An Expository Comment on 2 Corinthians 1, Exposition · Sermon 75
SERM. LXXV.
Privative and preventing Mercies are to be accounted of, as Poſitive.
2 COR. 1. 10.
Who delivered us from ſo great a death, and doth deliver.
IN this Text we have Paul celebrating the goodneſs of God to him, in that extream trouble mentioned before, wherein was obſerved, Firſt, The holy thankefull temper of Paul ſtudying to aggravate the mercy of God. He leaveth out nothing unexpreſſed, which may not make for the great exaltation of Gods goodneſs towards him. There remaineth a ſecond Doctrine, which is,
That the children of God are to account of the privative and preventing mercies, We ſhould account of privative and preventing mercies, as of poſitive.as much as poſitive.
Paul cals this deliverance, a deliverance from ſuch a death, ſo great a death; yet he was not actually killed, he was onelyonly in danger of it, but becauſe (had not the mercy of God prevented) death had ſurely ſeiſed on him. Therefore this mercy of preventing death, he doth judge to be (as it were) a poſitive deliverance from it. That as we ſee God doth deal with his people, He accepteth of a willing mind for the deed. And Heb. 11. 17. Abraham is ſaid to offer up his onelyonly begotten ſonne, becauſe it was in the immediate diſpoſition and preparation of his heart; he had done it, had not God prevented it: So it is here with the people of God, Thoſe mercies which keep off the dangers that are immediately iſſuing out upon us, they take as if the mercy was it ſelf poſitively done to them. Divines have a ſaying, Plures ſunt gratiae privativae, quàm poſitivae; There are more privative favours of God, than poſitive; and this they apply to ſpiritual things. And indeed if we conſider how many ſins God may keep thee from, which others fall into, how many temptations God doth preſerve thee in, which ſwallow up others, we muſt needs acknowledge, that we are no more able to reckon up theſe preventing mercies of God, than we can count the ſtars, or reckon up the ſand upon the ſea-ſhore.
That this truth may affect us, and cauſe us more to imploy our thoughts in a thankfull way towards God concerning all that evil which might come upon us, if God did not interpoſe. Let us take notice of theſe particulars.
Firſt, That there are ſome mercies God doth vouchſafe to his people, which 1. Some mercies ſuppoſe evil inflicted, others do not.do ſuppoſe evil to be actually come upon them. As when Joſeph was delivered out of priſon, Jonah out of the whales belly, the Lord did not prevent (which he could have done, if he had pleaſed) but ſuffered them to overtake thoſe children of his. Yea all the troubles which do befall the godly, he could have prevented them, if he had pleaſed. He that can deliver out of them, can alſo ſtop them from coming: but God out of wiſe ends, both relating to his own glory, and the good of his people, doth bring theſe exerciſes upon them. Then on the other ſide, There are mercies, which do not ſuppoſe evil actually to come upon us, but ready and prepared to fall on us, if the Lord did not forbid. That as we ſee it was with the Angel, when he had his drawn ſword, and was ready to ſtrike Jeruſalem with the plague, as well as other places, the Lord did mercifully command the Angel to put up his ſword. Now no doubt but David did account this preventing mercy, this ſtopping of the plague, to be as great, as if they had been delivered in the midſt of it. For in regard of the preparation to this judgement, they were but as ſo many dead corpſes. So that the people of God are of too narrow and ſtreightned a ſpirit, when they look onelyonly to what troubles they have been in, and God hath delivered them. Oh conſider further, how many might have fallen upon thee, yea would certainly have bruiſed thee, had not the Lord kept them off!
