Fellowship with God, Sermon 1
SERMON I·
1 Joh. 1.1.
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, &c.
IT is the great qualification of a Disciple, or Hearer, to be attentive, and docile, to be capable of teaching, and to apply the mind seriously to it: it is much to get the ear of a man; if his ear be gotten, his mind is the more easily gained: Therefore those who professed eloquence, and studied to perswade men to any thing, used in the entry, to fall upon some thing that might stir up the attention of their hearers, or make them the more inclinable to receive instruction, or catch their …avour or good-will, which is of great moment to perswasion: for it is sometimes fit to open the passages of the heart by such means, that there may be the more easie entry for instruction and perswasion. Truly there is something of this Art runs here in a divine channel; as indeed all these rules of humane wisdome attain their perfection, when they meet with a divine spirit, that elevats them to a more transcend…nt use. Happy was that eloquence of Pauls, and something like the sweet inspi…ation of Angel…, by which they prevail with the …pi…its of men: Nevertheless, being crafty (…aith he) I caught you with guile, … Cor. 12 16. The…e were, piae fraudes, whe…eby he used to … poor souls out of the pit, and pluck them out of the fire; and he that said, I will m…ke you fi…hers of men, taught them to use some holy deceit, to present some things for the allurement of souls, and so to surround and inclose them with most weighty and convincing reasons. This beloved Apostle who leaned upon Christs bosome, and was likely to learn the very secrets of the art of fishing souls, you see how he goeth about the business; he useth an holy art in this Preface; being about to give a re-capitulation of the whole Gospel, and to make a short summary of the Doctrine of it, for the more effectual establishment, and confirmation of souls already converted, and for the more powerful pe…swasion of others to imbrace it; he useth all the skill that can be in the entry, to dispose mens hearts to receive it; like a wise Orator, he labours to make them attentos, dociles, & benevolos: to stir up their attention, to conciliat their affection, and so to make them docile, and easily teachable: He stirrs up attention, when he shews that he is not to speak about trifling light matters, or low things, or things that do not concern them; but concerning the greatest, most concerning, …nd important things to them, even the word of life, in which all their life was wrapt up: which though it was ancient in it self, yet withall it was a new thing to the world, and so for all respects deserved to be taken serious notice of. Then he conciliats their benevolence and good-will, by shewing his own good affection towards them, and his great design in it, that it was only for their good and salvation, that he had nothing else before him, but to have them partakers with himself, in that same happinesse: he had sound a jewel, and he hides it not, but proclaims it, that all men may have fellowship with him, and that is, with God, and that cannot but bring in full joy to the heart. Now a soul being made thus attentive, and willing to hear, it is the best disposition, that makes them most capable of being taught. If those two stayes were come over; the careless regard that is in mens hearts towards the Gospel, and the suspicious thoughts and prejudices against the Ambassadours of it, then what would hinder to believe it? The great miseries of men are, Inconsideration, and Misapprehension: Either men are so noised with other things, continually buzzing in their ears, and their hearts so possest with the clamours of their lusts, and the cryes of the things of this world, that they have no leasure so much as to hearken patiently to this blessed sound, or to apprehend seriously what weight and moment lyes in it; and so the most part of men cannot give that …rnest and deep attention that is nec…ss…i…y …equi…ed fo… this divine teaching; or else there a…e m…ny mistakes and misconception… of the Gospel, which sometimes arise to that hight of …easoning ag…inst God, and prej…dices against them that ca…y this message; which usually a…e joyned together, and the…e stop … ea…s of men against the wisest and most powe…ful inchantment of P…eaching, that it gains not much g…ound on them. O that ye would once listen to the Gospel, Hea…ken and incline your ears unto me, i… the Lords fi…st great request: and i… once you do but se…io…sly apply your minds and hearts, to see what is held out unto you, and to prove what good i… in it, certainly these sure and eve…lasting me…cies will mercifully and sweetly c…tch you with guile, and deceive you, (if I may say so) to your eternal advantage. Wisdome, the Fathers wisdome, begs but an equal hea…ing of you, let her have but a patient hearing, and a silent impartial judgement of the heart, and she will ca…y it off all that suit you: It is lamentable that the voice of God should be out-cryed by mens continual uninterrupted flood of businesse, that fills the heart with a continual noise, and keeps men in such a constant hurry and distemper, that they can give time and patie…e to nothing else▪ and this is only the advantage, the world and the lust… of it have; for if they come once under a sober and serious ex…mination, and the other party, that is, Iesus Christ, and the Word of Life, might h…ve the liberty to be heard in the inward retired thoughts of the heart, it would soon be found how unequal they are, and that all their efficacy consists, in our ignorance, and their strength, in our weaknesse; Certainly Christ would carry it, to the conviction of all that is in the soul. I beseech you let us giv… him this attention.
