Sermons Preached Upon Several Occasions, Sermon 1
SERMON I.
PHILIP. 1. 21. For me to live is Chriſt, and to die is gain▪
THE Apoſtle was now in Bonds for the Goſpel of Jeſus Chriſt: he takes care that the Philippians might not be offended at it, that his ſufferings might not be any ſtumbling-block to them, in Verſe 12. he tells them that whatſoever befell him it was for the furtherance of the Goſpel, I would have you underſtand, ſaies he, the things which happened unto me, have fallen out rather to the furtherance of the Goſpel: he gives two particular Inſtances how the Goſpel of Chriſt was furthered by his ſufferings, the one is in Verſe 13. My Bonds in Chriſt are manifeſt in all the Palace. By his ſufferings many in Nero's Court came to enquire after the Goſpel of Jeſus Chriſt, for which Paul ſuffered; and by enquiring into it, were convinced of it. Another benefit of theſe his ſufferings, is in Verſe 14. Many of the Brethren in the Lord waxed confident by my Bonds: They were more bold to ſpeak the Word of the Lord, they feared not ſufferings, becauſe they ſaw how God carried Paul through his ſufferings, They waxed more bold through my Bonds. You ſee what improvement the Lord makes of the ſufferings of his people. Truth never thrives better than when it is moſt trodden upon; the more the wind blows upon this fire, the more it kindles, the hotter it burns, and the clearer it ſhines: when the ſtream is dammed up, it riſes higher, ſo it is with Truth; this was the advantage that God makes of the ſufferings of his people, for though the Truth was upon trial, yet Paul may ſuffer, and Paul may loſe by it, Paul was in danger of his life: Well, take no care for me, ſaies he in Verſe 19. For I know that this ſhall turn to my ſalvation through your Prayers, and the ſupply of the Spirit of Jeſus Chriſt; according to my earneſt expectation and hope, that in nothing I ſhall be aſhamed: but with all boldneſs, as alwaies, ſo now alſo Chriſt ſhall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or by death. Take no care for me, ſaies he, I deſire nothing but your Prayers, for I am confident that God will carry on his Work, it ſhall turn to my good, and what ever befall me, the Lord ſhall be glorified in it; I am confident of it, ſaies he, that Chriſt ſhall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or by death. You ſee the breathings of a gracious heart, it cares not what becomes of it ſelf, ſo God may have his honour, Take no thought, ſaies Paul, whether I live or die, it is all one to me, ſo the Lord Jeſus may be magnified in my bonds, by my life, or by my death, if Chriſt be glorified it is enough, it matters not what becomes of Paul, ſo Chriſt be magnified in my life, or in my death, For to me to live is Chriſt, and to die is gain. Chriſt is gain to me both in life and death; ſo ſome read the words, For Chriſt is gain to me both in life and death: Others make two Propoſitions of it, Chriſt is life to me, or, to me to live is Chriſt; Chriſt is my life, and death is my gain: Why, if I live, ſaies he, Chriſt ſhall be magnified, for Chriſt is my life; if I live, I ſhall gain, and if I die, I ſhall gain: If I live I ſhall gain more of Chriſt, I ſhall gain more knowledge of him, and more communion with him here in the way; Ay, but what if Paul die? If I die, ſaies he, I ſhall be no loſer: death is look'd upon as a loſs, therefore as Paul ſhould have ſaid, For me to live is Chriſt, or, to die is Chriſt; but he rather ſaies, It is gain, it is Chriſt that makes it gain to him, or elſe it is a loſs to me, but Chriſt who is my life ſhall make death gain; So take no thought of me, ſaies he, whatſoever befalls me I ſhall do well, if I live, or if I die. And becauſe you are more ſolicitous concerning my death, ſaies he, know that death is my gain; if I loſe my friends and my comforts, if I loſe life it ſelf, it ſhall be no loſs, it ſhall not undo me, for I ſhall find all in Jeſus Chriſt, and ſo death ſhall be my gain.
