Sermons Preached Upon Several Occasions, Sermon 3
SERMON III.
PHILIP. 1. 21. For to me to live is Chriſt, and to die is gain.
CHriſt is the life of every Believer: I ſhewed you how the life of Chriſt works in every ſoul where it is, I come to the Application.
Ʋſe 1. Firſt of all, Let it be a word of Examination. Know it's not enough to have a name to live if Chriſt be not the principle of life; it's poſſible (as I have ſhewed you heretofore) that the children of the Kingdom may be caſt out into utter darkneſs, to have a name and only a name to live, it will do men little good: therefore I beſeech you, examine whether the life of Chriſt be in you or no; whence came your life firſt? What way came into your oul that life which you have? Did it come by hearing the voice of Chriſt? That life which is from Chriſt comes into the ſoul by hearing the voice of Chriſt, in Joh. 5. 25. The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead ſhall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear ſhall live: There is no man that lives, but he ſhall hear the voice of the Son of God; can you ſay that the life that was in you, it was thus brought into your ſouls▪ it was by the voice of the Son of God, it was Chriſt ſpake, Chriſt ſpake in your ſouls, and you were revived; it was Chriſt in a Promiſe, or Chriſt in an Ordinance, or Chriſt in the breathings of his ſpirit; Ay, you know it was Chriſt that ſpake, for you were ſo ſenſibly, deeply ſunk in unbelief, you were ſo dead, that if an Angel from Heaven ſhould have ſounded a Trumpet, you could not have heard, nor have believed the Goſpel. Ay, you know it was the voice of Chriſt, for you heard the ſame word many a time, the ſame promiſe was given in; you read it, you heard it, it was urged upon you, and yet you found no life in it, but when Chriſt ſpake, then your ſpirit was revived. Nay, you are perſwaded it was the voice of Chriſt, for it was at ſuch a time when you were fartheſt off from light, then was your ſpirit revived; when your condition was, thoſe dead and dry bones which the Prophet Ezekiel ſpeaks of in Ezek. 37. you were furtheſt from life, when not only the fleſh was conſumed, but the bones were dry, ſcattered and conſumed, even in ſuch a ſpiritual ſenſe were you broken, and when the Word of Chriſt came to your ſoul you were revived from this Word of the Lord, and therefore certainly it was Chriſt that ſpake, I cannot but aſſent unto it: the life of Chriſt that thus comes in by the voice of the Son of God, it's Chriſt in the ſoul.
2. Secondly, Again, Did not this life come in in a way of dying? I ſay, did it not come in in a way of dying? For ſo is the life of Chriſt; where the life of Chriſt is, it kills the creature, it ſtrikes him ſtark dead, the creature is nothing, it dies to ſelf, it dies to his own righteouſneſs, it dies to his own ſtrength, to his own wiſdom, have you thus found it? Thus it was with Chriſt, the life that he purchaſed for his people, he purchaſed it by his death, it was made evident in a way of dying: when he aroſe from the Grave, then it was evident, and he is declared with power that he was the Son of God; life came in by death in a way of dying: and truly, thus it is with a ſoul where the life of Chriſt is, when Chriſt comes the ſoul dies, it ſaies as Chriſt ſaid, when he was ready to give up the Ghoſt, in Luk. 23. 46. Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit; ſo that ſoul where the life of Chriſt comes in, expires into God, the ſoul expires into God, into the hands of God, the creature becomes nothing, it deſires to be nothing, nothing in it ſelf, content that the creature ſhould be dead, look'd upon as dead, that God alone ſhould be exalted, that he ſhould be all unto it, and that it ſhould be all in all unto him; thus the life of Chriſt, where it comes into the ſoul in this way.
