Fellowship with God, Sermon 22
SERMON XXII·
1 Joh. 2.1.
My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, &c.
CHrist Iesus came by water and by blood, not by water only, but by blood also, and I add, not by blood only, but by water also, Chap 5.6. In sin, there is the guilt, binding over to punishment, and there is the filth or spot, that defileth the soul in Gods sight: To take away guilt, nothing so fit as blood, for there is no punishment beyond blood, therefore saith the Apostle, without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin, Heb. 9.22. and for the stain and spot, nothing is so suitable as water, for that is generally appointed for cleansing; and some shadow of this the Heathens had, who had their lust…a…ions in water, and thei… expiation… by blood; but more significantly and plainly, the Iews, who had their purifications by sp…inkling of water▪ Numb. 8.7. and expiations by sac…ificing of slain b…st…; but all the… were but evanishing· shadows: now the substance is come▪ Iesus Christ is c…me in water and blood; in wa…e…, to clean… the spots of the soul, to pu…ifie it …om all filth… nesse; and in blood, to satisfie for sin, and remove the punishment. You have both in these words of the Apostle, (…o… …e labours to let out unto us the true Chris…, whole and inti…e) These things I write unto you that ye sin not: He…e is the proper end of the …ater; and if any man sin, we have Christ a propitiation for our sins, here is the blood, the end of the blood i…, to s…ve us, the end of the water is, that we sin no…, since we are saved. He came in the blood of expiation, becaus… we had sinned; he came i… the water of sanctification, that we might not sin. His blood speaks peace to the soul, and the water subjoy…s, but let them not return to folly. His blood cryes, Behold thou art made whole, and the water echoes unto it, sin no more, l…st a worse thing bef…ll thee, Joh. 5.14. These two streams o… water and blood, which a…e appointed for purity and pardon, run intermingled all alongs, and so the proper effects of them are interchangeably attributed to either of them, he hath washed us in hi… blood, Rev. 1.5. and 7.14. And the blood of Christ cleanseth u… from all sin▪ Then certainly, this blood cannot be without water, it is n…ver separated from it, the proper effect of blood is to cover sin, but because the water runs in that channel, and is conveyed by the blood thither, therefore it doth cleanse sin, …s well as cover it.
These things I write unto you, that ye sin not▪ This then is the design of the whole Gospel, the g…eat and grand design, to destroy sin, and save the sinner. There is a treaty of peace made with the sinner, and Christ is the peace-maker: a tender of life and salvation is made to him, but there is no treaty, no capitulation, or composition with sin, out it must go, fi…st out of its domin…on, then out of its habitation; it must fi…st lose its power, and then its beeing in a believer; yea, this is one of the chief articles of our peace, not only required of us as our duty, that we should destroy that, which cannot but destroy us; (for, if any man will needs hugg and imbr…ce his sins, and cannot part with them, he must needs die in their imbracements, because the Council of Heaven hath irrevocably past a fatall sentence against sin, as the only thing that in all the Creation hath the most perfect opposition to his blessed will, and contrariety to his holy …ature) but also and especially, as the great stipulation and promise upon his part, to redeem …s from all our iniquities, and purifie us to himself, a people zealo… of good works; and not only to redeem us from hell, and deliver u… from wrath, Ti…. 2 14. He hath undertaken this gr…t work, to compe…e this mutiny and rebellion that was raised up in the Creation by sin, els… what peace could be between God and us, as long as his enemy and ours dwelt in our bosome, and we at peace with it.
Now, take a short view of these thing…, … are wri…ten in the preceeding Chapter, and … shall see that the ha…monious v…ice …f all tha… is in the Gospel, is this, that we sin not. Let me say further, as these things are written th…t we sin not, so all thing… are done that we sin not. Tak… all the whole wo…k of Creation, of Providenc…, of Redemption, all of them speak one language, that we sin not: D…y unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge: There is no speech nor language where their voice i… not heard, P…al. 19.2, 3. And, a… in that place, their voice proclaims the Glory, Majesty, and Goodness of God, so they with the same sound, proclaim and declare, that we should not sin against such a God, so great, and so good; all that we see, suggests and in…in…ats this unto our hearts▪ all that we hear, whispers this unto our ears, that we sin not: That he made us, and not we our selves, and that we are the very work of his hands, this speaks our absolute and essential dependence on him, and therefore proclaims with a loud voice, that sin, which would cut off this subordination, and loose from this dependence upon his holy will, is … monstruous unnatural thing. Take all his mer…ies towards us, whether general or particular, the tr…nscendent abundance of his infinit goodnesse in the earth, that river of his riches that …un… through it, to wa… every m…n, and brings supply to his door…, that infinit variety that is in Heaven and Earth, and all of them of equ…l birth-right with man, yet by the Law of our Maker, a yoke of subjection and service to man i… imposed upon them, so that man is, in a manner, set in the Center of all, to the end that all the several qualifications, and pe…fections that are in every creature, may concenter and meet together in him, …nd flow tow…rds him. Look upon all his particular …cts of care and favour towards thee, consider his judgments upon the world, upon the nation, or thine own person, put to thine ear, …nd he…r, this is the joynt harmonious melody, this is the proclamation of all, that we sin not, that we sin not against so good a God, and so great a God, that were wickednesse, thi… were madnesse. If he wound, it is that we sin not; if he heal again, it is that we sin not. Doth he kill, it i… that we sin not. Doth he make …live, it is for the same end. Doth he shut up and restrain our liberty, either by bond…ge, or sicknesse, or other afflictions, why? he means that we sin not. Doth he open …gain, he means the same thing, that we sin no more, lest a worse thing befall us. Doth he make many to fall in battel, and turns the …ury of that upon us, the voice of it is, that you who are left behind, should sin no more. Is there severity towards others, and towards you clemency; O, the loud noise of that i…, sin not. But alas, the re…ult o… all is, that which is written, Psal. 78.32. Neverthelesse they sinned still. In the midst of so many concurring testimonies, in the very throng of all the sounds and voices that all the works of God utter, in the very hearing of these, neverthelesse to sin still, and not to return and enquire early after God, this is the plague and judgment of the Nation.
