The Sinners Sanctuary, Sermon 24
SERMON XXIV.
Rom. 8.9.
— If so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man, &c.
BVt will God in very deed dwell with men on earth! 2 Chron. 6.18. it was the wonder of one of the wisest of men: and indeed, considering his infinit Highness, above the hight of Heaven; his immense and incomprehensible greatnesse, that the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain him; and then the basenesse, emptinesse and worthlessnesse of man, it may be a wonder to the wisest of Angels: and what is it, think you, the Angels desire to look into, but this incomprehensi…le mystery, of the descent of the most High, to dwell among the lowest and vilest of the creatures! But as Solomons Temple, and these visible symbols of Gods presence, were but shadows of things …o come, the substance whereof is exhibited under the Gospel▪ so that wonder was but a shadow or type of a greater and more real wonder, of Gods dwelling on the earth now. It was the wonder, shall God dwell with man, among the rebellious sons of A…m! But behold a greater wonder since Christ came, God dwelling in man, …st personally in the Man Christ, in whom the fulnesse of the God-head dwelt bodily, then gra…iously in the seed of Christ, in man by His Spirit; and this makes men spiritu…l, if so be the Spirit of Christ dwell in you. You heard of the f…st in-dwelling, ver. 3. God sending his own Son in the likenesse of sinful flesh, the inhabita…ion of the Divine Nature in our flesh, which had the likenesse of sinful …esh, but without sin; for he sanctified himself for our cause. And truly, this mysterious and wonderful inhabitation, is not only a pledge of the other, That God shall dwell in sinful men by his Spirit; but in order of nature, it hath some influence upon the other, without which God could not have dwelt in us. There is so much distance and disproportion between his Majesty and us, that we could not be well united, but by this interveening, God coming down f…st a step, into the holy nature of the Man Christ, that from thence he might go into the sin…ul nature of other men. Our sin…ul and rebellious nature behoved to be first sanctified this way, by the pers…nal in-dwelling of God in our flesh; and this had made an easie passage into sinful Us, for His Spirit to dwell into us powerfully and graciously; therefore the Spirit of Christ is said to dwell in us, Christs Spirit, not only because proceeding from Him as from the Father; but particularly, because the inhabitation or operation of the Spirit in us, is the proper result and fruit of that glorious union of our nature with him. He took our flesh, that he might send us His Spirit. And O what a blessed exchange was this! He came and d…elt in our nature, that so He might dwell in us: He took up a Shop, as it were, in our flesh, that He might work in us, and make us again conformed to God.
We shall not cut this asunder into many parts; you see the words contain plainly The very essential definition of a spiritual man, and of a Christian. You find a spiritiual man and a Christian equivalent in this ver. that is to say, they are taken for one and the self same thing, and so they are reciprocal of equal extent and restraint; every Christian is one a…ter the Spirit, and whosoever is after the Spirit is a Christian: one of Christs, and one a…ter the Spirit is one thing. Now the definition of the Christian is taken from that which really and essentially constitutes him such. He is one in whom the Spirit of Christ dwells, that makes him one after the Spirit, that makes him one of Christs, because it is the Spirit of Christ. As if you define what a man is, you could not do it better then thus, he is one endowed with a reasonable soul: So the Apostle gives you the very soul and form of a Christian, which differenceth from all others. As the soul is to the body to make up a man, so the Spirit of Christ is to the soul and spirit of a man, to make up a Christian: as the absence or presence of the soul makes or unmakes a man, so the absence or presence of this Spirit makes or unmakes a Christian, for you see he makes it reciprocal. If you be Christian…, the Spirit dwells in you, but if the Spirit dwell not in you, you are not Christians.
A word then to the first of these, that a Christian and a spiritual man are commensurable one to another. It is true, there are Iews who are not Iews inwardly, but only according to the letter, Rom. 2.28, 29. And so there are Christians, so called, who are but so outwardly, and in the letter, who have no more of it but the name and vi…ible standing in the Church; but we are speaking of that which is truly that which it is called, whose praise is not of men but of God. The name of … man may be extended to a Picture or Image, for some outward resemblance it hath of him, but it is not a proper speech: no more is it proper to extend the Name of Christians unto the Pictures or Images of Christians, such as are destitute of this inward life. You may be properly, according to Scripture-phrase, members of the visible body; but you cannot have that real and blessed relation to Jesus Christ the Head, which shall be the source of happinesse to all the living members. I wish you would take it so, and flatter your selves no more with Church-titles, as i… these were sufficient evidences for your salvation. You would all be called Christians, but it fears me you know not many of you the true meaning and signification of that word, the most comfortable sense of it is hid from you. The meaning of it is, That a man is renewed by Christ in the spirit of his mind. As Christ and the Spirit are inseparable, so a Christian and a spiritual …ature are not to be …ound severed. Certainly, the very sound of the name whereby you are called, imports another nature and conversation then is to be …ound in many: You cannot say that you have a shadow of spirituality, either in your affections or actions; or that you have any real design and study that way, but only to please your flesh, and satisfie the customs of the world: why do you then usurpe the name of Christianity? this is a common sacriledge, to give that which is holy unto dogs. Others give it to you, and you take it to your selves. But know that though you please your selves and others in this; yet without such a renovation of your natures, and such a sincere study to be inwardly and outwardly conformed to the profession and name of Christianity, you have not your praise of God, and him whom God praises and allows not, he cannot blesse for ever. I am perswaded, there are some who are not only in the letter, but in the Spirit, whose greatest desire and design is, To be indeed what they professe; and such their praise is of God, and if God praise them now, they shall be made to praise him for ever hereaf…er: such are allowed to take the name, and honourable style of Christianity unto them: You are Christs, nearly interessed in him: and if you be Christs own, he cannot be happy without you; for such was his love, that he would not be happy alone in Heaven, but come down to be miserable with us: and now that he is again happy in Heaven, certainly he cannot enjoy it long alone, but he must draw up his members unto the fellowship of that glory.
