An Expository Comment on 2 Corinthians 1, Exposition · Sermon 66
SERM. LXVI.
The truly godly may ſometimes paſſe falſe ſentences upon their own Perſons and Actions, and Gods diſpenſations towards them.
2 COR. 1. 9.
But we had the ſentence of death in our ſelves, that we ſhould not truſt in our ſelves, but in God which raiſeth the dead.
THe ſecond Doctrine remaining from the clauſe of the former verſe, viz. That the children of God judge otherwiſe, while they attend to ſecond cauſes and humane helps, then they do, while they look to the power and promiſe of God, will come in very ſeaſonably, as a branch of that general uſefull matter, which this Text will afford us.
Come we therefore to the conſideration of it.
1. It is a further amplification of this trouble which came upon him in Aſia, and that is the moſt extream and higheſt aggravation that yet hath been uſed, which is expreſſed in the beginning, We had the ſentence of death in our ſelves.
2. It is illuſtrated from the wholſom and ſaving end of this trouble laid on him, It was not brought upon him by God for his deſtruction, but his ſpiritual good. His ſoul might have been in danger, if his body had not been. He might have periſhed ſpiritually, if he had not been in danger of periſhing temporally.
Now this bleſſed effect of his trouble is ſet down:
1. Negatively, That we might not truſt in our ſelves.
2. Poſitively, But in God. Deſcribed by a ſutable property, Who raiſeth the dead.
Let us begin with the aggravation; his trouble was ſo great, That he had received the ſentence of death in himſelf. This is more than the clauſe in the precedent verſe, for there it was foreign, He was in ſuch a doubt and perplexity about his life, that he did not ſee any way to evade; but here he is poſitive, he comes now to make reſolute concluſions, He muſt die, He had received the ſentence of death. The Greek word is foreign, uſed here in this place onelyonly in the New Teſtament. The Verb from whence it cometh foreign and foreign, Budeus ſheweth to have two more eminent ſignifications; the one is, to ſeparate and ſecerne one thing from another; in which ſenſe I do not obſerve it uſed in the New Teſtament. It uſeth foreign in that ſenſe, even as humane Authours alſo do moſt frequently. 1 Cor. 1. 15. The ſpiritual man judgeth all things, by ſearching and judging he cometh to diſcern the truth from errour. The other ſignification is to anſwer, in which ſenſe it is alwayes uſed in the New Teſtament. Favorinus in his Lexicon maketh this difference between foreign and foreign. The former is a bare ſimple Anſwer made to any Queſtion; the later is an Anſwer by way of defence againſt ſome accuſation. The proper word for an Anſwer is foreign, as Luke 2. 47. Luke 20. 26. Joh. 1. 22. foreign is ſeldome uſed for an Anſwer, yet Stephen ſheweth out of Suidas an expreſſion foreign, like that à ſecretis, one whoſe office was to anſwer requeſts. Hence ſome tranſlate it anſwer, as it is in the margin. But the moſt genuine tranſlation is ſentence; for ſo Heſychius expounds the word foreign, whom Favorinus followeth verbatim in this, as in many other particulars. It is true Heinſius on the place maketh the word in a contrary ſenſe, to ſignifie an anſwer or inſpiration from God, ſecretly aſſuring of him that he ſhould not die; like that Act. 24. 24. Fear not Paul, ſuch anſwers were by the Urim and Thummim. So that in his ſenſe it ſhould imply Gods ſuretiſhip or undertaking for his preſervation: But the other is more generally received, and the following words argue ſuch a ſenſe.
The word then doth ſignifie a ſentence paſſing upon him, That he muſt die. This he had received; but from whom? Not from God, for God delivered him, nor from the Magiſtrate, there was no ſuch Decree that we read of againſt him: Therfore it was onelyonly from his own feares, his own thoughts, which maketh him ſay, He had received it in himſelf. You ſee then, that Gods thoughts were others then Paul's. Paul abſolutely concluded he ſhould die, but God had purpoſed the contrary. From whence obſerve,
That the godly themſelves are ſometimes greatly deceived about Gods adminiſtrations The godly are ſometimes deceived about Gods diſpenſations towards themto them.
