The Common Principles of the Christian Religion, Sermon 13
Deut. 6. 4. and Ioh. 5. 7.
ALL Scripture is given by inspiration of God & it is profitable for instruction, for direction, &c. There is no refuse in it: no simple and plain History, but it tends to some edification, no profound or deep mysterie, but it is profitable for Salvation; whatsoever secrets there be in the mysteries of God, which is reserved from us, though it be given us but to know in part, & darkly thorow a vail, yet as much is given us to know as may make the man of God perfect in every good work, as much is given us to know as may build us up to eternall salvation: if there were no more use of these deep mysteries of the Holy Trinity, &c. but to silence all flesh, & restrain the unlimited spirits of men, and keep them within the bounds of Sobriety and Faith, It were enough: That great secret would teach as much by its silence & darknesse, as the plainer truths do speak out clearly: O that this great mystery did compose our hearts to some reverend & awfull apprehension of that God we have to do with, & did imprint in our soul a more feeling sense of our darknesse, and ignorance; this were more advantage than all the gain of light, or increase of knowledge than can come from the search of curiosity: If men would labour to walk in that light they have attained, rather than curiously enquire after what they cannot know by enquiry, they should sooner attain more true light, if men would set about the practice of what they know, without doubt they would more readily come to a resolution & clearnesse in doubtful things. Religion is now turned into questions & School-debates; Men begin to believe nothing, but dispute every thing, under a pretence of searching for light and resolution, but for the most part while men look after light, they darken themselves, & this is the righteous judgement of the Lord upon the world, that doth not receive the truth in love, or walk in the light of what they have already attained, therefore he gives men up to wander in their search into the dark dungeons of humane wisdome and fancy, and to lose what they have already. If those things which are without all Controversie (as the Apostle speaks. 1 Tim. 3. 16.) were indeed made conscience of, and imbraced in love and practised, it were beyond all controversie, that the most part of present controversies would cease: But it fals out with many, as with the dog, that catching at a shadow in the water, lost the substance in his teeth; so they pursuing after new discoveries in contraverted things, and not taking a heart-hold and inward grip of the substantiall truths of the Gospell, which are beyond all controversie do even lose what they have. Thus, Even that which they have not is taken from them, because though they have it in judgment; yet they have it not surely and solidly in affection, that it may be holden: So, to this present point, if we could learn to adore and admire this Holy, Holy, Holy One; If we could in silence and faith sit down and wonder at this mysterie, it would be more profitable to us, and make way for a clearer manifestation of God, than if we should search and enquire into all the Volums that are written upon it, thinking by this means to satisfie our reason. I think there is more profoundnesse in the sobriety of Faith than in the depths of humane wisdome and learning, when the mysterie is such an infinite depth, O, but mens eloquence and wisedom must be shallow, far too shallow either to find it out; or unfold it.
But there is yet both more instruction and consolation to be pressed out of this mysterie; and therefore, If you cannot reach it in it self, O consider what it concerns us, how we may be edified by it, for this is true Religion. Look upon that place of Moses, what is the great instruction he draws from this unity of Gods Essence. v. 5. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart; Since God is one, then have no God but one, and that the true and living God, and this is the very first command of God, which flowes as it were immediatly from his absolute Onenesse and perfection of Beeing: There is no man but he must have some God, that is something whereupon he placeth his affection most; every man hath some one thing he loves, and respects beyond all other things, some Lord and Master that commands him, therefore saith Christ, No man can serve two Masters; before a man will want God to love and serve, he will make them, and then worship them: yea he will make himself his belly, his back, his honour & pleasure, a God, and sacrifice all his affections and desires, and endeavours to these: The naturall subordination of man to God, the relation he hath as a Creature to a Creator, is the first & fundamentall relation, beyond all respects to himself, or other fellow-creatures. This is the proto-naturall Obligation upon the Creature, therefore it should have returned in a direct line to his Majesty all its affections and endeavours: But mans Fall from God hath made a wretched throw & cr…ok in the soul, that it cannot look any more after him, but bows downward towards creatures below, or bends inwardly towards it self, & so since the Fall, man hath turned his heart from the true God, & set it upon vanity, upon lying vanities, upon base dead Idols, which can neither help him nor hurt him; your hearts are gone a whoring from God, O that ye would believe it, none of you will deny, but ye have broken all the Commands, yet such is the brutish ignorance & stupidity of the most part, that you will not confesse that, when it comes to particulars; and especially, if you should be challenged for loving other things more than God, or having other Gods besides the true God, you will instantly deny it, & that with an asseveration & aversation, God forbid that I have another God: Alas! this shews, that what you confesse in the generall is not believed in the heart, but only is like the parting of children, whom you may learn to say any thing? I beseech you consider that what you give your time, pains, thoughts, and affections to, that is your God; you must give God all your heart, and so retain nothing of your own will if God be