An Expository Comment on 2 Corinthians 1, Exposition · Sermon 128
SERM. CXXVIII.
The Promiſes give glory to God both as they are made by him, and beleeved by us.
2 COR. 1. 20.
And in him amen, unto the glory of God by us.
WE are now arrived at the finall cauſe or end of Gods promiſes, and their confirmation in Chriſt, which is ſaid to be Gods glory, and that by us. The Miniſters of the Goſpel are the inſtruments who do offer theſe promiſes, and ſo God is glorified by their miniſterial labours. Some copies indeed reade our glory foreign for foreign, expounding it in this ſence, that it is the glory of the Miniſters of the Goſpel to proclaim the year of Jubilee, the acceptable time of Gods promiſes; but that is not ſo probable. Some alſo, as we have formerly hinted, reade it thus; and therefore in him is Amen, to the glory of God. Thus the Vulgar Latine, and one Manuſcript Greek copy, which Calvin doth commend, calling that connexion we have, frigida, a frigid and cold one; whereas this doth notably diſcover the duty of all beleevers, that they are to ſet to their Amen as a Seal to Gods Promiſes: and certainly it is a bleſſed thing for the people of God to be nouriſhed up in the Evangelicall Amen. We do with more eaſe uſe the word Amen optatively, Let it be ſo, then confirmatively, So it is. For if we did give our Amen in this latter ſence to the promiſes, our hearts would have full quietneſſe and ſerenity after our prayers: when we had caſt our burthen upon the Lord, then we ſhould no more diſquiet our ſelves with doubting thoughts, whether the Lord will fullfill his promiſes or no. So that this Amen would exclude all ergo's, all arguings and doubtful diſputations we are apt to moleſt our ſelves with. Now although we ſhall not follow thoſe copies that reade it ſo, yet that ſence muſt neceſſarily be included; for then are promiſes to Gods glory, when they are beleeved and received by us. Let us then ſeriouſly conſider the end of Gods promiſes; why hath he taken ſuch a full and ſure way for beleevers? The Text telleth us, it is for the glory of God; we would think the promiſes had this rather for their end, to bring ſalvation to us; and ſo indeed that is a ſubordinate end, but the Apoſtle he inſtanceth in the principall and chiefeſt end of all, which is Gods glory. And therefore Chryſoſtome doth well obſerve upon this Text, that this is a ſure argument to prevail with God in our Petitions, for the accompliſhment of Gods promiſes; for though he might neglect our ſalvation, yet he will not his own glory, ſaith he: though thy happineſſe be no argument, yet his own honour will be a motive to prevail: ſo that the words then afford this Obſervation.
That the promiſes of God are made on his part, and are to be beleeved on our part The promiſes of God are made and are to be beleeved to his glory.to the glory of God.
When we beleeve Promiſes, we do not only advantage our ſelves, but we alſo glorifie God: This is not ſufficiently thought of, for we are apt to look upon faith in a Promiſe as that which is for our comfort, our profit only, and do not attend that. hereby alſo we do exceedingly glorifie God. Hence Abraham is ſaid, Rom. 4. 20. to be ſtrong in faith, giving glory unto God: That the uſefulneſſe of this doctrine may appear, we will conſider the Promiſes, firſt on Gods part who promiſeth them, and ſhew how this maketh to the great glory of God, and then on the beleevers part, while he giveth his Amen to them.
And for the firſt, Gods glory is exceedingly manifeſted in promiſes, by theſe Wherein the glory of God is manifeſted in his promiſes. 1. Hereby his goodneſſe is known.particularly.
Firſt, Hereby his bounty and goodneſſe is made known. The Lord, as you heard; formerly, was infinitely ſufficient in his own ſelf: Nothing can adde to the bleſſedneſſe of God, no more than a feather can to the weight of a mountain. Had God created no world, or creatures therein, he had been altogether happy in himſelf when he made the creatures: It was not for that end that Eve was to Adam, to be a meet help to him; No, it was his plentifull goodneſs, for bonum quo melius, eo magis diffuſivum. God is ſaid indeed to make all things for himſelf, he is the end of all: but as Leſſius the Jeſuite expreſſeth it, he is not finis indigentiae, but aſſimilationis; not an end of indigency; as if he wanted any thing by us, but an end of aſſimilation and perfection, whereby he would reduce the rationall creatures to his own likeneſſe: we may then with enlarged hearts admire the goodneſſe of God in all his promiſes: Hath the Lord promiſed to be gracious, to pardon ſin, to ſanctifie and ſubdue corruptions, give glory to God in all theſe things: Be like a David, a ſweet ſinger of the praiſes of God, thou maiſt reade in every promiſe the glorious attribute of Gods goodneſſe and bounty.