3. Thirdly, But again, Examine how your life is maintained; if the life of Chriſt be in you, How is that life of Criſt in you, that ſpiritual life maintained? the life that is from Chriſt is maintained by Chriſt, it came in at firſt by the voice of the Son of God, and ſo it's maintained by the voice of God, and every time that Chriſt ſpeaks, it's further into life, every time that Chriſt ſpeaks in a promiſe, every time that Chriſt ſpeaks in an Ordinance, it runs further into life, and every day it's dying, the life of Chriſt is increaſing, and triumphs in the victory, by killing and ſlaying the creature to it ſelf in its own apprehenſion, and it's maintained by the voice of Chriſt, or by a ſight of Chriſt, ſo that where this life of Chriſt is, the ſoul in all its deadneſs runs to Chriſt; when it wants life at any time, it looks to Chriſt for it, it runs to Chriſt for this life, Lord maintain this life. A ſoul hath its life from the Father originally, inſtrumentally from God, and it depends upon the Father for life, and where the ſoul is begotten by God, its life being in Chriſt, it's maintained by Chriſt, and it never lives ſo well as when it ſees moſt of Chriſt, it's a ſight of the glory and beauty of Chriſt, of the grace of Chriſt, and love of Chriſt that doth mightily affect the heart, and raiſe the ſpirits of the ſoul, it is mightily ſtirred up, the operations of the ſoul are ſtirred up, and it looks upon Chriſt and it's revived, it looks upon Chriſt and is ſtrengthened, and is beholding the glory and ſtrength of Chriſt, is moſt ready to act for Chriſt, and to work for Chriſt, whenas the ſoul hath much of Chriſt in his eye. Well, is your life thus maintained? certainly this is the life of Chriſt.
Ʋſe 2. But if I would ſpeak in a way of diſcovery unto poor creatures that are without the life of Chriſt: It will be an eaſie Teſt unto the diſcovery of many that they are without the life of Chriſt.
How many poor creatures in the world death ſits on their ſore-heads, upon their faces! Chriſt is not their life, but the world is their life, and their luſts is their life, and the creature is their life, for they live upon theſe, the life of many a poor ſoul is bound up in theſe, his life is bound up in the world, and bound up in his luſts, and if the world be taken from him, or his luſts taken from him, he cries out, O he is undone, what hath he more? And what will God do him good, or Chriſt do him good, or communion with the ſpirit do him good? his luſts are his life, and his life is taken away when he is robbed of his luſts. When a man doth live to the ſatisfaction of his luſts, and makes them the whole end of his living, not to lift up God and Chriſt, but to live to the ſatisfaction of the luſts of his heart, I ſay, here it is an eaſie matter to ſay without breach of the law of love, the Lord be merciful to ſuch poor creatures, for the life of Chriſt is not in them, they lay rotting in their Graves of ſin, their throat is an open Sepulchre, there's no appearance of the life of Chriſt in ſuch. And therefore I ſhall deſire the Lord would convince ſuch poor creatures, how miſerable their condition is without the life of Chriſt: they are like ſo many dead Carkaſſes, and what a ſad object is that, to look upon ſo many men as dead carkaſſes though they be never ſo lively, never ſo full of ſtrength, activity, and of beauty here before the eye of the World, yet in relation to the inviſible World, which is many thouſand times more conſiderable, ſuch men are as dead carcaſſes, I ſay, in the eye of God and of his Angels, and the reſt of the Inhabitants of the inviſible World, ſuch poor creatures are as dead carkaſſes, as dreadful an object to them, as a walking Ghoſt is to you: a carkaſs that lies rotting in the Grave where there is nothing but putrefaction, it is a noyſom, an offenſive object, every one turns away from it; and truly every one is ſuch, who is a ſinner, an obſtinate ſinner, the Lord cannot away with them, that if they continue in treſpaſſes and ſins, being dead in ſins and treſpaſſes, the Lord will bury them out of his ſight, there wants nothing but a burying them out of the ſight of God to make their miſery compleat; rejection from the preſence of God, to be caſt out of the ſight of God, and his preſence for ever, never to behold his face in glory, and communion with him, it ſhall be the completion of the miſery of ſuch poor wretches: And therefore I ſhall deſire you in the fear of God to