your God, but do ye not know that your care, and grief, and desire, and love, vents another way towards base things? You know, that you have a will of your own, which goeth quite contrary to his holy vvill in all things, therefore Sathan hath bewitched you, & your hearts deceive you, when they perswade you that you have had no other God but the true God. Christianity raises the soul again, and advances it by degrees to this love of God, from which it had fallen; the soul returns to its first husband, from vvhom it vvent awhooring, & now the stamp of God is so upon it, that it is changed into his Image and glory, having tasted how good this one self-sufficient-good is, it gladly & easily divorces from all other Lovers; it renounces formall lusts of ignorance, and now begins to live in another; Love transplants the soul into God, and in him it lives, and vvith him it vvalks: It's true, this is done gradually, there is much of the heart yet unbroken to this sweet and easie yoke of love, much of the corrupt nature untamed, unreclaimed, yet so much is gained by the first conversion of the soul to God, that all is given up to him in affection and desire; he hath the chief place in the soul, the disposition of the Spirit hath some stamp and impression of his Onenesse & singularity: My beloved is one: Though a Christian is not wholly rid of strange Lords, yet the tye of subjection to them is broken; they may often intrude by violence upon him, but he is in an hostile posture of affection, and endeavour against them. I beseech you, since the Lord is one, and there is none beside him. O, let this be engraven on your hearts, that your inward affections and outward actions may expresse that one Lord to be your God, and none other beside him: It is a great shame and reproach to Christians, that they do not carry the stamp of the first Principle of Religion upon their walking, the condition & conversation of many declares how little account they make of the true God, vvhy do ye enslave your souls to your lusts & the service of the flesh, if ye believe in this one God? Why do ye all things to please your selves, if this one Lord be your God? As for you the Israel of God who are called by Jesus Christ to partake with the Common-Wealth of Israel, in the Covenant of promises, hear, I beseech you, this, and let your souls incline to it, and receive it. Your God is one Lord; have then, no other Lords over your souls and consciences; not your selves, not others.
But in the next place let us consider to what purpose John leads such three witnesses, that we may draw some consolation from it. The thing testified and witnessed unto, is the ground-work of all a Christians hope and consolation, that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, and Saviour of the World, one able to save to the utmost all that put their trust in him, so that every soul that finds it self lost, and not able to subsist nor abide the judgement of God, may repose their confidence in him, and lay the weight of their eternal well-fare upon his death & sufferings, with assurance to find rest and peace in him to their souls. He is such a one as faith may triumph in him over the world, & all things be…de: A Beleever may triumph in his victory, and in the faith of his victory, over hell and death, and the grave, many overcome personally, for this is our victory over the world, even our faith, vers. 4. And how could a soul conquer by Faith, if he in whom it believes were not declared to be the Son of God with power, there is nothing so mean & weakly as Faith in it self, its a poor despicable thing of it self, and that it sees, and that it acknowledges; yea, faith is a very act of its self denyall, its a renouncing of all help without and within it self, save only that which is laid on Christ Jesus; therefore it were the most unsuitable mean of prevailing, and the most insufficient weapon for gaining the victory, if the object of it were not the strong God, the Lord Almighty, from whom it derives and borrows all its power & vertue, either to pacifie the conscience, or to expiate sin, or to overcome the world. Oh! consider Christians where the foundation of your hope is scituated, it is in the divine power of our Saviour, if he who declared so much love & good-will to sinners, by becoming so low, & suffering so much, have also all power in Heaven and Earth, if he be not only man near us, to make for us boldnesse of accesse, but God near God, to prevail effectually with God, then certainly he is asure foundation laid in Sion, elect and precious; he is an unm oveable Rock of ages, whosoever trusts their soul to him shal not be ashamed. I am sure that many of you considers not this, that Christ Jesus who was in due time born of the Virgin Mary, & died for sinners, is the eternall Son of God, equall to his Father in all glory and power. O how would this make the Gospel agreat mystery to souls, & the Redemption of souls a precious and wonderfull work, if it were considered. Would not souls stand at this Anchor immoveable in tentation, if their faith were pitched on this sure foundation, and their hope cast upon this solid ground: O know your Redeemer is strong and mighty, and none can pluck you out of his hand, and himself will cast none out that comes. If the multitude of you believed this, you would not make so little account of the Gospel that comes to you, & make so little of your sins which behoved to be taken away by the blood of God, & could be expiated by no other propitiation, you would not think it so easie to satisfie God with some words of custome, and some publick services of forme as you do, you would not for all the World deal with God alone without this Mediator: and being convinced of sin (if you believed this solidely, that he in whom forgivennesse of sin and salvation is preached, is the same Lord God of whom you hear in the Old Testament, who gave out the Law, and inspired the Prophets, the only begotten of the Father in a way infinitly removed from all created capacities) you could not but find the Father well satisfied in him, & find a sufficient ransome in his death & doings to pacifie God, & to settle your consciences.