He that answer… a tale before he hear it, its a solly …nd weaknesse to him: A …olly certainly it is to give this Gospel a repulse before ye hear it: It promiseth life and immortality, which nothing else doth; and you intertain other things upon lower promises and expectations, even after frequent experiences of their deceitfulnesse: What a madnesse then is it to hear this promise of life in Christ, so o…ten beaten upon you, …nd yet never so much as to put him to the proof of it? and to put him off continually who knocks at your hearts, be…o…e you will consider attentively who it is that thus importunes you. O my beloved, that you would hear him to Amen, let him speak freely to your hearts, and commune with them in the night on your beds, in your greatest retirement from other things, that you may not be disturbed by the noise of your lusts and business; and I perswade my self, you who have now least mind of this life, and joy in God, should find it, and find it in him: But to cut off …ll convictions and perswasions …t fi…st, …nd to set such a gua…d at your minds, to provide that nothing o… that …ind come in▪ or else that it be cast out as an enemy, thi… is unequal, ignorant, and unreasonable dea…ing, which you alone will repent of, it m…y be too late, when past …emedy.
He p…opounds that which he is to speak, in the fi…t…st way for the commendation of it to their hearts: and Oh! How vast a difference betwixt this, and the ordinary subject of mens discou…e…? our ears are filled continually with reports: and it is the usual way of men to delight to hear, and to report, even those things that are not so delightful in themselves; and truly there are not many occur…ences in the world (…uppose you had a Di…nal of the …ff…irs of all men, every week) that can give any solid refreshment to the heart, except in the holy meditation of the vanity, vexation, and inconstancy that God hath subjected all those things unto. But its sad, that Christians, who have so noble and divine, so pleas…nt and profitable things, to speak upon one to another, are notwithstanding as much subject to that Atheni…n disease, to be i…ching a…ter new things continually, and to spend our time this way, to repo…t, and to hear news; and alas, wh…t a…e those things that are tossed up and down continually, but the follies, weaknesse…, impotencie… and wickedness, ambition and avarice of men, the iniquity and impiety of the world that lyes in wickednesse; and is there …ny thing in this, either pleasant or profitable, that we should delight to intertain our own thoughts, and others ears with them? But the Subj…ct that is here intreated of, is of another nature, nothing in it self so excellent, nothing to us so convenient, That which was from the beginning, of the word of life, we declare unto you. O how pleasant and sweet a voice is that which sounds from Heaven, be those confused noises …re that arise from the earth? This is a Message that is come from Heaven, with him that came down from it: and indeed that is the Airt, from whence good news hath come; Since the first curse was pronounced upon the earth, the earth hath brought forth nothing, but thorns and b…iars of contention, stri…e, sorrow, and vexation: Only from above hath this Message been sent to renew the world again, and recreat it, as it were: There are four properties by which this infinitly surpasses all other things can be told you. For it self it is most excellent▪ for its endurance, it is most ancient; and to us, it is most profitable; and both in its self, and to u…, it is most certain; and by these the Apostle labours to prepare their hearts to serious attention.
For the excellency of the subject that he is to declare, its incomparable, for it is no lesse, then that Jewel that is hid in the Mine of the Scriptures, which he, as it were, digs up, and shews and o…er… it unto them; that Jewel (… say) which, when a man hath sound, he may sell all to buy it; that Jewel, more precious then the most precious desires and delights of men, even Iesus Christ, the substantial word of life, who is the substance of all the shadows of the Old Testament, the end of that ministery, the accomplishment of the promises, and that very life of all Religion, without which there is nothing more vain and empty. It i… t…ue, the Gospel is the word of life, and holds out salvation to poor sinners, but yet it is Ch…ist that is th… life of that wo…d, not only as touching the efficacy and power of it, but as touching the subject of it; for the Gospel is a word …f li…e only, because it speaks of him, who is the life and the light of men; it is but a report of the true life, a… Iohn said, I am not that light, but am sent to bear witness of that light, Joh. 1.8. So the Gospel, though it be called the power of God to salv…tion, Rom. 1.16. and the savour of life, and the Gospel of salvation, Eph. 1 13. yet it is not that true life, but only a testimony and declaration of it, it hath not life and immortality in it self, but only the bringing of those to light, and to the knowledge of men, 2 Tim. 1.10. it is a discovery where these treasures are lying▪ for the searching and finding.