Secondly, Theſe preventing mercies do empty themſelves in a two-fold chanel. 2. Two ſorts of evils, ſpiritual and temporal, which the mercy of God prevents.For they are either Temporal evils, or Spiritual evils, that theſe mercies do relate unto: and thus preventing mercies do compaſſe us about all the day long; what evil might not have fallen upon thee every moment? This diſeaſe, that caſualty, ſuch a ſudden and unexpected calamity. Inſomuch that thou canſt not hear of any miſery, fallen upon any living, but it alſo might have come upon thee. Doth any ſit mourning and wringing their hands, crying out, O ye that paſſe by, ſee if there be any afflicted with bitterneſs, as I am! And is not this thy caſe? Is not thy houſe a houſe of mourning, for dead fathers, or dead husbands, as well as others? Is not all this from the preventing mercy of God? The ſecond chanel in which theſe mercies may be diſcovered, is, In ſpiritual things. And certainly here we may cry out alſo, That they are more than can be numbred. For what ſinne, what temptations, what terrours and troubles of heart, what wounds and gaſhes of ſoul do any of the godly fall into, and thou mayeſt not alſo be plunged into the ſame? Who maketh thee to differ? Why muſt not the branch ingraffed in, inſult over that which is broken off, but take heed and tremble? Is it not becauſe God may break off thoſe alſo? Oh then with bleeding and melting hearts, acknowledge and ſay, O Lord, what would have become of me, if left to ſuch a paſſion, if forſaken in ſuch a temptation! Why is it that I have not the guilt, the condemnation that others lie under? Is it not becauſe thy goodneſs did keep me? Even as David was preſerved in reſpect of that buſineſ… of the men of Keilah, he asketh of God, Whether they would deliver him into Saul's hands, and God telleth him, they would certainly do it; thereupon David will not commit himſelf to them. It is thus often in reſpect of thy ſoul; if thou go to ſuch a place, if thou art put into ſuch a temptation, if placed in ſuch a condition or relation, God knoweth that this would prove a ſnare to thee, it would be a ruine to thee. Therefore the Lord doth ſo order by his mercy, that thou ſhalt not come into that condition. Divines have one kind of grace, that they call Gratia praeveniens, which doth prevent us, it cometh upon us before we have any thought, any will or deſire about it. As God ſaid, He was found of thoſe, that ſought him not. And truly ſuch preventing grace we do not only need at our firſt converſion, but all our life long, as much as our daily bread. Grace muſt prevent our mind, our will, our affections; otherwiſe ſome ſinne, ſome luſt or other would immediately faſten upon us. Let then the godly ſoul remember, what a deep and vaſt ocean this is of preventing grace, the bottome whereof thou canſt never dive into. As Paul ſaid, By the grace of God, I am what I am; ſo ſaith Auſtin, he might have added, By the grace of God, I am not, what I am not. It's the grace of God, that thou art not a withered tree, a barren wilderneſs. It is the grace of God keepeth thee from Hypocriſie and from Apoſtaſie; what a ſinner and evil wretch thou art not, it is wholly by the grace of God.
Thirdly, Although the godly do thus judge of preventing mercies, as well 3. The godly are o… forgetfull about theſe preventing mercies.as of poſitive mercies, yet becauſe we are apt to account of mercies by ſenſe, and feeling we have, hence it is, That the godly are exceedingly-forgetfull many times about preventing mercies. It is often ſaid, We never prize a mercy till we want it. How precious is health to a diſeaſed man, eaſe to a tormented man? And ſo alſo we never account any evil grievous, but while we feel it, while it is upon our backs; and thereupon we are moſt ſenſible of ſuch mercies, which do take off this burden from us. Thus it is indeed, becauſe we judge of all things according to our ſenſe; but if we did let judgement work, then the godly ſoul would be likewiſe greatly enlarged for the keeping of evil, as well as removing of it. The evil we never felt, yet becauſe ready to come upon us, had not the mercy of God kept it off, is affectionately taken notice of by that ſoul, which delights to ſearch out the works of God towards it. The godly ought not be ſo bruitiſh, as to be taught only by thorns, or to be like the horſe which muſt have alwayes the bit and bridle. Preventing mercy is as real a mercy as a poſitive one. God is as truly good in keeping of evil from thee, as removing of it: Shall God therefore loſe ſuch of his glory and honour, becauſe thou wilt judge only by ſenſe?