DOCT. Chriſt is the Believers Life.
That's the Propoſition that lies before us. For me to live is Chriſt, or, Chriſt is my Life; it is all one: Chriſt is the life of every believing ſoul. By Life ſometimes it is underſtood whatſoever is excellent, whatſoever is excellent in its kind, it is ſet forth by life, becauſe life is the moſt excellent thing in nature, Skin for Skin, and all that a man hath will he give for his life; and therefore the Bread which Chriſt gives, is called, Living Bread, Bread of Life, and ſo Water of Life, for the excellency of the ſpiritual things that the Lord gives out to his people; and truly Chriſt is inſtead of all excellencies to a believing ſoul, he is the life of all their comforts; the comforts of the World are dead until ſuch time as Chriſt ſhines in them, there is no life until ſuch time as Chriſt ſhines through them, for riches are dead, and honour is dead, and friends are dead, all comforts are dead till the life of Chriſt be in them. But more particularly,
1. Firſt, Chriſt is the Life of Righteouſneſs to the believing ſoul: every child of Adam is dead, condemned, and ſo he is dead in Law: there is no life but by the righteouſneſs of Chriſt, that righteouſneſs which Chriſt brought in by his blood: He gave life by making ſatisfaction to Juſtice, by paying the debt unto death; therefore the Apoſtle ſaies, that Righteouſneſs reigns by Chriſt, in Rom. 5. ſin entered into the world by Adam, ſpeaking there at Verſe 17. For if by one mans offence death reigned by one, much more they which receive abundance of grace, and of the gift of righteouſneſs, ſhall reign in life by one, Jeſus Chriſt: Righteouſneſs raigns in a believing ſoul by Jeſus Chriſt, it hath the preheminence of all, all is droſs and dung in compariſon of this righteouſneſs of Jeſus Chriſt, it reigns gloriouſly in a believing ſoul; it is Chriſt that procures this righteouſneſs, and it is Chriſt that applies this righteouſneſs by his Spirit, I ſay the Application of this life of righteouſneſs, is from Chriſt, it is he that reveals this righteouſneſs, it is he that diſcovers it to the ſoul, it is Chriſt by his eternal Spirit that cauſeth the ſoul to know this life and righteouſneſs which is given to it: now as Chriſt doth diſcover this righteouſneſs, ſo he cauſeth the ſoul to cloſe with this righteouſneſs, it is he by his Spirit that overcomes the heart to reſt upon this righteouſneſs, and to look upon this righteouſneſs as its life; for there is a principle in the creature to ſeek after life in it ſelf; man would ſeek righteouſneſs in himſelf; and it is a hard matter to bring the ſoul off of this rotten ſandy foundation; Chriſt only by his eternal Spirit when he hath revealed this righteouſneſs, perſwades the ſoul to reſt upon it, and to look upon him as its life.