They are apt to erre in their judgements about Gods diſpenſation. They gather ſuch concluſions, and make ſuch inferences as are wholly oppoſite to Gods intentions. Though it be ſaid that the people of God do communicate with Chriſt in ſome meaſure, as with his prieſtly and Kingly Office, ſo with his Prophetical, as if they were able to know the mind of God in many things, yet we muſt take heed that ſuch a principle doth not draw us into ſpiritual deluſions. For nothing is more ordinary even to a godly man, then to take his ſtrong affections and vehement conjectures for impulſes and inſpirations from God. Paul in this trouble did abſolutely conclude, He ſhould die; he had paſt this ſentence upon himſelf, but God had determined otherwiſe.
I ſhall handle this truth more generally than the Text doth intend, yet including that alſo. And
Firſt, Herein the heart of a good man doth deceive him, in that he is ready to 1. A godly man may ſometimes be deceived in his adviſe to others, which he may think is of God, when it is not.give ſuch adviſe to others ſometimes, which he may apprehend is of God, and yet it ariſeth from humane perſwaſion only. Thoſe that are godly are conſtantly and judiciouſly to examine, what is humane, and what is divine in them; what cometh from God, and what from their own ſpirits. Sad and miſerable have the deceits of many been in this caſe. No wonder it may be ſo with a godly man. For it hath ſometimes fared thus with thoſe, who beſides the ſpirit of ſanctification, have alſo been endowed with prophetical illumination. Nathan, 1 Chron. 17. 2. bid David do all that was in his heart, when he purpoſed to build an houſe to God; but we ſee afterwards God did forbid it. It is true, there were in the Old Teſtament falſe prophets, who did wittingly and willingly ſinne, pretending they had a word from God, when it was only a lying ſpirit in them; but of ſuch we ſpeak not. Yea we read of a true Prophet of the Lord, yet pretending a word from God, when he did wilfully diſſemble all that while, 1 King. 13. 18. For when a Prophet had command from God not to eat or drink in his journey; This other Prophet perſwadeth him to eat, ſaying, An Angel of God ſpake to him for that purpoſe. Here was a great temptation to the former Prophet to eat; it could not but work ſome ſcruples in him. So that from this inſtance Divines do argue, That it is lawfull for a man to goe againſt ſcruples. But becauſe the Prophet did not, but was perſwaded againſt Gods former command, therefore he was ſeverely puniſhed. But this inſtance is not fully to my purpoſe; onelyonly from that example we may ſee, That the corruption in man inclineth him to make pretences from God to get the more credit. Even as in Paul's time, ſome pretended the Spirit and Revelations about the day of judgement. But the example of Nathan is wholly to our purpoſe; and therefore all that fear God, are to pray for an exact judgement, to diſcern between things that differ, and that more in our ſelves than others. For ſuch is our ſelf-love that we are difficultly brought to know the truth: As a ſenſible object put immediately upon the ſenſe, hindereth it in its operations. We ſee Paul very imitable in this thing, 1 Cor. 7. in anſwering that caſe about marriage, which the Corinthians had propounded to him. Hence verſ. 10. & 12. how carefull is he to diſtinguiſh between that which he had from the Lord directly, and was his expreſſed will, and what he adviſed as a faithfull Officer in the Church, Not I, but the Lord, ſaith he. Hence he concludeth his Diſcourſe in a moſt humble and modeſt manner, calling it his judgement, onelyonly adding, I think alſo that I have the Spirit of God. Though you muſt know, that in all this Paul was acted infallibly by the Spirit; he ſpeaketh not as an humane Authour in this thing.