Fourthly, That therefore the children of God may know, It is their duty to 4. It is therefore their duty to go further in praiſe and thankfulneſs for theſe mercies, then uſually they do. 1 Whatſoever evil is not inflicted that we have deſerved, is to be acknowledged a preventing mercy.go further in the way of praiſe to God, then uſually they do. Let them conſider theſe enſuing rules, concerning preventing mercies. And
1. Perſwade thy ſelf of this, That whatſoever evil thou haſt deſerved by thy ſinnes, and is not brought upon thee, look upon this as a preventing mercy, and be affected wit it as much as with any poſitive mercy. And truly this very particular may be like a live coal from the Altar to warm and purifie thy heart. For haſt thou not deſerved all the curſes threatned in the Law. As ſoon as ever as thou haſt ſinned, may not the Law of God immediately challenge thee, take thee by the throat, and hale thee to hell? Well if ſo, conſider this preventing mercy of God, that keepeth thee from them. Mayeſt thou not truly ſay, remembring the deſerts of thy ſinne, not onelyonly the God who deliuereth from ſo great a death, but alſo ſo great an hell, and ſo great a damnation? Were not thy heart like a clod of earth, like a ſtone, how greatly wouldſt thou be affected in this particular, ſaying, It's the Lords mercy I am not in the grave; It's the Lords mercy I am not roaring in hell; for the Law curſeth me, I have tranſgreſſed that, there is nothing keepeth off the execution of that dreadfull ſentence, but the meer mercy of God? And therefore if thou wert dead and raiſed again, if damned in hell, and yet delivered out: Would not thy mouth and heart be filled all over with bleſſing and praiſing of God? Why not then when God keepeth thee out of this deſtruction every moment? It's obſerved as the demonſtration of Gods great power and mercy, that the waters of the ſea being higher than the earth, yet they are ſo checked and bounded by the power of God, that they do not overflow the earth. This is the meer preventing mercy of God. Inſomuch that Luther ſaid, The Inhabitants of the earth are as wonderfully preſerved from destruction by the ſea, as the people of Iſrael were in their paſſage to Canaan, when the waters ſtood like walls on both ſides. And thus it is in any mercy we enjoy, if we conſider what the Law threatens, how that curſeth, what we have deſerved. It's a wonder of wonders that every houre we doe not fall into hell. Therefore if thou findeſt thy heart not affected with theſe preventing mercies, lay this particular cloſe to thy ſoul.2. Whatſoever evil fals upon others, and not upon us, 'tis a preventing mercy.
2. Conſider, That whatſoever evil doth actually fall upon any other in the world, and not on thee, this is a preventing mercy. Is another ſick, and not thou? Is another poor, not thou? This is a privative mercy. For what reaſon can there be given of thy difference from others, but onelyonly the diſcriminating mercy of God; he killeth and maketh alive, he maketh poor, and maketh rich. So that all theſe things are diſtributed according to the wiſdome and pleaſure of God. If ſo, how then cometh it about, that thou eſcapeſt ſuch a miſery, and another doth not? Afflictions riſe not out of the duſt, neither doth preferment and honour. God then giveth a cup of gladneſs and joy, or a cup of gall and wormwood to drink off. Now then look about thee, and behold how many ſit in darkneſs, and have no light; how many are bereaved of ſenſes, of their underſtandings, and of all comforts, even brought to be like Dives in hell, asking for a drop of water, and cannot obtain it; but it is light in thy Goſhen, while darkneſſe with others. Doth not this preventing mercy melt thy ſoul? Art thou not made of braſſe and iron, if thy preſervation from the miſeries of others, eſpecially the damnable and ſinfull wayes, do not exceedingly move thee? How canſt thou carry ſuch live coales in thy boſome, as theſe thoughts are, and not be wholly inflamed with them?
3. Acknowledge this likewiſe, That whatſoever God in juſtice might inflict 3. Whatſoever evil God juſtly may, and yet doth not inflict, 'tis a preventing mercy.upon thee, and yet doth not, therein is alſo preventing mercy. It may amaze us to conſider, what objects of wrath, and examples of Gods vengeance there have been in the world. Cain was in the beginning of the world; God made him like an Anatomy-lecture for all ſucceeding evil men to beware of his impieties. Pharaoh alſo, God ſaith of him, For this cauſe have I raiſed thee up; or as ſome contend, I have kept thee alive in the midſt of thoſe many judgements, that deſtroyed round about him, Rom. 9. 17. Exod. 9. 16. Now let any thankfull, godly heart meditate on theſe Hiſtories. Conſider theſe examples, Why waſt not thou a Cain, thou a Pharaoh? Why ſhould not God make thee an example of his wrath, to be a pillar of ſalt to ſeaſon others, as well as others are to thee? Oh the depths of this preventing mercy, how incomprehenſible and unſearchable are they! Muſt not this aſtoniſh thee to think, that whatſoever God in the way of wrath hath done to any man in the world, the ſame God might have done to thee, and no more have wronged thee than he did them? Account this therefore upon the riches of his mercy, that theſe things have not come upon thee. Look upon all ſuch mercies, as priviledges and exemptions. God doth otherwiſe with thee than many others; he puniſheth their ſins, he animadverteth their iniquities, they are howling under his anger, and thou art preſerved. It is true, God is no accepter of perſons; and therefore Cain cannot expoſtulate with God, why he did not make him Abel; nor can Pharaoh complain of God, becauſe he was not David; nor yet can Judas find fault with the Lord, becauſe he was not Peter, becauſe as Aquinas obſerveth well, in things of meer bounty and liberality, there cannot be any accepting of perſons, ſeeing that if no munificence to any at all were extended; there was no cauſe of grievance. And thus it is wholly with God, he is no debtor, nor obliged in any way of juſtice to man; and therefore if he do what he pleaſeth with his own, Shall thy eye be evil, becauſe he is good? So that God muſt needs be juſtified by theſe different diſpenſations; onelyonly thou whom the Lord doth thus ſpare and exempt from his way of wrath, look upon it as ſo much mercy; as if God had ſaid to the damned in hell, as he did to Lazarus in the grave, Come forth.