2. Secondly, Again, As the life of righteouſneſs is from Chriſt, ſo the life of holineſs is from Chriſt: all thoſe gracious diſpoſitions, and all thoſe holy actings that do at any time ſhine forth in the hearts and lives of Gods people, they have no other foundation but Chriſt, the holineſs of Chriſt: From his fulneſs have all we received grace for grace; if there be the life of any grace in the ſoul, it is from Jeſus Chriſt, from the fulneſs of Chriſt: there is no man lives the life of holineſs, till Chriſt becomes a principle of life to him; there is no breathings in the heart after Chriſt, there is no holy motion in purſuit after Chriſt, till Chriſt firſt breaths upon the ſoul: The hour is come, and now is, that they that are in their Graves ſhall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear it ſhall live. There is no man lives the life of holineſs until ſuch time as he hears the voice of the Son of God: there may be Carkaſſes of grace, out-ſides of grace, and there may be Carkaſſes of duties and performances, but no living graces, there are no living performances until ſuch time as Chriſt be a principle of life unto the ſoul; the beginning of the life of holineſs, and ſo the encreaſe of the life of holineſs is from Chriſt: I came that you might have life, and that you might have it more abundantly; Chriſt decreed that you might have life, and that you might have abundance of life, that you might be filled with the Spirit of Chriſt, that you might have abundance of the life of Chriſt, that his people might be ready in his ſtrength to every good word and work; this was the end of Chriſts coming that they might have life more abundantly; he is the life of holineſs. But again,
3. Thirdly, Chriſt is the Life of Conſolation unto his people: He is the life of all their comforts, and the comforts that Chriſt gives they are living comforts: my peace I give unto you, not as the world gives, give I unto you; for no man ſhall take away your peace, the world ſhall not take it away, my Spirit ſhall be an everlaſting living principle of conſolation in you, which ſhall not be taken away: Chriſt is the life of all a Chriſtians comforts, he is the life of friends, the life of all refreſhments that a Chriſtian hath, and they are all dead to him when Chriſt doth not ſhine through them, he is the life of comforts, and the life of Ordinances; there is no life, there is no refreſhment, if Chriſt be not in them; if the ſoul meets not with Chriſt in Ordinances, they are but dead Ordinances, truly Chriſt is the life of all. He is alſo,
4. Fourthly, The Life of Glory, Chriſt is the life of glory to his people: It is he that hath purchaſed glory for them by his blood, it is he that hath made the way plain, it is he that hath made a new way to glory, when the old way was ſhut: you read in Heb. 10. 19, 20. Having therefore, Brethren, boldneſs to enter into the holieſt by the blood of Jeſus, by a new and living way which he hath conſecrated for us, through the vail, that is to ſay, his fleſh: A new and living way to God, a new and living way to the boſom of the Father, it is Chriſt that is this living way: For he lives for ever to make Interceſſion for them that come to God by him: He it is that removes all the blocks out of the way of his people to glory, that helps them over all rubs they meet with, it is he that hath born down all oppoſitions, when he travelled in the greatneſs of his ſtrength, he hath ſet Heaven door open to his people, he hath removed the Cherubims that kept the way with a flaming ſword, and kept the Tree of Life, yea, Chriſt is the ſubject matter of their Glory; it is the preſence of Chriſt that makes Heaven to be Heaven, it is the glory of Heaven to know God in Chriſt, and it is the glory of Heaven to enjoy God in Chriſt, Joh. 17. 3. And this is life eternal to know thee the only true God, and Jeſus Chriſt whom thou haſt ſent: Thus you ſee how Chriſt is the life of Believers, what life he is to them; he is the life of righteouſneſs, the life of holineſs, and the life of their comforts; yea, and he is the life of Glory. And it will appear that Chriſt is the life of the believing ſoul, if you conſider,
1. Firſt, That there is none lives but Chriſt, He hath life in himſelf; as the Father hath life in himſelf, ſo it is given to the Son to have in himſelf: There is none lives but God: and therefore when God will confirm a thing, he ſwears by his life; you have often that Oath, As I live, ſaith the Lord; As I live, ſaith the Lord: there is none can ſay, I live, but only God, he that is Jehovah, that hath life in himſelf. Now therefore, if any creature have life, if there be any ſpark of life in any ſoul, it muſt be from this life in Chriſt, there is no principle of ſpiritual life in a ſoul, but it muſt be from Chriſt, if there be any life, it is from the life of Chriſt, from the Reſurrection of Chriſt, and from the diſcoveries of Chriſt.