Secondly, The godly are deceived, when they have ſome prepoſſeſſed principles of errour in them, and then think Gods dispenſations are to abet and countenance 2. They are deceived when they thin…. Gods diſpenſations are to abet ſome errours which they may be fallen into.them. This hath commonly cauſed great miſtakes, whereby men have thought they had Gods approbation to their deceits. We ſee this plainly in the Diſciples, this falſe principle they had imbibed, that the Meſſiah would come as a temporal and external King, to vindicate their Nation from all the bondage they were under. Therefore when Chriſt ſpeaketh of his Kingdome, and his Glory, when he ſpeaketh of being exalted, they apply all conſonantly to their falſe principles. Upon this miſtake the ſons of Zebedee come to ask Chriſt for the chiefeſt places of honour in his Kingdom, and upon Chriſts Aſcenſion in Heaven, Act. 1. 6. when he had for fourty dayes together been ſpeaking of the Kingdom of God to them: Then they asked him, Wilt thou at this time reſtore the Kingdome of Iſrael? Here you ſee how much even the Apoſtles, the firſt fruits (as it were) of the Spirit were decived; But what was the foreign, what was the deceitfull foundation in this building? Even a carnal and an erroneous perſwaſion about the temporal dignity and honour of Chriſt. Take then much heed that the firſt concoction be not nought, that there be not Laeſum principium, ſome principle received, that thou muſt not ſo much as queſtion the truth of it; and then according to this thou makeſt many falſe and erroneous conjectures about Gods proceedings to thee.
Thirdly, Then the godly are very apt to be deceived about Gods wayes to 3. When they judge of God after outward appearance.themſelves or others, when they judge of God after outward and humane appearance. When they expect that God ſhould do, as ſome high and mighty Monarch of the world would do. We ſee hom Samuel, a man ſo highly proficient in the fear of God, and all integrity, yet when he came to chooſe out the man God had deſigned for the Kingdom, how quickly he miſtook, and was at a loſs, 1 Sam. 16. 6, 7. For when Eliab came into his preſence, he ſaid, Surely the Lords anointed is here. But then obſerve how God did reprove his humane judgement, when he ſaid to Samuel, Look not upon his high ſtature, for the Lord ſeeth not as man ſeeth, adding alſo the ground of it, becauſe man judgeth by outward appearance, but God judgeth the heart. It is true, the godly have this promiſe, that many things ſhall be manifeſted to them, which to others the Lord will not reveal, Pſal. 25. 14. The ſecret of the Lord is with them that fear him. Hence we have that notable expreſſion to Abraham by God, when he was purpoſed to deſtroy Sodome, Gen. 18. 17. Shall I hide from Abraham the thing that I will do? and one reaſon is, becauſe he will command his children, and his houſhold to keep the way of the Lord. We have likewiſe a very comfortable expreſſion which our Saviour uſeth to his Diſciples, John 15. 15. Henceforth I call you not ſervants, for the ſervant knoweth not what his Lord doth, but I have called you friends, for all things I have heard of my Father I have made known to you. From this it is, that ſome eminently godly men have been endowed with a prophetical ſpirit, and have uſed much boldneſs in prayer to God, as that known expreſſion of Luthers, Fiat voluntas mea Domine. In Savo…r…la likewiſe, even Machiavil did acknowledge a Divine Spirit in him: Many things he fore-told, which came to paſſe, and had bold acceſſe to the throne of grace, as if he had been another Moſes, ſpeaking to God face to face. In his Homilies upon Micah he hath wonderfull aſſertions about his predictions. But extraordinary priviledges, and that in ſome caſes onelyonly, muſt not be extended to all. When the glory of God, and the good of his Church is concerned, God doth come with more familiar diſcoveries of himthan at other times. But though this be ſo, yet the godly are many times deceived in themſelves and about others, and that becauſe they judge according to outward appearance.