But as the thing testified is a matter of great consolation, so the witnesse testifying to this foundamentall of our Religion, may be a ground of great encouragement to discouraged souls. It is ordinary, that the apprehensions of Christians takes up Jesus Christ as very lovely, and more loving than any of the Persons of the God-head, either the Father or the Holy Ghost, there are some thoughts of estrangednesse and distance of the Father, as if the Son did really reconcile and gain him to love us, who before hated us, and upon this mistake the soul is filled with continual jealousies, and suspicions of the love of God: but observe I beseech you, the Father, the Son, & the Holy Ghost all of them first agreeing in one Testimony, the Father declares from heaven, that he is abundantly well pleased with his Son, not only because he is his Son, but even in the undertaking and performing of that work of Redemption of sinners: It is therefore his most serious invitation, and peremptory command to all to hear him, and believe in him. Mat. 3. 17. 1 Ioh. 3. 23. Nay, if we speak properly, our salvation it is not the businesse of Christ alone, as we imagine it, but the whole God-head is interessed in it deeply, & so deeply, that you cannot say, who loves it most, or likes it most. The Father is the very fountain of it, his love is the spring of all, God so loved the World, that he hath sent his Son Christ hath not purchased that eternal love to us, but is rather the gift, the free gift of eternal love. And therefore, as we have the Son delighting among the sons of men, Pro. 8. and delighting to be imployed and to do his will, Psal 40. So we have the Father delighting to send his Son, & taking pleasure in instructing him, and furnishing him for it, Isa. 42. 1. And therefore Christ often professed that he was not often about his own vvork, but the Fathers work vvho sent him, and that it was not his own will, but his Fathers he was fulfilling, Therefore he should not look upon the head-spring of our salvation in the Son, but rather ascend up to the Father, whose love & wisdome did frame all this; And thus we may be confident to come to the Father in the Son, knowing that it was the love of the Father that sent the Son, though indeed we must come to him only in the Son, in the name of Christ, and faith of acceptation through a Mediator, not because the Mediator purchaseth his good-will, but because his love and good-will only vents in his beloved Son Christ, and therefore he will not be known nor worshipped but in him, in whom he is near sinners, and reconciling the world to himself. And then the Holy Ghost concurrs in this Testimony, and as the Son had the work of purchasing rights and interests to grace and glory, so the great work of applying all these priviledges to Saints, and making them actually partakers of the blessings of Christ his death, is committed in a special way to the Holy Ghost: I will send the Comforter, &c. So then, Father, Son, & Holy Ghost all agree in one, that Jesus Christ is a sure refuge for sinners, a plank for ship-broken men, a firm & sure foundation to build everlasting hopes upon, there is no party dissenting in all the Gospel, the businesse of the Salvation of lost souls is concluded in this holy Counsell of the Trinity with one voice, as at first, all of them agreed, to make man, Let us make man▪ So again, they agree to make him again, to restore him to life in the second Adam. Who ever thou be that wouldst flee to God for mercy, …o it in confidence, the Father, the Son, & the holy Ghost are ready to welcome thee, all of one mind to shut out none, to cast out none. But to speak properly, it is but one love; one will, one counsell, and purpose in the Father, Son, and Spirit, for these three are one, and not only agree in one, they are one, and what one purposes o… loves, all love & purpose. I would conclude this matter with a word of direction how to worship God, which I cannot expresse in fitter terms then these of Nazianzen, I cannot think upon one, but by and by I am compassed about with the brightnesse of three, and … cannot distinguish three, but I am suddenly driven back unto one: There is great ignorance & mistake of this even amongst the best Christians, the grosser sort when they hear of one God only, thinks Christ but some eminent man, and so direct their prayers to God only, excluding the Son, and Holy Ghost, or when they hear of three Persons, the Father, the Son, & Holy Ghost, they straight way divide their Worship, & imagine a Trinity of Gods: And I fear, those of us who know most, use not to worship God as he hath revealed himself, Father, Son, & Holy Chost, and yet one God: our minds are reduced to such a simple unity, as we think upon one of them alone, or else distr… cted and divided into such a plurality, that we worship, in a manner, three Gods in stead of one. It is a great mystery to keep the right middle way. Learn I beseech you, so to conceive of God, & so to acknowledg him, and pray to him, as you may do it in the name of Jesus Christ, that all the Persons may have equal honour, and all of them one honour, that while you consider one God, you may adore that sacred & blessed Trinity, & while you worship that holy Trinity, you may straight way be reduced to an Unity. To this wonderfull and holy One, Father, Son, & Holy Ghost, be all Praise and Glory.