2. Secondly, It was the end of Chriſts coming in the fleſh, That he might give life to his people, as you heard before, I came, ſaies Chriſt, that you might have life; Chriſt came in the fleſh for this end, he had nor lived in this world, if it had not been to give life to his people, it was the end of his life, and ſo it was the end of his death alſo; he tells us in Joh. 6. 51. If any man eat of this Bread, he ſhall live for ever: and the Bread which I will give, is my fleſh which I will give for the life of the world; I will give my fleſh, my body to be crucified, that ſo my death may be the life of the world; and it was the end of Chriſts living again, it was the end of his riſing again, that he might give life to his people, Joh. 14 19. Becauſe I live, ſaies he, ye ſhall live alſo; my life is the cauſe of your living, I live for this end, and aroſe for this end, I am he that was dead and am alive, and live for ever, and becauſe I live, ye ſhall live alſo.
Queſt. But you will ſay, When may it be ſaid that Chriſt is the Life of any ſoul?
Anſw. 1. Firſt of all, When the ſoul prizes Communion with Chriſt as life: And mark all the way, ſo much as the life of Chriſt is in any ſoul, ſo far will theſe effects and operations of life be found in him; Chriſt is life, when communion with Chriſt is prized as life; when the ſoul ſhall prefer communion with Chriſt above all other comforts whatſoever, when he ſeeks after it as life, and when he hath found it he prizes it as life, and is as fearful to loſe it as he is to part with his life; and he cannot be ſatisfied without it, though he enjoies never ſo much of the world, though he hath never ſo many friends, and they ſhine upon him, and they ſpeak comfortably to him, yet if Chriſt ſpeak not, it doth not ſatisfie: though he hath never ſo good trading in the world, and proſper in his Eſtate, yet if he hath not trading with Chriſt, if he hath not his mercies come in through Chriſt, he looks upon himſelf as a loſer; ſo far as the life of Chriſt prevails with a ſoul, ſo far will the ſoul prize communion with Chriſt. Again,
2. Secondly, When the life of Chriſt is in a ſoul, the Soul doth judge of it ſelf, not by what it is in it ſelf, but by what it is in Chriſt, by what it is in another; the life of Chriſt was Paul, and how did Paul judge of himſelf, by what? By what he was in Chriſt, and by what Chriſt was in him, and to him; I live, ſaies he, and yet not I, but Chriſt lives in me, in Gal. 2. 20. how doth he judge of his life, not by any principle of ſelf that was in him, but by Chriſt that was in him, I live, yet not I, but Chriſt lives in me; Surely, ſhall one ſay, In the Lord have I righteouſneſs and ſtrength, Iſa. 45. 24. When he ſhall ſee that he hath no righteouſneſs in himſelf, no ſtrength in himſelf, he ſhall not judge of his preſent ſtate or future happineſs by what righteouſneſs, or what ſtrength he hath in himſelf, but by what Chriſt hath promiſed him, he ſhall judge by the Word of the Lord, and by what life of Chriſt is made over to him; and he ſhall ſay, Surely, I have righteouſneſs and ſtrength, I have all in another, at that time when I have nothing but vileneſs and deadneſs in my ſelf; ſo that the ſoul judges of it ſelf and its condition, not according to what it finds in it ſelf, but according to what the Lord hath promiſed to be unto him. Again,
3. Thirdly, Where Chriſt is the life of a ſoul, there is Chriſt the principle of all holy actings in that ſoul: The ſoul when ever it ſets upon any duty, or upon any holy work, preſently it looks up for the power and ſpirit of Chriſt, it gives up it ſelf to be acted by Chriſt, to be carried on by the ſpirit of Chriſt; Chriſt opens the ſails of the ſoul to the gales of the ſpirit, for it knows that if the ſpirit of Chriſt do not breath, the ſoul is calmed, it can do nothing, it deſires that Chriſt may have the glory of all that it doth, that Chriſt may be the principle of all its workings for God; all the fruit that a gracious heart brings forth to God, it deſires that Chriſt may have the honour of it; and therefore it bears as it were upon Chriſts knee, as the women of old took their Hand-maids when they were barren, and