Secondly, As we may ſee the glory of his goodneſſe in promiſes, ſo alſo the glory 2. His love.of his love: We may there reade how great his affections are to us, he layeth aſide as it were his abſolute Majeſty, his terrible greatneſſe, and condeſcendeth to deal with us in a way of promiſe; he giveth us leave by this to have confident and familiar converſe with him: ſo that as it was the unſpeakable love of God to become man for our ſakes; thus alſo it is to become in promiſe to us: ſo that whereas the Majeſty of God might affright us, his commands and threatnings might amaze us. Now his promiſes they give us encouragement, and we are with Moſes admitted as it were to ſpeak to God face to face, as one familiar friend to another; he giveth us the key when he maketh a promiſe, to come into his chamber of preſence when we will, or to go in his wine-cellar for all ſpirituall refreſhments: when you come with a promiſe, you have a mandamus as it were for every door to open to you, and to receive you in: Theſe promiſes of God, like Peters Angel, doth break up all the ſtrong bars of any priſon we are in; any difficulty we are afflicted with: As Dalilah gathered Sampſon loved her, when he would manifeſt where his ſtrength was, ſo may we aſſure our ſelves of Gods love to us, by revealing his promiſes; oh if you bring the promiſes, you binde the hands as it were of the Almighty, he can do nothing againſt his promiſes: when therefore any thoughts of Gods Majeſty, of Gods purity and holineſſe, may affright thee, run to his promiſe; and as the people of Iſrael when amazed, under the terrible lightnings and thundrings at Gods preſence, in giving the Law cried out, Let not God ſpeak any more to us but Moſes: ſo do thou: let not thy Majeſty ſpeak, thy Juſtice ſpeak, thy Holineſſe ſpeak, but thy Promiſe, let that ſpeak, and we will hear.
Laſtly, The freeneſſe of Gods grace is made very glorious and reſplendent in 3. The freeneſſe of his grace.the promiſes of grace: Free-grace is more than love or goodneſſe and bounty. for Adam while in the ſtate of integrity had thoſe, but free-grace is only where a miſerable and hopeleſſe ſinner is: Now to ſuch an one belong only curſes and threatnings: when therefore in ſtead of a threatning like a roaring lion to devour thee, thou meeteſt with a gracious promiſe to embrace thee, this muſt needs rejoyce thy heart: Go to the ſpring head of every promiſe, and thou wilt finde it to be alone free-grace. The Scripture uſeth theſe Arguments as equivalent, to have a thing by grace, to have it by a promiſe, and to have it by faith, for grace is the originall and fountain: Promiſes are on Gods part the active and communicative means, faith on our part is the receptive and applicative; ſo that when we enjoy any mercy by Gods promiſe, thereby is excluded all works and all boaſting, and thus God is altogether exalted and man debaſed.
Again, if we come to the ſecond particular, there we ſhall ſee how that our Amen, ſubſcribed to the promiſes, or our firm beleeving in them, doth give glory to God: and this is the more to be preſſed, becauſe we are apt to have low thoughts of faith; as we ſee in Popery, where Charity is far preferred before it, and withall, to beleeve is accounted an eaſie thing: Thus alſo the Papiſts charge us, as if we made the way to heaven a broad way, becauſe we ſay, they muſt beleeve, that is the ſoul and life of all. And further, it is good to preſſe this, becauſe the people of God look upon faith (as was hinted before) only as their eaſe, not as bringing any glory to God: Hence, though they never doubt whether they ſhould repent of ſinne, or love God, yet they do very much doubt about their duty of beleeving. Now all this prepoſterouſneſſe ariſeth from the want of conſideration in this particular, that Faith giveth glory to God as well as procureth mercies to our ſelves, yea, to beleeve in the promiſe is the great and ſignall eminent way of giving glory to God.How faith in Gods promiſes gives glory to him? 1. Hereby we acknowledge our dependance upon him.
Firſt, becauſe by beleeving in Gods promiſes, we thereby proclaim our dependance upon him in all things, that we live both ſpiritually and corporally upon him only; ſo that faith in this conſideration is the great duty of the firſt commandment, That requireth us we ſhould have no other Gods beſides him: Thus faith doth, it taketh off from all ſupports of ſence of ſecond cauſes, of all humane advancements, and ſetleth us upon the promiſe of God alone: Now muſt not this needs give glory to God, when God alone is ſet up, no creature, no other help is looked upon; This is that which maketh faith in the promiſes ſo difficult, becauſe it is ſo hard to be weaned from the breaſts of the creature: we know not how to ſwimme without theſe bladders; Though we have ten thouſand promiſes to ſupport us, yet one croſſe providence doth more to unſettle us, then all theſe promiſes to confirm and quiet us; Some have obſerved, that all the letters in the Name Jehovah, are literae quiefcentes, teaching us thereby to reſt our ſouls alone upon him, it may be that is too curious, howſoever faith may be called the acquieſcent or quietative grace; therefore to beleeve in the promiſes is to give glory to God,
Secondly, By beleeving in the promiſes we glorifie God, becauſe hereby we 2 Hereby we manifeſt him to be the truth it ſelf.manifeſt him to be truth it ſelf, the ſupream and infallible truth, Therefore the Scripture maketh the contrary to this a very hainous ſinne, highly diſhonouring God, as when it is ſaid, John 3. 33. He that receiveth the teſtimony of Chriſt (which is by faith) hath ſet to his ſeal, that God is true: Then on the contrary, he that doth not receive it, he ſetteth to his ſeal, that God is a lyar: Oh execrable blaſphemy, ſo much unbeleef is ſo much giving the lye to God; and if this be ſo hainous a ſinne, then beleeving doth God as much honour. And truly it muſt be unpardonable, if we who do upon a mans promiſe reſt our ſelves contented, and never doubt of the performance; eſpecially when a juſt and honeſt man; that we ſhould not much rather rely upon God, of whom the Scripture ſaith, It is impoſſible he ſhould lye.
