A Tossed Ship Making to Safe Harbor, Sermon 4
WEE are now come to the 26. Verſe. Hitherto our times have been ſo unhappy as to ſuit with this Hiſtory: and I feare they will carry too great reſemblance with what followes.
Wee will come now from Chriſts addreſſes to help them, to the Diſciples apprehenſion of him; they took their Deliverer to be a deſtroyer.
26. VERSE.
And when the Diſciples ſaw him walking on the Sea, they were troubled, ſaying it was a Spirit, and they cryed out for feare.
In which Verſe you have,
1. The Diſciples diſcovery of Chriſt, They ſaw him.
2. Their thoughts and apprehenſions on hjm, It is a ſpirit.
3. The effect and fruit of theſe apprehenſions, How they worked.
1. Ad intra, They were troubled.
2. Ad extra, They cryed out for feare. Here was
Terrour,
Clamour.
We begin with the firſt, The Diſciples diſcovery of him:
[And when the Diſciples ſaw him.]
And yet I cannot ſay, it was the diſcovery of Chriſt; it is ſaid they all ſaw him, but it is not ſaid they ſaw Chriſt, they ſaw him, but they knew not who it was: if ſo, they could not have beene troubled: As for Chriſt they knew they left him on the ſhore, and therefore could not conjecture that it was hee that was now upon the Sea.
Doctr. Chriſt may bee comming to ſave his People, and yet they not able to diſcerne him.
Sometimes mens eyes are blinded with ignorance, and ſometimes bleered with Paſſion. Hagar cryes for water, and yet the Well was neare her; her eyes were ſo bleered with preſent Paſſion, that ſhe could not ſee the waters, though they were at hand.
So the Diſciples were ſo clouded with preſent paſſion of feare, and trouble, that they could not diſcerne a deliverer, from a deſtroyer.
Here was their miſtake: and that is the ſecond thing.
2. The Diſciples thoughts and apprehenſions of Chriſt.
It is a ſpirit.
Or,
It is a ghoſt.
wSpectrum & terriculamentum aliquod, quale in nocte apparrere ſolet daemonis illuſione. Janſ. foreign Sy r. interp. viſio mendax, viſio fallax, illuſio diabolica terriculum diabolicum. foreign Viſio vel res aliqua perambulans in tenebris, homines terrens Chem.It is a ghoſt; a lying viſion, a Diabolicall illuſion, &c.
We read in the 20. Iob 8. (x) Of a viſion of the night, ſomething walking in the night which terrifies men.
So they looked upon Chriſt as a ghoſt, yAd navim evertendam veniens. Chem.which came rather to overwhelme the ſhip, than to helpe them on the Sea.
And the Mariners they thought theſe kind of ſights did zHujuſmodi viſa preſentis naufragii preſagia. Chem.preſage their preſent wrack, aHujuſmodi viſa, preſens exitium portendere navigantibus. Brugen.that they did portend immediate ruine and deſtruction.
bDicuntur foreign Etiam foreign in aere, & …a quae ſomniantibus occurſant, &c. Artius in loc.It is a ſpirit, or it is a ghoſt, &c.
Do. That men may ſometimes think their deliverers to be their deſtroyers. I ſay they may ſometimes look upon thoſe who come to deliver them, as ſuch who come to deſtroy them.
Chriſt comes here to help his People. he comes to deliver them, but they think him to bee a ghoſt, one that comes to deſtroy them.
Thus you ſee the Iſraelites looked upon Moſes, God ſent him to be their deliverer, but when their taske of brick was doubled, when their burthens were increaſed, Moſes then appeares to them as a ghoſt, as a deſtroyer, rather than a deliverer. 5 Ex. 19, 20, 21.Such falſe apprehenſions they had of him. You may read their own expreſſion in the 5. Exodus 19, 20, 21. And the Officers of the Children of Iſrael did ſee themſelves that they were in an evill caſe, and they met Moſes and Aaron, who ſtood in the way as they came forth from Pharaoh; and they ſaid unto them, The Lord look upon you, and judge, becauſe you have made our ſavour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his ſervants, to put a ſword in their hand to ſlay us. Here they looked upon their deliverers, as their deſtroyers.