Now the other thing, that which gives even beeing to a Christian, is, The Spirit of Christ dwelling in him. Of this inhabitation we shall not say so much as the comparison, being strained, will yeeld, neither expatiat into many notions about it: I wish rather we went home with some desires kindled in us, after such a noble guest as the Holy Spirit is, and that we were begun once to weary of …he base and unclean guests that we lodge within us, to our own destruction. That which I said, that the Spirit is to a Christian what the soul is to a man, if well considered, might present the absolute necessity and the excellency of this unto your eyes. Consider what a thing the body is without the soul, how defiled and deformed a piece of dust it is, void of all sense and life, loathsome to look upon. Truly the soul of man by nature is in no better case, till this Spirit enter; it hath no light in it, no life in it, it is a dark dungeon, such as is described, Ephes. 4.18. Having the understanding darkned, being alienated from the life of God, through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindnesse of their hearts. You have both in that word, d…rknesse and deadnesse, want of that shining light of God in the mind, …o that it cannot discern spiritual things, that makes to our eternal peace: all the plainnesse and evidence of the Gospel, though it did shine as a Sun about you, cannot make you see or apprehend either your own misery, or the way to help it; because your dungeon is within: the most part cannot form any …ensible notion of spiritual things, that are daily sounding unto them in the Word. The eye of the mind is put ou…, and if it be darknesse, how great is that darknesse? Certainly the whole man is without light, and your way and walk must be in the dark, and indeed it appears that it is dark night with many souls; because if it were not dark, they could not run out all their speed among pits and snares, in the way to destruction. And from this woful defect, flows the alienation of the whole soul from the life of God; that primitive light being eclipsed, the soul is separated from the influence of Heaven: and as Nebuchadnezzars soul acted only in a bruital way, when driven out amongst beasts; so the soul of man, being driven out from the presence of the Lord, may act in a way common to beasts, or in some rational way in things that concern this life, but it is wholly spoiled of that divine life of communion with God: it cannot taste, smell or savour such things. O if it were visible unto us, the state of the ruinous soul, we would raise a more bitter lamentation over it, then the Iews did over Ierusalem, or the Kings and Merchants have reason to do over fallen Babylon! Truly, we might bemoan it thus, how is the faithful city become a harlot, righteousnesse lodged in it, but now murderers, Isa. 1.21. Man was once the dwelling place of princely and divine graces and ve…tues, the Lord himself was there, and then how comely and beautiful was the soul! But now it is like the desolate cities, in which the beasts of the desertly, and there houses are full of doleful creatures, where Owls dwell, and Satyrs dance, where wilde beasts cry, and Dragons in the pleasant Palaces, Isa. 13.21, 22 and Ier. 50.39. So mighty is the fall of the soul of man, as of Babylon, that it may be cryed, It is fallen, and become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird, Rev. 18.2. All the beasts flock now to it, all the birds of darknesse take their lodging in it, since this noble guest left it, and took away the light from it; for the Sun hath not shined on it since that day: All unclean affections, all beastly lusts, all earthly desires, all vain cogitations, get lodging in this house, the Bethel is become a Bethaven, the house of God become a house of vanity, by the continual repair of vain thoughts: the house of prayer, is turned in a den of theeves and robbers: that which was at first created for the pure service and worship of God, is now a receptacle of all the rebellious and idolatrous thoughts and affections: the heart of every man is become a Temple full of Idols.
