reprieved for a time. He is alſo the life of Holineſs to his people, the beginnings of all grace, and the encreaſe of all grace is from Chriſt; there are ſhadows and carkaſſes of grace, but there is no life until ſuch time as Chriſt be found in the ſoul. He is alſo the life of all the Believers Comforts, they are no comforts till Chriſt be in them, the beſt of his comforts, even the very Ordinances of God are but a dead letter if the Spirit of Chriſt be not in them, it is he that makes them to be life, to come with power and efficacy. He is alſo the life of Glory to a Believer. He hath purchaſed Glory, he hath made the way plain, a new and living way, he hath ſet the door wide open, it's he that takes all rubs out of the way: It's he that is the very Subject matter of Glory; for it's the preſence of Jeſus Chriſt in Heaven that is the greateſt glory and comfort of Heaven. I ſhewed how it may be known that Chriſt is the life of Believers in five Particulars.
6. A Sixth Particular is, Where the life of Chriſt is in any ſoul, it makes that ſoul in ſome meaſure conformable to the life of Chriſt; ſo far as the life of Chriſt doth prevail in a ſoul, ſo far it makes the ſoul conformable to that life of Chriſt which he lived when he was upon earth, it makes the ſoul deſirous and willing to live to God: it looks upon it as the great work and great end of Chriſts coming, to lift up his Fathers Name, to make God glorious before the eyes of the ſons of men, that's the work that his ſervants have to do for him whilſt they are here upon earth. But more particularly,
1. Firſt, If you look upon the life, you ſhall find that the life of Chriſt is an active life, it's ſaid of him, That he went up and down doing good; he was never well but when he was doing good; he took opportunities, and he ſought opportunities, he ſought occaſions of doing good to the bodies of men, and to the ſouls of men, I have meat to eat that you know not of; it is my meat to do the will of my Father; he was never well but when he was doing ſomething by which he might glorifie God and edifie in love.
2. Again, Secondly, If you look upon the life of Chriſt, it was not only an active life, but it was a paſſive ſubmiſſive life, it was a ſelf-denying life. He left all his glory in Heaven when he came to live here upon earth, that he might live and die for the good of the ſons of men; though he was the ſon of the moſt high God, yet he was pleaſed to condeſcend to the loweſt of men, he emptied himſelf and became of no reputation, he was in the form of man, but yet came in the form of a ſervant, he emptied himſelf and became of no reputation, that ſo he might glorifie his duplicate page duplicate page Father; I have finiſhed the work which thou gaveſt me to do; it was a ſelf-denying work. Again,
3. Thirdly, It was a holy gracious life; he converſed with ſinners, but he was the Lamb of God without ſpot; he was numbered amongſt the Tranſgreſſors, but there was no guile found in his mouth, he was gracious in the midſt of a ſinful world, and therefore the Spouſe ſtiles and reſembles him to the Apple-tree in the midſt of the Trees in the Foreſt, in Cant. 2. 3. he was full of ſweet gracious fruit, even then when he was in the Foreſt, when he was compaſſed about with wild Trees, as Crab-trees, Pricklingthorns, Prickling-brambles, even ſo was the Lord Jeſus amongſt ſuch: But the Lord was found in integrity, he was not levened with corruption, though he converſed with ſinners, yet he was no ſinner, the life of Chriſt was a gracious life, even then when he was in the midſt of ſinners. But again,
4. Fourthly, The life of Chriſt was full of patience, and full of meekneſs; he was very admirable in that patience and meekneſs which he exerciſed and expreſſed in his whole life; he was not eaſily provoked, for he endured alone all the contradictions of ſinners, and he was dumb even before the ſhearer, he opened not his mouth; he did not render evil for evil, He came to his own, and his own received him not; What a provocation was there that his own ſhould not receive him? And Chriſt could not eaſily be provoked, he bare with that people, and though they would not receive him, yet he ſpent his whole Miniſtry among them, and he ſent forth his Diſciples to pluck them in if poſſible, and gives them a charge that they ſhould go to none elſe; in Matth. 