they bare upon their knees, and the Children were called theirs, not the Hand-maids: And truly ſo the beliving ſoul alwaies bears and brings forth fruit upon the knee of Chriſt, and it calls them all the Offſpring of Chriſt; whatſoever it doth for God, whatever it brings forth to God, it looks upon it as the fruit of the Spirit of Jeſus Chriſt; it deſires that Chriſt may have the name, that Chriſt may have the glory of it, that Chriſt may be continually lifted up in all that it doth: and therefore when it is aſſiſted to do for God, or to ſuffer for God, it doth not reflect upon it ſelf, but upon Chriſt; theſe are the breathings of the ſpirit of Chriſt, and this is the ſtrength that comes from Chriſt: and therefore it is ſaid of David, Lord what am I? when he was inabled to offer willingly, Lord what am I, and what are my people, that we ſhould offer in this wiſe? When ever it meets with any aſſiſtance, it ſaies, Lord what am I, that I ſhould do any thing for God? It looks upon all as coming from Chriſt, and deſires that Chriſt may have the glory of all; and ſo far as the life of Chriſt prevails upon the ſoul, ſo far the ſoul is acted by the ſpirit of Chriſt. But again,
4. Fourthly, Where Chriſt is the life of the ſoul, the Soul deſires that Chriſt may be magnified, whether by death or by life; ſo it was with the Apoſtle, This is all my care, ſaies he, that Chriſt may be magnified, take you no care for me, for Chriſt ſhall be magnified, and I will rejoice in it, Whether I live or die, Chriſt ſhall be magnified in my body: He deſires that Chriſt may be magnified in his life, a gracious heart doth not deſire to live to ſatisfie its own luſt, it would not live long in the world to enjoy the pleaſure of the world; no, if it lives, it deſires to live that Chriſt may be magnified, and therefore if I may be uſeful, if I may be ſerviceable to do good in any place or relation the Lord is pleaſed to caſt me in, I am content to live: and ſo for death, he deſires that Chriſt may be magnified there too, a gracious heart don't deſire death to be rid of the troubles of life, to be freed from thoſe troubles and vexations that it meets withal in the world, that's: no good deſire, but if it deſires death, it deſires that Chriſt may be magnified, that the Lord may be magnified in my death, that Chriſt may be magnified, that I may get nigher Chriſt, that I may not diſhonour Chriſt, that that corruption may be ſubdued, which is a grief to the ſpirit of Chriſt, that I may magnifie Chriſt eternally without ceaſing: that Chriſt may be magnified, this is the deſire of a gracious heart; and ſo far as the life of Chriſt doth prevail in any ſoul, ſo far doth that ſoul live unto Chriſt, and is willing to die for Chriſt, and cares not what becomes of it, ſo the Lord, and his ſon Chriſt may be exalted. Again,
5. Fifthly, When the life of Chriſt is in a ſoul, It makes a man to die; to die to ſin, and to die to the world, and to die to ſelf. Where the life of Chriſt comes in, it makes the ſoul to die to ſin; that ſtill as the life of Chriſt prevails in the ſoul, ſo ſin dies in the ſoul: Knowing this that our old man is crucified with Chriſt; the old man is Crucified with Chriſt, and the life of Chriſt will be the death of the old man: He makes a man to die to ſin▪ where the life of Chriſt is in a ſoul, the heart is dead to ſin, it carries to ſin, as to a dead man, it is cold at the very heart, no deſire to ſatisfie the luſts of the fleſh, but to live unto Chriſt; it makes the ſoul deſirous to caſt out all thoſe luſts which it hath rejoyced in, and been the very life of the ſoul before Chriſt came. See what is ſaid in the Prophecie of the Prophet Hoſea, Hoſ. 14. 8. Ephraim ſhall ſay, What have I to do any more with Idols? And ſo ſhall the ſoul ſay, where the life of Chriſt prevails, What have I to do any more with Idols? It looks upon all baſe luſts as ſo many dead Carcaſſes, they lie in his Houſe and he knows not how to be rid of them, but the life of Chriſt is in him, and what hath the living to do with the dead? What have I any more to do with dead Carkaſſes? O Lord bury them, bury them out of my ſight; the life of Chriſt will dead the heart to ſin.