This is the state of it, and worse then can be told you: Now judge if there be not need of a better guest then these. O what absolute necessity is there of such a Spirit as this, to repair and reform the ruinous spirit of man, to quicken and enlighten the darkned mind of man! even that Spirit, that made it at first a glorious Palace for God, that Spirit that breathed the soul into the formed clay, must repair these breaches, and creat all again. Now when the Spirit of Christ enters into this vile and ruinous cottage, he repairs it, and reforms it, he strikes out lights in the heart, and by a wonderful eye-salve, makes the eyes open to see: He creats a new light within, which makes him behold the light shining in the Gospel; and behold all things are new, himself, new, because now most loath-some and vile; the world new, because now appears nothing but vanity in the very perfection of it; and God new, because another Majesty, glory, excellency and beauty shines into the soul, then ever it apprehended. And as the Spirit enlightens, so He enlivens this Tabernacle or Temple, He kindles a holy fire in his affections, which must never go out; it is such as cannot be kindled i… it go out, but by the beams of the Sun, as the Poets fancied the Vestalfire. The spirit within the soul is a fire to consume his corruption, to burn up his drosse and vanity: Christ comes in like a refiner, with the fire of the Spirit, and purges away earthly lusts, and makes the love of the heart pure and clean, to burn upward toward Heaven. This Spirit makes a Christian-soul move willingly toward God, in the wayes that seemed most unpleasant: It is an active principle within him that cannot rest, till it rest in its place of eternal rest, and delight in God. And then the Spirit reforms this house, by casting out all these wild beasts that lodged in it, these savage and unruly affections that domineered in man: this strong man entering in casts them out: there is much rubbish in old waste Palaces, Neb. 4.2. O how much pains is it to cleanse them … our house is like the house of these Nobles, Ier. 5.27. Full of deceit, as a cage is full of birds, and our heart full of wickednesse and vanity, Jer. 4.14. Certainly it will be much labour, to get your unclean spirits cast out, that is the grosser and more palpable lusts, that reign in you; but when these are gone forth, yet there is much wickednesse and uncleannesse in the heart, of a more subtile nature, and by long in dwelling almost incorporated and mingled with the soul; and this will not be gotten out with gentle sweeping, as was done, Luk. 11.25. that takes away only the uppermost filth that lyes loosest, but this must be gotten out by much washing and cleansing; and therefore the Spirit enters by blood and water. There are idols in the heart, to which the soul is much engaged, it unites and closes with them, Ezek. 36. and these must be cleansed and washed out. There is much deceit in the heart, and this lyes clossest to it, and is engrossed into it: and indeed this will take the help of fire to separate it; for that is of the most active nature to separate things of a diverse nature: the Spirit must by these take out your drosse, and all this the Spirit will not do alone, but honours you with the fellowship of this work; and therefore you must lay your account, that the operation and reformation of this house, for so glorious a Guest, will be laborious in the mean time: But O how infinitly is that compensed! one hours fellowship with him alone, when all strangers are cast out, will compense all, will make all to be forgotten; the pain of mortification will be swallowed up in the pleasure of his inhabitation: When I shall awake I shall be satisfied with thy likeness. When He shall take up house fully in you, it will satisfie you to the full. In the mean time, as he takes the rule and command of your house, so for the present he provides for it, the provision of the soul is incumbent to this Divine Guest: and O how sweet and satisfying is it! the peace and joy of the Holy Ghost, which are the intertainment that he gives a soul, where he reigns, and hath brought In righteousnesse, Rom. 14.17. What a noble train doth the Spirit bring alongs with him, to furnish this house? Many rich and costly ornaments hang over it, and adorn it, to make it like the Kings Wise, all glorious within, such as the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, 1 Pet. 3.4. which is a far more precious and rich hanging, than the most curious or precious contexture of corruptible things: the cloathing of humility, simple in shew; but rich in substance, 1 Pet. 5.5. which enriches and beautifies the soul that hath it, more than all Solomons glory could do his person; for better is it to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, then divide the spoil with the proud, Prov. 16.19. In a word, the Spirit makes all new, puts a new man, a new fashion and Image on the soul, which suits the Court of Heaven, the highest in the world; and is conformed to the noblest and highest pattern, the Holinesse and Beauty of the greatest King. And being lodged within, O what sweet fruits is the Spirit dayly bringing forth to feed and delight the soul withall! Gal. 5.22, 23. And he is not only a Spirit of Sanctification, but of Consolation too; and therefore of all, the most worthy to be received into our hearts, for he is a bosome-comforter, Ioh. 14 16. when there is no friend nor lover without, but a soul in that posture of Heman, Psal. 88.18. and in that desolate estate of the Churches, Ierem. Lament. 1.2. Among all her lovers she hath none to comfort her, vers. 17. Spreading forth her hands, and none to comfort her, vers. 21. Sighing, and none to comfort her: In such a case to have a living, and over-running spring of comfort within, when all externall and lower consolations, like winter-brookes, that dry up in summer, have dryed up and disappointed thy expectation; sure this were a happy guest, that could do this. O that we could open our hearts to receive him!