But let us return to the words, These things, &c. That which is written of the word of life, that whi…h was from the beginning, and was manifested unto us, that is written that we sin not: for, …aith this same Apostle, Chap. 3.5.8. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins, and … him is no sin; yea, for this very purpose (saith he) that he might destroy the works of the devil. Now, is this the great businesse, that drew the Son out of the Fathers bosome, to destroy the a…ch-enemy, and capital rebell, Sin, which, as to man, is a work of Satans, because it f…st entered in man by the Devils suggestion and counsel: all that misery and ruine, all these works of darknesse and death, that Satan had by his malice and policy wrought upon, and in poor mankind, Iesus was m…nifest…d in the flesh without sin, to destroy and take away sin out of our fl…sh, and to abolish and destroy Satans work, which he had builded upon the ruines of Gods work, of the image of God, and to repai… and renew that first blessed wo…k of God in man, Eph. 4.23, 24.
Now, O how cogent and pe…swading is this, one so high, come down so low, one dwelling in inaccessible glory, manifested in the flesh, in the infi…mity and weaknesse of it, to thi… very purpose, to repair the Creation, to make up th… …aches of it, to destroy sin, and …ave the sinner; what force is in this to perswade a soul that truely believe… it, not to sin? for, may he think within himself, Shall I save that which Christ came to destroy? Shall I intertain and maintain that which he came to take away, and do what in me lyes to … the great end of his glorious and wonde…ful descent from Heaven? Shall I joyn hands, and associat with my lusts, and war for them, which w…r agai…st my soul, and him that would save my …oul? Nay, … us conclude (my beloved) within our own hearts, Is the Word and Prince of life manifested from Heaven, and come to ma… and unmake that wo…k of Satan, that he may rescue me from …n…er his tyranny? …hen God forbid that I should help Satan to build up that which my Saviour is …sting down, and to make a prison for my self, and cords to bind me in it for everlasting. Nay, will a believing foul say, rather let me be a worker together with Christ, though saintly, ye… I resolve to wrestle with him, to pull down all the strong holds that Satan keeps in my nature, and so to congratulat and con…ent to him, who is the avenger and asserter of my liberty.
Then consider the greatest end, and furthest design of the Gospel, how it is inseparably chained and linked into this, that we sin not. We are called to fellowship with the Father and the Son, and herein is his glory, and our happinesse. Now, this proclaims with a loud voice, that we sin not; for, what more contrary to that design of union, and communion with God, then to sin, which disunits and discommunic…ts the soul …om God. The nature of sin you know, it is the transgression of his Law, and so, it is the very just oppo…ition of the creatures will, to the will of him that made it. Now, how do ye imagine that this can consist with true friendship and fellowship, which looseth that conjunction of wills and affection…, which is the bond of true friendship, and the ground of fellowship, idem velle, atque idem nolle, hae… demum vera ami…i…ia est. The conspiracy of our desires and delights in one point with Gods, this sweet co-incidency makes out communion, and what communion then with God, when that which his soul abhors, is your delight, and his delight is not your desire? What communion hath light with darknesse? Sin is darknesse, all sin, but especially, sin intertained and maintained, sin that hath the full consent of the heart, and carrieth the whole man after it, that is Egyptian-darknesse, an universal darknesse over the soul; this being interposed between God and the soul, breaks off communion, eclipses that soul totally. Therefore, (my beloved) if you do believe that you are called unto this high dignity of fellowship with God, and if your souls be stirred with some holy ambition after it, consider that these things are written, that ye sin not; consider what basenesse is in it, for one that hath such a noble design, as fellowship with the highest, to debase his soul so far, and so low, as to serve sinful and fleshly lusts; there is a vilenesse and wretchednesse in the service of sin, that any soul, truly and nobly principled, cannot but look upon it with indignation, because he can behold nothing but indignity in it. Shall I who am a Ruler (saith Nehemiah) shall such a man as I flee? and who is there that being as I am would flee? Neh. 6.11. A Christian hath more reason, Shall such a man as I, who am born again to such a hope, and called to such a high dignity? Shall I, who aim and aspire so high as fellowship with God, debase and degrade my self with the vilest servitude? Shall I defile in that puddle again, till my own cloaths abhor me, who aims at so pure and so holy a society? Shall I yoke in my self with drunkards, liars, swearers, and other slaves of sin? Shall I rank my self thus, and conform my self to the world, seing there is a noble and glorious society to incorporat with, the King of kings to converse with daily? Alas, what are these worms that sit on Thrones to him? But f…r more, how base are these companions in iniquity, your Pot-companions? &c. And what a vile society is it, l…k… that of the bottomlesse pit, where Devils are linked together in chains?