To speak of this word of life, Iesus Christ, according to his eternal subsistence in the infinite understanding of the Father; it would ce…tainly requi…e a di…ine …pi…it, mor… elevated above the o…dinary sphere of men, and sep…rate from that earthlinesse, and impurity, that makes us incapable of seeing that holy and pure Majesty. Angels were but low Messengers for this; for how can they expresse to us, what they cannot conc…ive thems…lves, and therefore wonder at the mystery of i…? I confes…e, the best way of speaking those things, which so infinitly surpass created capacities, were to sit down in silence, and wonder at them; and withall to taste such a sweetnesse, in the immense greatnesse, and infi…it myste…iou…nesse of what we believe, as might …avish the soul more, …fter that which is unknown, then all the perfections of the world known and seen to the bottom can do. This Doctrine of the holy Trinity hath been propagated from the beginning of the world, even among the Heathens, and derived by tradition f…om the first Fathers, or the Hebrews to neighbour Nation…, and therefore they speak many divine things of that Infinit, Supream Being, who is the fountain of the whole Creation, and that he created all things by his most divine Word, and that his blessed Spirit is the union and bond of both, and of all things besides. It is known what mysteries the Pythagoreans apprehended in the number of Three, what perfection they imagined to be in it: So much was let out, as might either make them without excuse, or prepare the world to receive readily the … should be … …ev…ale…: It i… commonly he…d forth, that this eternal Word, i… the b…h o… the infinit understanding o… God, reflecting upon his own most ab…olu…e and pe…fect bein…; which i… …llust…ated by some poor comparison to us Creatures, who …o…m in our mind▪ in the understanding of any thing, an inward word, or image of the object, some rep…e…entation and similitude of that we un…e…st…nd, and this is mo…e perfect then an external vocal expression can be; so we have a weak and finit conception of the acting of that infinit wisdom of God, by which he knows himsel…, th…t the…e results, as it were, upon it, the per…ect subst…ntial im…ge, and the expresse character of the Divine Essence; and therefore is the Son of God called, the Word which was with God, and the wisdome of the Father, because he is, a… it were, the very birth of his unde…standing, and not only the Image of his own Essence, but the Idea, in which he conceived, and by which he created the visible world. Then we use to conceive the H…ly …host, as the production of his blessed will, whereby he loves, delights, and hath complacency in his own all-sufficient, all-blessed Being, which he himself alone pe…fectly comprehend▪ by his infinit understanding▪ and therefore called, the Spirit, a word borrowed from …esemblance to poor cre…t…res, who have many impulses, and inclination… to several thing…, and are carried to motion, and action, rather from that part which is invisible in them; the subtilest parts therefore called Spirits: So the Lo…d applyes his Almighty power, and exerceth his infinite wisdome, according to the pleasure and determination of his will, for that seems to be the immediat p…inciple of wo…king; therefore there i… mention made of the Spiri…, in the Creatio… of the wo…ld, He sent …ut his Spirit, and they were …reated, P…al. 104.30. These are the weak and low attempts of men to …each the height of that unsearchable mystery; such conjectu…es we have of this Word of God, and his eternal gene…ation, as if Trees could take upon them to unde…stand the nature of Beasts, or as if Beasts would presume to give an account of the spirit that acts in men: Certainly the distance is in…initly greater between God and us; and he must needs behold greater vanity, folly, and darknesse, in our clearest apprehensions of his Majesty, then we could …ind in the reasonings and conceptions of Beasts about our nature. When our own conception in the womb, is such a mystery, as made David to sa…, O how wonderfully am I made, and fearfully? he saw a curious art and wisdom in it, that he could not understand, and he believed an infinit power, he could not conceive, which surprized his soul with such unexp…cted matter of wonder, as made him fear and tremble at the thought of it. I say, when the generation of a poor creature, hath so much depth of wisdome in it, now canst thou …ink to understand that eve…lasting wonder of Angel…, the birth and conception of that eternal wisdom of God? An… if thou canst not understand from whence the wind comes, and whither it goes, or how thine own spirits beat in thy veins, what is the production of them, and what their motions? How can we then conceive the procession of the Holy Ghost, which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor h…th it entered into the heart of man to consider it?