4. Not onelyonly whatſoever God doth in a way of juſtice, but alſo in a providential way (which we call chance) bring upon others, and not upon thee, this 4. What evils God brings upon others in a providential way, and not upon thee, it is of his preventing mercy.alſo is a preventing mercy. We reade, that if a man were cutting a tree, and the Axes head fall off, and kill another, it is ſaid, The Lord delivered that man into his hand, Exod. 21. 13. compared with Deut. 13. 19. Although to man there be ſuch a thing as contingency and caſualty, ſuch ſad things fall out many times, that no wiſdom of man could fore-ſee, yet in reſpect both of Gods knowledge and providence, no thing is uncertain to God: and therefore thoſe caſual things are as much under Gods providence, as neceſſary things. What can be more inconſiderable than an hair? Yet not one of theſe fals from the head without Gods will. This being ſo, let a godly man but think with himſelf, How many caſual murders, how many ſudden and unexpected deaths have many met withall in the world? What ſad changes have been made in families, in relations, by ſome accidents, that were never thought of, yea it may be the like never fall out again? Now then caſt up thy accounts, ô child of God, ſee how much is owing to God in this very particular: Count every ſuch preventing mercy, as much as a poſitive one.
5. Whatſoever the frailty, imbecillity and weakneſſe of man would caſt him 5. Whatſoever mans own weakneſs would caſt him into, and yet God keeps it off, is a preventing mercy.into, yet God keepeth thee from; know this is a preventing mercy. Man is ſuch a poor, infirm creature, ſo many things are requiſite to keep up life, that we may wonder every man who goeth from home alive, is not brought home dead at night. How is it that this candle under ſo many puffs of wind, is not extinguiſhed? How cometh this ſpark of fire to be kept in a ſea of water? So that thou mayeſt juſtly account every dayes life a reſurrection from the dead. Had man no other keeper, or preſerver than himſelf, both in temporals and ſpirituals, every moment he would die, both in ſoul and body. Say then, O Lord, my heart is affected, my ſoul ſuffers violence within me! If I had the tongue of men and Angels, I could not exalt thy mercy according to the nature of it; I look upon my ſelf, as brought out of the grave, yea brought out of hell many times a day. The Papiſts have an opinion about the Virgin Mary, That ſhe was borne in no original ſinne, nor ever committed any actual ſinne; and therefore (ſay they) when ſhe called Chriſt her Redeemer, that is, by way of preſervation, not that ſhe was actually redeemed from ſinne, but would neceſſarily have been, if Chriſt had not preſerved her. This is an abſurd and a fooliſh opinion. OnelyOnly in the general we may ſay, That Chriſt, as he is a Redeemer to his people by actual deliverance; ſo alſo by preſervation, Chriſt is a Saviour, in that he preſerveth thee from the ſinnes thou wouldeſt have committed, as well as thoſe thou haſt committed. Yea all thoſe iniquities thy heart, thy temptations would have carried thee unto, if God had not prevented, thou art to bleſſe God for, as well as the pardon of thoſe ſinnes actually committed by thee. Fill thy ſoul therefore with the meditation of theſe things: Say, Lord, what I am is a mercy, what I am not is a mercy! The removing of evil is a mercy; the keeping of it off is likewiſe a mercy.