look after the life of Chriſt; O that the Lord would perſwade you to look after the life of Chriſt, He that hath the Son, hath life; and he that hath not the Son, hath not life; Look after Chriſt for life; O that you would conſider the excellency of the life of Chriſt, is it not worth the ſeeking after? Shall I ſet it out to you, by comparing the life of Chriſt with natural life, which is accounted moſt excellent in this lower world, and you ſhall ſee how infinitely excellent the life of Chriſt is? What is the moſt excellent thing in the World, the beſt thing in nature? Why life, natural life is the beſt thing in nature; Skin for skin, and all that a man hath, will he give for his life: the leaſt worm is more excellent than the Sun in that reſpect, becauſe it hath life, life is moſt excellent in its nature: But now compare the life of nature with the life of Chriſt, and you ſhall ſee how far it goes beyond it, and therefore infinitely more deſirable than the life of nature. For,
1. Firſt of all, The life of Nature is a vain life, a life full of vanity: Eve was convinced thereof by that time ſhe brought forth a ſecond Son, ſhe called his name Abel, that is vanity; ſhe now knew that was the condition and caſe of the ſons and daughters of fallen man, of all ſhe brought forth, with all the world that followed her, their lives ſhall be vanity, Man walks in a vain ſhadow, in a vain ſhew, Pſal. 39. 5, 6. Surely every man walks in a vain ſhew, ſurely they are diſquieted in vain: the life of Nature is full of vanity, it appears in that it ſatisfieth not; it is empty and vain, for it proves many times a burden, even vanity: life it ſelf, which is the moſt excellent thing in nature, it proves a burden if you declare the vanity of it: and ſo many times it is ſo to the wicked, and to the Godly. Life is a burden to the wicked: there is a principle in nature in a man to live, to deſire to live, to live alwaies, and yet man many times is weary to live; the wicked man would live long, and yet his life is a burden, he would live longer, he never dies willingly, though ſometimes he be the inſtrument of his own deſtruction, he dies not willingly; It is ſaid of the wicked man, That be ſhall not live out half his daies; Why, though they may live longer than the righteous, though he live a hundred years, yet he may not live out half his daies, he deſires to live long, and yet life is a burden to him, here is a vanity: eſpecially when the Lord ſhall break in upon his ſoul with apprehenſions of wrath, and when he meets with vexations and diſquietments from the world, many times he ſpeaks againſt his life, and acts againſt his life, which is a great ſin: here's a vanity.
Nay, natural life is a burden many times to Gods own people; you may ſee how it comes ſhort of the life of Chriſt, though it is the moſt excellent thing in nature, yet it is a burden to the Saints; the corruption that is within their own hearts, which doth follow them all the time of life, makes life a burden: O miſerable man that I am, who ſhall deliver me from this body of ſin and death? The workings of corruption have made his very life a burden to him, who ſhall deliver him from it? And ſo through the temptation of Satan the life is made burdenſome, through the evil of the times, through the diſhonour that is brought to God in the world, whilſt they look upon it their life is made a burden to them; Lot's righteous ſoul was vexed, his life was a burden to him: though they dare not think againſt their lives, and act againſt their lives, yet many times life is a burden to Gods own people, not but that they are willing to bear their burden whilſt God is pleaſed to let them live here. But now,
Turn your eye to Chriſts life, and you ſhall ſee the life of Chriſt is full of ſatisfaction, full of contentment: It's full of ſatisfaction, you don't ſay of that as ſometimes Job ſaid of his life, you may ſee in Job 7. 15, 16. he was under ſore temptation, and in great affliction, I loath it, I would not live alway; why Job never ſaid ſo of the life of Chriſt, he never ſaid of that, I loath it, I would not live alway; No, on the contrary, a gracious heart ſaies thus, I love it, I delight in it, I would live alway, let me live to Eternity, to lift up the name of God, to behold his Glory, to wait at his foot-ſtool, to extol his glorious name for ever and ever; thus you ſee how contrary the life of Chriſt is unto the life of nature, in reſpect of the vanity of it.