How did cNon tantum Herodes turbatur quan tum diabolus in Herode.Herod and all Ieruſalem looke upon dChriſtus non erat per ſe cuiquam formidabilis ſed ſi fuiſſet agnitus, ſumme amabilis. Muſc.Chriſt as a ghoſt as ſoon as borne? who yet came ſo to reigne, as not to unthrone any, but the Prince of eQuid metuis talem regem qui ſic venit regnare, ut te nolit excludere. Chriſti nativitas ſpectrum formidabile. Muſc.darkneſſe. fEx ea re quae ad ſummam conſolationem inſtituta erat, ſummae excitantur anguſtiae.And the Scribes and Pharaſees, how did they look upon him as a ghoſt; if we let him alone, all men will believe on him: and what then; why then the Romans will come and take away our place and nation: Chriſt came to bee their deliverer, but he appears as a ghoſt, as one that came to gNon ſolum inaniter metuamns quae nocere non poſſunt, ſed perverſe etiam horreamus ea quae ad ſalutem faciunt. Muſc. in loc.deſtroy them. And thus men look upon Chriſt, and the wayes of Chriſt to this day: if they admit of Chriſt in his Kingdom, worſhip, Diſcipline, oh then this will be the iſſue, or that will be the ſad conſequence of it, we ſhall be all undone; in the ſeeking of of our ſpirituall, wee ſhall hazard, wee ſhal loſe our temporall Priviledges. And thus mens hearts doe act.
A ſad thing it is when Chriſt ſhall appeare as a ghoſt any way, Chriſt in his Perſon, Chriſt in his Ordinances, Chriſt in his Lawes; Worſhip, Government, hAmant. impii veritatem lucentem, oderunt veritatem redarguentem. Aug. confeſ. lib. 4. cap. 26.Truth. And thus he doth to wicked men, he is as a ghoſt to them in his Ordinances, they cannot away with him, they flye from them, and cannot endure the faithfull diſpenſation of them: hee is a ghoſt to them in his Lawes, and therefore they cry depart from us, wee will have none of his wayes.iEvangelium Chriſtimundo ſemper ſpectrum fuit, ſed inculpa ſunt nocturnae tenebrae. Muſc.
He is a ghoſt to them in his worſhip, they cannot brook with, and endure the ſimple ſingle plaineneſſe of his government, &c.
There are three times Chriſt appears as a ghoſt to his owne People.
1. In time of humiliation for ſinne; when he writes bitter things againſt us, and makes us to poſſeſſe the iniquities of our youth, as Job complaines. kAdverſarium tuum in ſinu geſtis, & tamen amicum, Cypr.Now the ſoule is filled with the ſad apprehenſion of his diſpleaſure, and looks upon God as a ſevere Judge, his bench ſet, a Jury impannelled, evidence cleare, and his ſword drawne, ready to doe execution on a ſinfull ſoule: It was the ſpeech of one who was in this condition, his conſcience opened, and his ſinnes ſet in order before him, and his ſoule bleeding under the ſad apprehenſions of a wrathfull diſpleaſed God: he ſaid that he never looked up towards Heaven, but he thought hee ſaw every Cloud lined with thunder, and ready to doe execution on him for ſinne.
It would be endleſſe to tell you the ghoſtly apprehenſions that poor ſoules have had of God, and of all his dealings, even the beſt of his mercies to them in this condition. Conſcience now arming all the faculties againſt it ſelfe. lFaelix conſcientia in qua luctamen hujuſmodi, &c. Bern in vig. nat. dom. Ser.This is the day of Jacobs trouble, but God will deliver them out of it.
Therefore doth he wound thee, that hee might heale thee, kill thee that hee might cure thee; mEt ſi timet a judice, ſperat a ſalvtaore. Bern. 29 Ierem. 11.Caſt thee downe, that he might raiſe thee up; terrifie thee, that hee might comfort thee in his due time. It is ſweetly expreſſed by Chriſt, It is not the will of your heavenly Father, that one of theſe little ones ſhould periſh. nLudit ſuaviſſime, cum nos putamus omnia eſſe perditiſſima Luther in loc.I know the thoughts I thinke to thee, they are thoughts of peace, thoughts of good and not of evill, to give thee at the laſt an unexpected end, anſwerable to thy expectations: nay an end above all thy expectations. Aſſure thy ſelfe God will make thy comforts proportionable to thy conflicts, thy joyes to thy troubles, thy raiſing up, to thy caſting downe: The ſame proportion that Gods ſpirit doth obſerve in the Law in humbling of thee, believe and wayt for the ſame proportion, in raiſing and comforting of thee.