10. 5. Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into the City of the Samaritans enter ye not, but rather go unto the loſt Sheep of the houſe of Iſrael: Though they ſought to deſtroy him, yet he endeavours to ſave them, he bears with them; But rather go to the loſt Sheep of the houſe of Iſrael: What forbearance was there in him! In their ignorance he opened unto them thoſe things which he ſpake in Parables to the world; what abundance of patience and meekneſs did he ſhew to Thomas, notwithſtanding all that unbelief? Saies he, (in his unbelief) I will not believe, ſaies he, except it be ſo and ſo, except I put my hand into the hole of his ſide; and yet this did not provoke the Lord Jeſus Chriſt to leave him, but he condeſcends to his weakneſs, heals his weakneſs, and plucks him out of that mire in which he ſtuck: And if you look upon his carriage towards his enemies, and ſee what a ſpirit of meekneſs there was in Chriſt, even towards his enemies; the Samaritans in one place, would not receive him; and ſee the Diſciples they were for fire from Heaven to conſume them, in Luk. 9. 53, 54. And he ſent Meſſengers before his face, and they went and entered into a Village of the Samaritans to make ready for him, and they did not receive him, &c. And when his Diſciples James and John ſaw this, they ſaid, Lord wilt thou, that we command Fire to come down from Heaven, and conſume them, even as Elias did? You think it is the ſpirit of Elias, but you are deceived, You know not your own hearts; there is a great deal of the wilde Fire of revenge in this your motion, it's not well grounded zeal for God, therefore Chriſt ſaies, the ſon of man came not to deſtroy but to ſave them: and you know when they came to take him, in Luk. 22. 50, 51. They came with Swords and Staves againſt him: and one of them ſmote the ſervant of the High Prieſt, and cut off his right ear. And Jeſus anſwered and ſaid, Suffer thus far, and he touched his ear and healed him. But ſee how Chriſt bare not only with his Diſciples, but even with his very enemies. But again,
5. Fifthly, You ſhall find that Chriſt in his life was exceeding compaſſionate, he was not only meek and patient, but he was exceeding compaſſionate: Oh! how often did the bowels of Chriſt yearn towards poor creatures? He never ſaw an object of pity, but his heart was drawn out to relieve, in Matth. 9. 36, 37. But when he ſaw the multitude, he was moved with compaſſion on them, becauſe they fainted, and were ſcattered abroad as Sheep without a Shepherd: The very bowels of Chriſt were moved, he was filled with compaſſion towards their ſouls, nay, he was filled with compaſſion to the very bodies of men, in Matth. 14. 14, 15, 16. he takes care that they ſhould not be ſent away faſting, but makes proviſion for them, Let them cat leſt they ſhould faint in the way. When he beheld a poor obſtinate ſinner, his heart was drawn out in pity: the woman of Samaria, when ſhe came firſt, ſhe was a very jolly ſinner, ſhe laugh'd, but Chriſt pitied her, his bowels were towards her, and would not give her over till he made her to know that he was the true Meſſiah the Saviour of the World. When he ſaw a deſolate ſoul, his bowels were drawn forth with abundance of tenderneſs and compaſſion; as in that woman that was accuſed, thoſe that did there preſent her unto Chriſt laid a heavy accuſation upon her, in Joh. 8. 10. Jeſus lifted up himſelf, and ſaid unto the woman, where are thoſe thine accuſers? The poor creature ſat trembling at the feet of Chriſt, and ſhe expected a fearful ſentence of condemnation, but the bowels of Chriſt were drawn forth to pity and compaſſion: Is there no man accuſes thee? What are they all gone that accuſe thee? Well, Neither do I accuſe thee, go thy way and ſin no more. Now you ſee what the life of Chriſt was; now I ſay, where the life of Chriſt is in any ſoul, it makes that ſoul ſome way anſwerable to the life of Chriſt in theſe particulars. It is true, the beſt of Saints come ſhort, infinitely ſhort of that which is their duty; but yet I ſay withal, that ſo far as the life of Chriſt prevails in his people, ſo far doth the life of Chriſt produce theſe operations, and it will bewail it ſelf for its unlikeneſs to Chriſt in theſe particulars.
