Christ the Way and the Truth and the Life, Chapter 2
CHAP. II Of the words themselves in generall.
WE come now to the words themselves; wherein Christ asserts that, He is …1) the Way (2) the Truth, (3) the Life. & (4) That no man cometh to the Father but by him.
In them we learne those two things, in generall▪ first The miserie of wretched man by nature: This c…nnot be in a f…w words expressed▪ These words will point out those particulars thereof, which we will but mention.
1. That he is borne an enemie to, and living at a distance from God, by vertue of the curse of the bro…ken covenant of life, made with Adam.
2. That he neither can, nor will returne to God, of himself. His way is not in himself; He hath need of another to be his way.
3. That he is a blinde wandering creature, ready to take by wayes and to wander; yea he loveth to wander: He goeth astray as soon as he is borne, speaking lyes.
4▪ He cannot discerne the true way; but is blinded with prejudice thereat, and full of mistakes, he is nothing but a lump of error.
5: He is dead legally, and really, how can he then come home? How can he walk in the way, though it were pointed out to him?
6. He, even when entred into the way, is subject to so many faintings, swoonings, upsittings &c. that except he get new quickening, he must lye be the way, and perish.
In a word▪ his miserie is such as cannot be expressed; for as little as it is beleeved, and laid to heart; or seen and mourned for, and …amented.
Now fo… a ground to our following discourse, I would pr…sse the solide, through, and sensible apprehension of this, without which there will be no usemaking or application of Christ: for the whole need not the phy…itian, but the sick: and Christ is not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Mat. 9: 12. Marc. 2: 17. Yea, beleevers themselves would live within the sight of this, and not forget their frailty: for though there be a change wrought in them, yet they are not perfect, but will have need of Christ as the Way, the Truth and the Life, till he bring them in, and set them down upon the throne, and crowne them with the crowne of life. And O happy they, who must not walk one foot without this guide, leading them by the hand, or rather carying them in his armes. Let all then, who would make use of Christ, remember what they were, and what they are, and keep the sense of their frailty and miserie fresh; that seeing their need of him, they may be in better case to look out to him for help and supply, and be more distinct in their application of him.
The Second generall is, That Christ is a compleat Mediator, throughly furnished for all our necessities: Are we at a distance from the Father: He is a Way to bring us together. Are we wandered out of the way: He is the Way to us. Are we blinde and ignorant: He is the Truth▪ Are we dead: He is the Li…e: Cuncearning this fulnesse & compleatnesse of his, we would marke those things.
1. That he is throughly fu…nished with all things we stand in need of: the Way, the T…uth and the Life▪ He hath eye salve, cloothing, gold tryed in the fire, &c. For the Spirit of the Lord is upon him, and hath anoynted him. Esa. 61: 1.
2. He is suteably qualified, not only having a fulnesse, and an all fulnesse, so that whatever we need, is to be had in him; but also a suteable fulnesse answering our case to the life: are we out of the way. He is the Way, are we dead, he is Life &c.
3. He is richly qualified with this suteable good. He hath not only wisdome and knowl…dge, but treasures of it, yea all the treasures thereof Col 2: 3. There is fulnesse in him, yea it hath pleased the father that in him should all fulnesse dwell. Col. 1: 19. Yea the fulnesse of the godhead dwelleth in him bodyly. Col. 2. 9.
4. Hence this is an upmaking compleatnesse & fulnesse: for we are said to be Compleat in him Col. 2: 10. And he is said to be all and in all Col. 4: 11▪ He fill…th all in all. Ephes. 1. 23.
5. It is also a satisfying compleatnesse. The eye▪ is not satisfied with seeing, nor the eare with hea ring, the avaricious man is not satisfied with gold, nor the ambitious man w…th ho…our: but still they are crying with the loch-leech give, give. But the man who getteth Christ is full; he sitteth downe and cryeth, enough, enough▪ and no wonder, for he hath all. He can desire no more, he can seek no more, for what can the man▪ want, that is compleet in him?
6 There is here that, which will answere all the objections of a soul, and these sometimes are not few. If they say, they cannot know the way to the Father; then he is Truth, to instruct and teach them that, and so to enter them into it: and if they say, they cannot walk in that way, nor advance in it one step, but will faint and sitt up, succumb and fall by; he answereth that. He is the Life, to put life, and keep life in them, and to cause them to walk, by putting a new principle of life in them, and breathing of new on that Principle.
O thrice happy they who have fled to him for refuge! It is easie for them, to answere all objections, and …avils of Satan, and of a false heart; It is easie for them, to put Christ to answere all. And on the other hand, who can tell the misery of such, as are strangers to Iesus? How shall their wants be made up? how shall they answere challenges, accusations, temptations, doubts, feares, objections, and discouragements …ast up in their way?
O! should not this indeare the way of the gospell to us, & make Christ precious unto us? Is it not a wonder that such an alsufficient Mediator, who is able to save to the uttermost all that come to God through him, should be so little regairded and sought unto, and that there should be so few, that imbrace him, and take him, as he is offered in the gospell?
How can this be answered, in the day of accounts? what excuse can unbeleevers now have? Is not all to be found in Christ that their case calleth for? Is he not a compleat mediator, thorowly fournished with all necessaries? Is not the riches of his fulnesse written on all his dispensations? The mouthes then of unbeleevers must be for ever stopped.