God is skilfull at all diſeaſes, he heals all our infirmities. 103. Pſalme 3. But he is moſt ſoveraigne at the binding up a broken heart. He hath fitted Chriſt for this work, It is his charge, 67. Eſay, the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, Iſay 61.1.becauſe the Lord hath anointed me to preach glad tydings to the meek, to bind up the broken hearted.
A ſecond time, when he appears as a Ghoſt to the Saints, and that is in times of temptation.
In temptation (ſaith Luther) we look upon God otherwiſe then in trueth he is, we doe not think him to be God, In tentationibus ſingimus Deum, alium quam revera eſt, putamus Deum tunc non eſſe Deum, ſed phantaſma, hoc eſt horribile ſpectrum quod nos velit devorare. Luth. in loc.but a Ghoſt, one who will deſtroy us, & ſlay us.
The Devill doth now ſuggeſt falſe notions of God to you, he preſents you with falſe Ideas, erroneous apprehenſions of GOD, ſutable to the darkneſſe of the condition, and the blackneſſe of the temper the ſoule is now in. None know the *Non promotus ſed expertus Doctor eſt. Luth. foreign. 2 Cor. 2.14. foreign Rev. 2.24. profunditates Satanae foreign machinationes. 2. Cor. 3.2.14.methods, pNon promotus ſed expertus Doctor eſt. Luth. foreign. 2 Cor. 2.14. foreign Rev. 2.24. profunditates Satanae foreign machinationes. 2. Cor. 3.2.14.the depths of Sathan, but thoſe who have been in depths, thoſe know the wiles of this prince of darknes, the methods, machinations, devices of undoing ſouls.
A third time, when he appears as a Ghoſt to his own people, and that is in times of deſertion, when God hath withdrawn himſelf, and ſeems to be an enemy to the ſoul, fighting againſt it with all his terrours, as Job complaines. And Heman at large, 88. Pſal. 7.15.16. Verſes. Pſal. 77.3.Nay thus David looked upon him in the 77. Pſal. where you read him in a deſerted condition, and profeſſing in the 3. Verſe, that when he remembred God he was troubled; A ſtrange Expreſſion! the thought of whom did erſt-while fill his heart with a confluence of comfort, far above all created Comforts, that now thoughts of God ſhould be a terrour, a trouble to him. And why was he now troubled at the remembrance of God, but becauſe he had falſe apprehenſions, qDeum inſpectum tranſformant & tunc timent. Muſc. in loc.he had erroneous conceits of God now, either Sathan doth preſent him falſly to him, as he doth in theſe conditions; he repreſents God in a terrible manner to the ſoul, or elſe he looked upon him with a diſturbed eye, Sathan hath diſturbed the eye, he hath raiſed up corruption, and that cannot look upon him, but be diſturbed. As thoſe who have the Jaundiſſe, all they look upon is yellow.
Or if the Organ whereby we ſhould ſee God be not diſturbed, yet the medium whereby he is repreſented, is a falſe medium, and that preſents things like to it ſelf, as if a man look through a red glaſſe, all he beholds is red.
And therefore it is well ſaid of Luther on this place, rQuando in Auguſtiis ſumus, non eſt Credendum noſtris cogitationibus de Deo. Luth. in loc.) when we are in troubles, we are not to give credit to our owne thoughts and apprehenſions of God, we are not to look upon God as our diſturbed imaginations doe repreſent him, but as he is repreſented in his Word.
We ſee Reaſon doth correct ſenſe; if we put a ſtraight ſtick into the Water, ſence will give it to be crooked, the eye doth repreſent it crooked, but now reaſon corrects it, and concluds it ſtraight, and if reaſon correct ſenſe, why ſhould not Faith correct Reaſon?