Fourthly, Then are the people of God apt to be deceived about themſelves, 4. When they give too much credit to their zeal and affections.When they yeeld too much, or give too much credit to the ſtrong affections, and raiſed zeale, as they thinke, for the glory of God. In ſuch particulars they have many times failed as men, yea ſo as they have ſinned thereby, and offended God. Thus Peter did exceedingly fail, Matth. 16. 23. when out of his great affection to his Maſter, he ſaid, Master, ſave thy ſelf; What a ſevere reproof did his humane affections meet with? Get thee behind me Satan, for thou ſavoureſt not the things of God, but of man. Little did Peter expect ſuch words for that which he thought was his good will, if not piety to Chriſt. The like alſo we find in thoſe Diſciples, Luke 9. 55. when they would have fire come from Heaven to be avenged on the Samaritans, becauſe they would not receive Chriſt; for there Chriſt gave them a check, ſaying, Ye know not what ſpirit ye are of. They thought that to be a Divine Spirit, they thought the ſame heavenly breathing and motion to be upon them, as was upon Elias; but (alas) they did not know what ſpirit it was. We find alſo Paul deceived, or at leaſt forbidden in ſome paſſages which he thought greatly promoting the glory of God, Act. 16. 6. Paul was forbidden to preach the Word in Aſia, which implieth a deſire and an attempt in him to do it. And verſ. 7. Paul eſſayed to go into Bythinia, but the Spirit ſuffered him not. And often he purpoſed to come to the Churches he had planted. And although he ſaith in one place, 1 Theſſ. 2. 18. I Paul would have come to you once and again, but Satan hindered; yet Satan could not have hindered, had not God permitted him. So that though Satan hindered Paul ſinfully, yet God did hinder him juſtly, and for wiſe ends. Which inſtances ſhew, what vehement affections the godly may have, and that as they think for Gods glory, when yet God diſpoſeth farre otherwiſe. So that as God may ſometimes for juſt and holy ends let falſe prophets ſpeak truth, as Deut. 13. 1. a falſe prophet or dreamer may tell a thing which may come to paſſe, and the Lord ſuffer this, to tempt and try his people. Thus Balaam, though a wicked man, and a Sorcerer, did propheſie of the happy things that were long after to come upon Iſrael. Yea the Philiſtims Prieſts and Diviners, did by Gods ſpecial permiſſion, 1 Sam. 6. direct to ſuch means about the Ark, and order ſtrange wayes about the milch Kine, to diſcover whether their evil was of God, or not; and all this proved ſucceſſefull. As (I ſay) God may for wiſe and juſt ends ſuffer the Devils inſtruments to foretell that which is true, and ſpeak aforehrnd of things that ſhall and will come to paſſe; ſo on the other ſide, God may ſometimes hide things from his own people, yea his own Prophets, ſo that they may not know them. As Elijah told Gehezi, The Lord had hid from him what the Shunamites grief was. The people of God then are to walk in all humility; and as they are not to believe every ſpirit, but try the ſpirit of others; ſo alſo they are not to believe their own ſpirit, but to try that.
Fifthly, The people of God are apt to be deceived about themſelves, thinking otherwiſe than indeed it is, and that about the frames of their heart, in 5. They may be deceived in the frame of their own hearts.respect of the workings of grace. As Paul received a ſentence of death upon himſelf, ſo ſometimes the children of God, a more terrible ſentence upon themſelves, even that they are damned, that they are caſt-awayes, that God hath forſaken them, that they have no true grace, that all their Religion is but hypocriſie. Even theſe ſad decrees the godly in their temptations do receive in themſelves; but God doth not paſſe this ſentence upon them, neither doth the word of God; it is their deceived and tempted heart. Thus alſo it is for grace, they many times are deceived, thinking they can do thoſe things for God, which when put upon the trial, they cannot. As Peter thought, Though all men ſhould for ſake him, yet he would not. Oh how little do the godly know of their hearts, how mutable, how contradictory to themſelves? And all becauſe they think that is not in them, which indeed is. As there are dangerous Rocks in the Sea, when you would think by the waters that cover them all were ſafe and harmleſſe. It was this made David ſo affectionately cry out, Pſal. 19. Who can underſtand his errours? Cleanſe me from ſecret ſins; and thereupon prayeth, Keep back thy ſervant from preſumptuous ſinnes. Remember that in thy heart there are ſecret concavities and windings, that it will put on many ſhapes and forms, ſeeming an humble heart, when it is proud, an heavenly heart, when it is earthly.