2. Secondly, Again, This life of Chriſt will deaden the heart to the world; ſee what the Apoſtle ſaies in the Epiſtle to the Galatians, Gal. 6. 14. God forbid that I ſhould glory in any thing, ſave in the Croſs of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world: The world looks upon me as dead, and I look upon the world as dead; the world doth not at all eſteem of a gracious man, and a gracious heart doth eſteem the world as little, the vanities of the world as little; the world looks upon me, and I look upon the world as dead: Paul lookt upon it as dead, and therefore Paul was willing to part with it, in Phil. 4. 12, 13. men are willing to part with their dead friends, and Paul was willing to part with the world, it was dead to him; I know how to be abaſed, and I know how to abound; I know how to want, if God calls for it; I know how to ſpare, and I am content to be without it; thus doth the life of Chriſt make the heart dead to the world, deadens the affections, and makes a man to uſe the world as if he uſed it not.
3. Again, Thirdly and laſtly, The life of Chriſt doth make a man to die to ſelf: it makes a man to die to ſelf-principles, and ſelf-ends, and ſelf-ſeeking, to ſelf-righteouſneſs and ſelf-ſtrength, it makes a man die to all theſe; where the life of Chriſt prevails, the creature is nothing, ſelf is nothing, it makes a man debaſe himſelf, and lie low at the foot-ſtool of the Lord, it makes him lie low in a way of humiliation: Paul was leſs than the leaſt of all Saints, ſo he calls himſelf; Leſs than the leaſt of all Saints; and he was the greateſt of ſinners, ſo he calls himſelf; the life of Chriſt made him lie low, he had no life in himſelf. I will ſpeak no more, ſaies Job, I abhor my ſelf in duſt and aſhes; let God have all for the future, it deſires to exalt him, to admire that which he can't find out: I deſire to lye at his foot-ſtool, and to exalt his name; it makes a man lie low in a way of ſubmiſſion to God as well as in a way of humiliation, the life of Chriſt makes the heart ſubmiſſive to Chriſt, ſelf is nothing, ſelf is laid aſide, content that God ſhould rule, that the creature ſhould be diſpoſed by him, makes him willing to drink of every cup that his father puts into his hand, to ſtoop down to every yoke, and every burden that the Lord will put upon his neck, and lay upon his ſhoulder, it makes a ſoul ſubmiſſive unto Chriſt, ſubmiſſive to the Will of God in all things.
And then the life of Chriſt it empties of Self, for it makes a man to condeſcend to thoſe of low degree; though never ſo high, yet if the life of Chriſt be in them, it makes them to look down unto the loweſt degree, and the life of Chriſt in the meaneſt and loweſt Chriſtian is very high and honourable in his eſteem: and as the life of Chriſt doth prevail in any heart, ſo there will be all theſe operations, as the life of Chriſt doth increaſe, ſo the life of ſin doth decreaſe, and ſelf will decreaſe, and the ſoul is content with it, and it rejoices abundantly that it ſhould be ſo; it ſaies of it ſelf as John Baptiſt did, when they told him that all men ran after Chriſt, and he would have no Followers, I am glad of it, ſaies he, that he may increaſe though I decreaſe; and truly where the life of Chriſt is in a ſoul, it will break forth into theſe Expreſſions, Let Chriſt be all, let me be nothing, let me lie low at his foot-ſtool, let me not be thought of when that day of Chriſts Exaltation ſhall be, let him be exalted in the riches of his grace which he hath manifeſted unto poor creatures. And thus you ſee what the life of Chriſt is in a ſoul, ſo far as the life of Chriſt is in the heart, ſo far will there be ſpecial operations in the ſoul towards Chriſt again. But ſo much for this time.