It will be your wiſedome in theſe conditions, when ſenſe and reaſon give in falſe apprehenſions of God, To ſhut the eyes of ſenſe, and look upon God only by Faith, not to think on God, as you for the preſent ſee him, and apprehend him, but as he hath revealed himſelf in his Word.
And though you are not able at preſent to evidence him ſuch a God to you, as he hath manifeſted himſelf in his Word, yet by faith conclude him ſo, when you cannot cleer him ſo. Thus Job did; ſo Job. 13. Theſe things haſt thou hid in thy heart, Job 10.13.yet J know that this is with thee, though I cannot ſee it; yet I doe beleeve it, though I cannot cleer it, yet I doe conclude it. And thus the Church, 36. Eſay, 16. Doubtleſſe thou art our Father; Iſa. 63.16.She will not be reaſoned out of her faith, ſhe will hold the concluſion of faith againſt all the evidence that ſenſe and reaſon can bring to the contrary: This is with Ulyſſes, to bind our ſelves faſt to the maſt, and not ſuffer our ſelves to be charmed away, to the deſtruction and undoing of our own ſouls.
And theſe are the three times that Chriſt ſeems to appear as a Ghoſt to his own people.
Now there are foure times Chriſt appears as a Ghoſt to wicked men.
1. When he comes with his Fan in his hand, to purge and reform his Church; men look upon Reformation as their deſtruction, And think Chriſt comes to deſtroy them, when he comes to reforme them, men may ſometimes look upon that as the greateſt evill, which yet is intended for their greateſt good. It is the Speech of Auguſtine upon this place, That there ſhall be ſuch troubles ſhall ariſe about the fourth watch, a little beiore the end of all things, that men ſhall look upon Religion, ſhall I ſay, becauſe of the troubles that it raiſes, when it comes to be ſetled in its Power and Glory, sRes Chriſtiana phantaſma videtur.they ſhall look upon Religion as a Ghoſt: Not becauſe Religion will hurt them, but hurt their ſins.
How juſtly may that be applyed to us now, which was ſpoken of Iſrael, When I would have healed Iſrael, then the iniquity of Iſrael did appeare. So it is with us, when the Lord would heale us, and reforme us, then doth the iniquity of men, the malice, the pride, the hatred of the purity of Ordinances, then doe all theſe …ppeare. What is the ground of all this trouble among us now? why are ſo many up in Arms, *Vitia noſtra quia amamus, defendimus.but to keep out Chriſt, in the Power and purity of his Ordinances. Reformation is now the Ghoſt, that hath frighted them into Arms, men that are afraid, they run unto their weapons; ſo they, frighted with the Ghoſt of Reformation, get up weapons, put themſelves in armes to oppoſe it. So long as Reformation is looked upon as an enemy, it ſhall finde enemies enow, though indeed it is an enemy to nothing but their ſinnes.
A ſecond time when he appeares as a Ghoſt to them tHaec in eſt nobis perverſitas, ut quae vere mala ſunt non timeamus, & ea quae nocere ne poſſunt formidemus. Muſc. in loc.when he comes to reform their Perſons, then they cannot away withall, they fear holineſſe, love ſin, that which ſhould be object of hatred, is object of love, and that which ſhould be object of love, is object of feare, they cannot brook holy wayes, they will not ſubject to the Lawes of God, they cannot part with their ſins, take away their ſins, & take away their beſt friends, they have been wicked, and will be wicked. They thank God, they are no Changlings, Indeed not to change in a good way is commendable, but to be unchangeable in a bad way, is damnable. To be unchangably evill, is to be as Divells are, for ever ſinfull, and for ever miſerable. Firſt cleer your way to be good, and then glory in our unchangeableneſſe.