2. But again, Secondly, The life of Nature is a ſinful life, and that makes it worſe than vanity; ſin doth accompany it all along, yea in its firſt riſe, in its firſt being, In ſin was I conceived, ſaies David. A man that hath nothing but the life of nature lives to nothing but to ſin: he lives to diſhonour God, he lives to wound and to deſtroy himſelf, he lives to do hurt in the world, in injury to others; and theſe are the fruits that nature brings forth: but the life of Chriſt is pure and holy, it's without ſin, there is no principle of corruption in it; and therefore it never dies, it never expires, it hath no principle of corruption in it ſelf, but it is pure as the life of God is pure. But again,
3. Thirdly, The life of Nature is a miſerable life; it's full of miſery; ſee how Job ſpeaks of it, ſpeaking of the life of Nature, he ſaies, That man is born to miſery as the ſparks flie upward, that is, Naturally: the ſparks naturally flie upward, and ſo there is all the portion that a man is born unto by nature; if he hath any beſides his miſery, it's beſides his portion, he hath more than he was born to, for he was born to miſery: But the life of Chriſt hath no ſorrow in it, for he that is born again to God, is born to happineſs, he is born to joy, he is born to glory, even as the ſparks flie upward; this is the portion that he is born to, and if he comes ſhort of this, it's accidental, becauſe he comes ſhort of the life of Chriſt, if he comes ſhort of this glory and joy in the Holy Ghoſt, it's becauſe he comes ſhort of the life of Chriſt, for the life of Chriſt ſhall be compleated in Heaven, where it ſhall not be interrupted in its actings, then there ſhall be nothing but peace and joy in the Holy Ghoſt; there ſhall be then no ſorrow, for all tears ſhall be wiped away: this is the excellency of the life of Chriſt. Again,
4. Fourthly, The life of Nature is a decreaſing life: it decreaſes as ſoon as ever it comes into the world, as ſoon as ever a man begins to live, He comes up, and is cut down like a flower: The Candle conſumes as ſoon as it is lighted: and even thus is the life of Nature; and it's like a Garment that is eaten with the Moths; it's continually decreaſing and waxing worſe and worſe. There are ſo many worms at the root of the Tree, gnawing at the root of our Tree, that as ſoon as ever we ſpring above ground, our natures decreaſe continually: but the life of Chriſt is an increaſing life, there is a period beyond which a Chriſtian ſhall not grow, he doth not come to his height, and then go downward, there is no period in his growth ſo long as he is on this ſide Heaven, there is no old age in which his life decreaſeth; it's true, the operations of life may be deſtroyed in a Chriſtian, but the principle of life increaſes continually: and therefore the promiſes are made that they ſhall be as Trees which bring forth fruit in old age; and that they ſhall grow from ſtrength to ſtrength, until they come to appear before him in Sion; and thus in the ſtrength of Chriſt they ſhall go from ſtrength to ſtrength, which is far more excellent than the life of Nature.