Object. But you will ſay, If the life of Chriſt produce theſe operations, where ſhall we find the life of Chriſt? If we look upon our ſelves we ſhall ſee ſin, and if we look upon other Chriſtians, where ever we look, there is ſo little of this to be found, that it is hard to ſay the life of Chriſt is in them.
Anſw. 1. To this I anſwer, Firſt of all, I do confeſs that Chriſtians do mightily come ſhort of that which is their duty, and therefore may take up a ſad complaint and lamentation, they may lament over their own hearts, and lament over one another, and bewail their caſe; but yet let not them be diſquiet, for I ſhall ſhew you, that the life of Chriſt may be in a ſoul, that is not ſo conſpicuous in all theſe particulars. In way of anſwer, if you ſay that this is the life of Chriſt, the life of Chriſt is ſcarce to be ſound in any man in the world.
1. Firſt of all, Let me tell you, the life of Chriſt is a hidden life. It is hid from themſelves that it is not diſcerned; and as it is hid from themſelves, ſo it is hid from others, that they cannot ſee the life of Chriſt in them; and eſpecially it's hid from the men of the world, from a carnal man: there's the life of Chriſt, and the world cannot ſee it, the world cannot ſee the in-ſide of a Chriſtian, he ſees the out-ſide, but he cannot ſee the in-ſide, The Kings Daughters are all glorious within: There are ſpecial times in which the life of Chriſt is hid in a Believer, that there may be life, though it may be others may not diſcern this life. As,
1. Firſt of all, When God begins his work in a ſoul, the work of the Lord goes on gradually in the heart, ſtep after ſtep. You ſay Rome was not built in a day; even ſo the new Jeruſalem, the beginnings of the life of Chriſt in a Chriſtian, they are very ſmall, ſometimes they are ſcarce diſcerned; and therefore the Kingdom of Heaven is compared to a grain of Muſtard ſeed, which is the leaſt of all ſeeds; Ay, but afterward it ſprings up (and you muſt not judge of the beginnings but of the latter end) the lattter end will be glorious: it is with a young Chriſtian as it is with an Infant in the womb, when it begins firſt to live there is but a little, and but a very weak motion, that it can ſcarce be diſcerned whether it move or no, ſo is the life of Chriſt: it is like the tender plants and herbs that put forth in the ſpring, they are hardly diſcerned, hardly diſcerned from weeds, though you look upon them, though you pluck them, though you ſmell them, yet when they firſt put forth they do ſo ſmell of the earth, ſmell of the ſoil, as you cannot diſcern them: why, truly, ſo it is with the work of God upon the ſpirits of his people; look upon young Beginners, it's hard to be diſcerned, they ſmell ſo much of the ſoil, ſo much of corrupt nature that is not yet ſubdued, that it is hardly diſcerned, but yet there is the life of Chriſt in them. And ſo
2. Secondly, Again, In a time of temptation, in them (in whom the life of Chriſt is hid) it's hardly diſcerned; and you muſt not judge of a Chriſtian in that time; I ſay, in time of temptation, for it's a time of Winter; now you know in time of Winter the life of the Tree is not diſcerned, there is no appearance of life in the Tree, but yet without doubt, there is life, there's life in the Tree, the life is ſtill in the root, and it will put forth. Again,
3. Thirdly, A time of temptation is a time of ſwoonding: it's as a man in a ſwoond, the operation of life ceaſes, it's out of view, ye can hardly diſcern that there is life, when a man is in a ſwoond, if you look upon him you ſee no ſymptoms of life, his countenance is changed, his lips are pale, death ſits upon him; Ay, but let a skilful Phyſician come, and he ſhall feel ſome motion of the pulſe, or ſome breathings of the noſtrils, though it be very weak, that it will ſcarce move a Feather, yet there is ſome hope: why ſo take a poor ſoul that is under temptation, he is as in a ſwoond, you ſay there is no life in him, but yet let Chriſt the Phyſician come, and he will diſcern the pulſe, and he will diſcern ſome motion, ſome movings of ſpirit, ſome breathings of heart, though it be not obvious to the view of others. Thus you ſee that the life of Chriſt is a hidden life, and therefore don't you ſay that there is not the life of Chriſt in ſuch and ſuch as profeſs themſelves to be Chriſtians, becauſe you ſee not thoſe operations, it may be Spring-time, or it may be Winter-time with them, or it may be a time of ſwoonding; well, notwithſtanding there is life, though thou diſcern'ſt it not.