A third time, when Chriſt appears as a ghoſt to them, and that is, when they lie upon the bed of ſickneſſe, the bed of death, Oh then Chriſt is terrible, when a man ſhall lye upon his death bed, uVadeo neſcio quo, ens entium miſerere mei. Animula vagula biandula quae nunc Abibis in loca. de Adriau. dicitur.and connot tell what ſhall become of his ſoul to all eternity; when a man ſhall ſay, as once a great perſon did in the ſame condition. I cannot live, I dare not dye, he knows not what ſhall become of him to all eternity, when he ſhall behold his friends weeping over him, but cannot helpe him, his relations and comforts leaving him, his riches not able to relieve him, his ſinnes preſented and ſet in order before him, and a diſpleaſed and wrathfull God ready to deſtroy him. Oh here God appeares as a Ghoſt indeed. You made bug-beares, wThere ſhal come in the laſt dayes ſcoffers, foreign. Such as ſhall make childrens play of all the terrors of the Lord, 2 Pet. 3 3.childrens play, and ſcoffed at all the terrors of the Lord before, but now they appeare reallities to you. The precepts of the Law were a ghoſt to you in your life, and the terrors of the Law are now a ghoſt to you at death: the comforts of the Lord were a ghoſt to you before, and juſt it is, the terrors of the Lord ſhould be a ghoſt to you now.
4 A fourth time, and that is at the day of judgement, when Heaven and Earth and all the world is on fire; then ſhall Chriſt appeare as a Ghoſt indeed full of terror to every wicked and ungodly perſon. We reade, that the wicked at that day, 6 Rev. 16.17.ſhall call upon the mountaines to fall upon them, to hide them from the face of him that ſitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lambe, for the day of wrath is come, and who ſhall be able to beare it? In their thoughts, they were better able to beare the weight of Rocks, of Mountains on them, then the ſight of Chriſt: ſo terrible will Chriſt appeare to ungodly men at that great day.
Vſe. Oh then, knowing the terror of the Lord, we perſwade you; Chriſtians! as you would not have Chriſt to appeare as a Ghoſt to you, terrible at the day of death, terrible at the day of judgement: let him not appeare as a Ghoſt to you now. *Optima ſecuritas foreign.Let him not appeare terrible to you in his word, in his worſhip, in his lawes, in his truth. If Chriſt be a terror to you now in theſe wayes, aſſure your ſelves he will be a terror to you hereafter. Be willing then to receive Chriſt in his truth, in his worſhip, wayes, &c. Bid him welcome in your houſes, your hearts: if Chriſt be not a terror to you now, if you can brook with ſtrict and exact walking, if you can brook the power and purity of his ordinances, he will never be a terror to you hereafter.
This is all I ſhall ſay of the ſecond: the Diſciples thoughts and apprehenſions of Chriſt.
We come to the third; and that is the effects of theſe apprehenſions.
Which were two fold.
1 Ad intra. They were troubled.
2 Ad extra. They cryed out for feare.
We begin with the firſt, The effect of this apprehenſion in themſelves.
[They were troubled.]
But this was farre from Chriſts end, he came to helpe them, and not to terrifie them, to relieve them, not to diſquiet them; how came it to paſs that they were troubled? Certainly they were not affraid of deliverance, that was that which they deſired; but they were terrified at the manner of Chriſts comming to deliver them.
Doct. Chriſt may come to helpe his people in ſuch a way, as yet the very means of helpe may be a terror to them. I ſay, Chriſt may come in ſuch a way to deliver his people, as yet the appearance of Chriſt may be a terror to them. It is the ſpeech of one upon this, yAdeſt Chriſtus ut eos juvet, & t…men ipſi horrent venientem.Chriſt is comming here to helpe them, and yet they feare his approach.
Thus it was with the children of Iſrael in Egypt, Moſes came to helpe them, and yet they were afraid of his comming, they ſaw things went worſe with them then before, and therefore they deſired him to be gone and let them alone; they would rather continue in their former bondage, then indure the pains of a deliverance, Exod. 5.21.
God delivered Paul and Silas out of priſon, but it was by an earthquake: a terrible way. So God doth ſometimes come to deliver his Church, but yet by earthquakes, by land-quakes, by great commotions, as is propheſied, Rev. 11.13. and thought to be now in fulfilling.
This is a terrible way, though a way of deliverance.
We reade in Ioel 2.21. Fear not O land, bee glad and rejoyce, for the Lord will doe great things for you. It was a time of joy in reſpect of the deliverance God purpoſed to work for them, but yet a time of feare, in reſpect of the manner and way which God might take to deliver them.
You have an excellent Scripture for this, Pſal. 65.5. By terrtble things in righteouſneſſe wilt thou anſwer us, oh God of our ſalvation, who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth.