5. But again Fifthly, The life of nature is an uncertain life: there is no man hath any leaſe of life, but our times are in the Lords hand, and there is no man living hath certainty of life for a moment: It's true, the Fool in the Goſpel makes large promiſes, and makes a large leaſe to himſelf of that which was not his own, he would leaſe our life for years, for many years, but he reckoned without his Land-lord, and you know that that night his ſoul was taken from him. Of all things in the world, life is the moſt uncertain thing, but the life of Chriſt that Chriſt gives is moſt certain, it is a life that cannot be taken away: it is as ſure to a Chriſtian as the life of Chriſt in Heaven is ſure, a Chriſtian can no more die than Chriſt can die, Becauſe I live, ſaies he, ye ſhall live alſo; as ſure as I live, ye ſhall live alſo; as my life is certain, ſo your life alſo is certain; for your life ſhall no man take from you. Though there be many that ſeek to take away a Chriſtians life, yet none ſhall be able to do it. 1. The World ſhall not rob them of life, Be of good comfort I have overcome the world, ſaies Chriſt. 2. Sin is another enemy to the life of Chriſt, but yet it ſhall not prevail. Sin ſhall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the Law but under grace; there's the bond of the Lords faithfulneſs. Again, 3. Satan is another enemy to the life of Chriſt, but he ſhall not prevail neither, Chriſt hath ſpoiled Principalities and Powers, and hath triumphed over them; for it is ſaid, the Lord Jeſus ſhall tread down Satan under your feet ſhortly, that the life of Chriſt ſhall not be taken from you; here is the excellency of it. Again,
6. Sixthly, The life of nature is a deceitful life, both for time and continuance, and alſo for the comforts of it; it promiſes a great deal but performs little or nothing: riches, and honour, and pleaſures, and the reſt of the good things of natural life; it promiſeth much but performs little: but when the creature comes to experience, as Solomon did, why, he is deceived, deceived in his expectation, for he finds nothing but vanity and vexation of ſpirit: let a man try, if he will, he ſhall never find ſo much comfort as it promiſeth him; but the life of Chriſt is no whit deceitful, it doth not promiſe more than it performs, there is alwaies more found in the enjoyment of the life of Chriſt than was promiſed, and more than the ſoul did ever expect; how often doth the poor ſoul cry out (with the Queen of Sheba) that is taken up into the Mount and ſees Chriſt transfigured; Do but behold a little of his glory, ſhe cries; behold there was no ſpirit left in her when ſhe ſaw Solomon's houſe, for ſhe did not believe what was told to the half of what ſhe ſaw; Why, ſo when the life of Chriſt is given out to the ſoul, you ſhall find more than ever was told; God will be more and better in the performance than he was in the promiſe; and truly, the life and glory of Chriſt is Incomprehenſible in reſpect of the creature, the largeſt capacity and underſtanding, though inlightened and ſanctified, is not able to take in the leaſt part of the glory of the life of Chriſt, it's not able to comprehend the notion of it, much leſs the life it ſelf, the great diſcoveries of it ſhall be reſerved for heaven, and then it ſhall be found of all Saints that the life of Chriſt was not like the life of man, there was no deceitfulneſs in it. But to ſay no more:
7. Seventhly, The life of Nature is a momentany life; therefore often compared in Scripture to things that are not, or are gone in a moment; the breath, the ſhadow, the wind that paſſeth away, there's no continuance, it comes up and is cut down: there is no continuance compared with Eternity, it's but a moment, the longeſt life is but a paſſage, there's no ſtay, it's but a Bridge to go over, it's but a Bridge to Eternity; life is but a moment, but now the life of Chriſt is an eternal life, the life that Chriſt gives to the ſoul is eternal, he that lives in Chriſt, and with Chriſt, ſhall live for ever, it ſhall never be taken away, it ſhall never be blown out, but the ſoul that hath the life of Chriſt, ſhall live as long as Chriſt lives, it can no more die, than Chriſt can die; now he died but once, and being riſen from the dead, he can die no more, but he lives for ever and ever; and thus is the life of Chriſt when ever it is communicated to a ſoul, that ſoul can die no more, it hath died when Chriſt died, and therefore ſhall die no more, but it ſhall live, it ſhall live even to Eternity, and to Eternity it ſhall lift up the name of God and Chriſt. You ſee how excellent the life of Chriſt is, how far it ſurpaſſes the life of nature; every man deſires to live, and to live long, becauſe the life of nature is apprehended to be excellent; but you have ſeen what a poor life it is without the life of Chriſt: it's a poor, vain, ſinful, miſerable, wretched, decreaſing, uncertain, deceitful, momentany life: O that that which hath been ſpoken of the life of Chriſt, might ſtir up all your hearts to enquire the way of life, that you may ſit and wait at the foot-ſtool, and wait for the givings out of his life, for he came to this end that you might have life, and that you might have it more abundantly.