2. But again, Secondly, to give another Anſwer, If this be the life of Chriſt, if the life of Chriſt doth produce ſuch operation in the ſoul, when ſhall we find life?
Take this Anſwer, That though the▪ life of Chriſt doth produce ſuch operations in the ſoul where it is▪ yet the life of Chriſt is communicative to every one according to the place that every member is ſet in; you know the ſoul being in the body, doth inform every part of the body, and it grows, but yet every member doth not grow alike, and one member hath more ſtrength than another. Will you ſay, that the ſoul is not in the finger, becauſe the finger hath not ſo much ſtrength as the arm? Will you ſay, the ſoul is not in the foot, becauſe it hath not the ſtrength of the leg? Why thus, Brethren, it is with the body of Chriſt, all have not the ſame parts, and therefore all have not the ſame ſtrength; though the ſame ſpirit of life that was in Jeſus Chriſt doth inform the meaneſt of his members, though it doth not grow ſo big and ſo ſtrong as in other members, yet the Lord hath provided (by this diſpenſation) to make up a ſweet harmony in this body, that every member ſhall have its ſtrength, and every member ſhall have its proportion, its growth and increaſe, according to the place it's ſet in: that it ſhall not be ſhrunk up in the body, nor extended above what is meet, but every member in the body of Chriſt ſhall have its ſtrength, and its growth in proportion. But then,
3. Again, Thirdly, If you ſay that the life of Chriſt is ſuch, where ſhall we find the life of Chriſt in any if it works ſo?
I Anſwer, The life of Chriſt doth not work eminently in every operation that is put forth in every Saint, but one Saint excels in one particular, and another in another, and herein is abundance of the wiſdom of God; I ſay, the life of Chriſt runs in ſeveral veins; in one Chriſtian it is more eminent in the vein or chanel of Faith, in another Chriſtian there is the ſame life in the vein or chanel of humiliation, and ſelfdenial; and in another it runs in the vein of prudence, holy wiſdom and activity, ſo that you cannot ſay, there is not the life of Chriſt in ſuch and ſuch becauſe you don't ſee an eminency in ſome particulars which it may be you faſten upon; why, though the life of Chriſt be not eminent in that, it runs in another; in ſuch a vein as is (as it were) under ground, as is not obvious to thy eye, which thou ſeeſt not; nor takeſt no notice of.
Queſt. But you will ſay, Why is not every grace in its operation eminent, in every Saint, and in every Believer?
Anſw. I Anſwer, Firſt, Becauſe the Lord will maintain in this way, a ſweet communion with his Saints: the Lord intends to maintain ſweet communion with his Saints, he therefore gives out to one, one grace more eminent, and to another, another, that ſo the eye may not ſay to the head, I have no need of thee, nor the hand to the foot ſay, I have no need of thee: So that every member ſhall have its proportion, but if you look upon the beſt Saints, you'l ſee how they come ſhort of the life of Chriſt, how defective they are in this and that particular; what need then have we to live upon imputed righteouſneſs? And what need have we to keep in a continual dependance upon Chriſt, that ſo he may ſupply all our wants out of his fulneſs?