The Saints had been praying, and here they had ſome anſwer in their ſpirits, an aſſured confidence that God would anſwer them, yea, and anſwer them in righteouſneſſe, but yet by terrible things. By terrible things in righteouſneſſe wilt thou anſwer us, O God of our ſalvation.
If you looke into the word, you ſhall finde the wayes of Gods deliverance of his Churches, have yet for the moſt part beene terrible wayes. Iſrael was delivered from their bondage in Egypt, but yet the way was terrible, the enemies purſued them, & they were to paſſe through the ſea for their deliverance.
Daniel was delivered out of the hands of his enemies, but the way was terrible, he muſt be given into the pawes of hungry Lions, to be delivered from the hands of cruell men.
The Three Children were delivered, but the way was terrible, by fire, from fire.
Jonah was delivered, but the way was terrible, by a Whale which ſwallowed him up; his devourer, is his deliverer.
When Chriſt ſhall come to deliver his Church at the end of all things, you read how terrible the way is; Luke 21.25, &c. There ſhall be ſignes in the Sunne, and in the Moone, and in the Starres, and upon the Earth diſtreſſe of Nations; the Sea and waters roaring, mens hearts failing them for feare, and for looking after the things that ſhall come upon the Earth, for the powers of heaven ſhall be ſhaken. A very terrible way; yet the way of deliverance, as followes: And when you ſee theſe things to come to paſſe, then lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh. Here was deliverance you ſee to the godly, but yet the way of deliverance was a terrible way.
So that you ſee the Doctrine is plaine. Chriſt may come to helpe his people in ſuch a way, that the very meanes of helpe may be a terror to them.
Vſe. I ſhall make the application which one doth upon this place. aNon deſpondeamus animum, tametſi quae nobis auxilio fore promittitur, quando que ſpeciem quandam interitus afferant, &c. Cartw. in loc.Let us not be diſcouraged, or too much caſt downe; though thoſe things which are uſed for our deliverance, may carry the face of deſtruction with them. Who will reject a Potion becauſe it is bitter, an Antidote, becauſe there is poyſon in it. As Phyſitians can order poyſonous and diſtructive ingredients, to phyſicall and uſefull purpoſes; ſo God can make thoſe things, which in themſelves are evill, for the good of his people.
The man-childe of deliverance is not brought forth without pangs: ill humours long in growing, are not removed without paine. Sometimes the fiering of the priſon, hath been a deliverance of the priſoner. A blow with a ſword hath broken an Impoſtume in the head. Thoſe things which in themſelves ſeeme hurtfull and diſtructive, God is able to uſe them as helpefull, and turne them to our comfort.
And therefore wee are not to bee too much caſt downe. God would have us to ſee deliverance even through deſtruction, and comfort through confuſion. God doth often put his people to ſuck honey out of the Rock, and oile out of the flinty Rock, Dout. 32.13. Gloria habitat in rupibus Ciem. Alex.Glory dwels in the Rocks, and deliverance in difficulties. And therefore let not your ſpirits ſinke under the ſad appearance of things.
But yet we have great cauſe to be humbled: though you are not to be caſt down to deſperation, yet are wee to be caſt downe to humiliation: that God muſt take ſuch ſad wayes to do us good, that God ſhould work us good by ſuch terrible means, wee have cauſe to bee humbled.
Had it not beene for our ſinnes, the deliverance of his Church might have been brought about in a more comfortable way, reformation might have been ſetled in a peaceable way, without blood. But our ſins have cauſed God to lay the foundation of Englands future good, in Englands preſent miſery.
And therefore we have cauſe to be humbled for it this day. We hope God is travelling in the greateſt of his ſtrength, to deliver his poore bleeding and languiſhing Church. But the way is terrible to fleſh and blood. For this let us be humbled.
But yet, though the meanes of ſalvation and deliverance be ſo terrible, let us take heed that ſalvation it ſelfe become not a terror to us, though the phyſick be terrible, let health be deſirable: though the way God takes to reforme us be terrible, yet let not reformation it ſelfe become a terror to us.
And ſo much for that doctrine, and for this time.
The end of the fourth Sermon.