2. Secondly, Again, The Lord doth with-hold his hand in abundance of wiſdom and goodneſs: if he ſhould give too much, he knows what poor weak creatures we are, and what poor weak veſſels we are, and if he ſhould pour in too much, he knows we were not able to bear it; If you pour new Wine into old Bottles, the Bottle will break; and the Lord conſiders that we are old Bottles, and his new Wine would break our old Bottles, we are not able to contain much, if the Lord ſhould give out much of himſelf, the viſions of the Lord would break theſe old Bottles that we were not able to bear up. Chriſt tenders his people in this, that when they come to Heaven, he will fill them full; then there is no fear of breaking their old bottles, he will fill them to the brim, and no fear of breaking: but now there's fear of the beſt of Saints; Paul had great raptures, and was exalted above meaſure, therefore 'tis to be marked, he had a check; but the life of Chriſt, and the ſtrength of Chriſt doth not thus appear in eminency in every Saint.
Object. But ſome poor ſoul will ſay, Whatſoever there is in others, I will not judge others, the life of Chriſt may be in them, and I am perſwaded the life of Chriſt is in ſuch and ſuch; I ſee the very Image of Chriſt in them, and theſe operations of life ſpoken of, I diſcern the life of Chriſt in others: But alas, I ſee nothing but deadneſs in my own ſoul, nothing but a body of ſin and death; I ſay it's the burden of my ſoul every day I riſe, O miſerable man that I am, who ſhall deliver me from this body of ſin and death, I fear the life of Chriſt is not in me?
Anſw. Is not the life of Chriſt in you, Whence then are thoſe complaints that thou makeſt? Did you ever hear a dead man complain, did you ever hear him cry out of his burden? Surely there is ſome life of Chriſt, or elſe whence are theſe complaints▪ of that body of ſin, that body of death which is more heavy to the ſoul than the burden of the Mountains? If the life of Chriſt be not in thee, whence are thoſe deſires? Thou breatheſt after Chriſt, ay, with all thy ſoul, thou couldſt even expire, that the life of Chriſt might be more manifeſt, more evident in thee; why whence are thoſe deſires? Did you ever know a dead man breath? or the Pulſe of a dead man beat? Surely theſe motions of the ſoul after Chriſt, theſe breathings of the heart after Chriſt do teſtifie there is ſomething of the life of Chriſt; but if thou canſt not find the life of Chriſt, and ſeeſt nothing but deadneſs▪ yet look towards him as a living Saviour, let thine eye be towards him as one that is ſet up to give life; he is a Tree of life for this end that is in the midſt of the Garden, and it's the Will of the Father that thou ſhouldſt come to Chriſt: thou that art ſenſible that there is nothing but deadneſs in thee; come to Chriſt for life. Chriſt complains that you will not come to me, that I may give you life; you that complain of your deadneſs, give not Chriſt cauſe to complain that you will not come to him that he may give you life; therefore ſeeing the way of the Tree of life is not ſhut up, but it's ſet open, it's left open, there is no Cherubim ſet before thee, but come and eat, eat of the Tree of life and live; Chriſt preſents himſelf to thy ſoul, that thou mighteſt put forth thy hand and eat of the Tree of Life, and though thou ſaieſt thou haſt not the life of Chriſt, yet look up to Chriſt that ſo thy ſoul may have life: and know for thy encouragement, that the time is coming, and is at hand, that more of the life of Chriſt ſhall be given out than ever it was unto the Saints; I ſay, it ſhall be as life from the dead when the Jews ſhall come in again, there ſhall be a new Reſurrection▪ the people of God ſhall differ moſt exceedingly from what they were before; the time is haſtning, and abundance of the life of Chriſt ſhall be communicated unto every member of Jeſus Chriſt, and all the Saints, they ſhall die more to ſin, die more to the world, and die more unto ſelf, and ſhall live more unto God, and lift up the Son of God, for the day of the Lord is high, and ſhall be lifted up, for in that day the Lord alone ſhall be exalted. But ſo much for this time.