Thirdly, Herein doth beleeving in Gods promiſe ſo exceedingly glorifie 3. Hereby we exalt Gods way of juſtification.God, becauſe it exalteth that Evangelicall way of our juſtification and ſalvation, which God above all things purpoſed for his own glory. The works of Creation are for the demonſtration of Gods glory: Whether we eat or drink, we are to do all for the glory of God. But the way of mans ſalvation is in a more ſignall and eminent manner ordered for Gods glory. This is the myſtery that hath aſtoniſhed all the world; This is that glorious truth which the Angels deſire to ſearch into more and more; Now by faith this glory of God is publiſhed and acknowledged. Take the deſpairing ſinner, look upon the damned in hell, do they give God the glory of his grace, and of his wiſedom and mercy? Do they with cordiall raviſhments ſpeak of the unſearchable riches of Gods grace in Chriſt? No, they cannot do it; therefore the Beleever only is he who giveth God the glory due to him for all Goſpel-wayes, and all Evangelicall Priviledges. Therefore hath God exalted Faith above all its fellow-graces, becauſe that above all graces doth give God the glory due to him. Indeed in the ſtate of Integrity, their love of God had the preheminence, as it ſhall alſo have in Heaven; but in the ſtate of grace, there Faith hath the Excellency: God hath taken off the royal Crown from that Vaſthi, and put it upon this Eſther, this deſpicable grace, as it were, and which hath no Pomp at all in it; Only as it is ſaid of Chriſt, who being poor made many rich; So this poor grace doth not onelyonly enrich us, but every way advanceth the Glory of God; Inſomuch that from the unbeleever God hath no more glory than if he had never ſent his Sonne into the world; No more glory than if there were no promiſe, no grace, no mercy and pardon: Let not then the People of God have low thoughts of Faith: No, thou doſt more in beleeving, and b…ingeſt more glory to God thereby, than thou couldeſt do by all thy other obedience. Shouldeſt thou mortifie ſinne to thy deſire? Shouldeſt thou dye a Martyr for the Cauſe of God? thou wouldeſt not ſo glorifie God as thou doſt by beleeving. I know this ſeemeth very Paradoxall to the humbled ſinner: I know he is difficultly perſwaded, that by truſting in God, he doth thus glorifie God; but if thou underſtandeſt the Scripture-way, then thou wilt quickly ſee, as to beleeve is the moſt difficult duty, ſo it is the moſt conſequentiall for Gods glory: And indeed what have other Duties admirable in them, that Faith it ſelf in the Promiſe hath not? in beleeving the underſtanding is mortified, in beleeving the will is crucified, in beleeving the Heart and Affections are martyred: So that faith maketh a man to be offered up as an whole burnt-offering unto God.
Uſe of Inſtruction, That the onelyonly way to make a man live a joyfull life in himſelf, and a glorifying life of God, is by faith in the Promiſes. This is that Faith by which a juſt man is ſaid to live; ſo that thy doubts, thy fears, thy unbeleeving thoughts, theſe bring a diſhonour to God, theſe reproach the Goſpel-way: theſe obſcure the honour of Chriſt. Let then the godly ſoul take heed how it giveth way unto ſuch temptations; if your own conſolation, if the glory of God be dear unto you, then bolt out unbeleef. No wonder if the devil that is ſo great an enemy to the glory of God, doth aſſault your ſouls moſt in this; if he have broken down this part of the wall, what legions of other ſinnes may not he bring with them. For this reaſon many Divines ſay, Sola infidelit as damnat, which is not to be underſtood as if other ſinnes were not meritorious of damnation, yea, and did actually damn; only that oppoſeth the Phyſician, that would heal us, that refuſeth the atonement that is made for us.
Secondly, As the Promiſes are thus to be improved for Gods glory by beleeving, ſo alſo attend to another effect, which the Scripture doth inferre from them, and that is to cleanſe our ſelves, to be every day perfecting holineſſe. For ſo the Apoſtle notably exhorts us, 2 Cor. 7. 1. Having theſe Promiſes, let us cleanſe our ſelves from all filthineſſe of fleſh and ſpirit: Promiſes are no waies incentives to ſinne, or encouragements to evil works: No, but a ſtrong antidote againſt them. Neither is faith in them a light ſuperficiall aſſent, ſwimming upon the heart as a fowl in the water, ſaid Luther: but as water calefied doth no more manifeſt its own coldneſſe, but the heat of the water, ſo doth faith fermentate and leaven the whole ſoul of a man, that humane things do not ſo much appear as divine things in him: As the Apoſtle expreſſeth the energy of it, when he ſaid, I no longer live, but Christ in me; and that life is by faith in the Son of God, Gal. 2. 20. Thou then that ſayeſt, all thy truſt is in the Promiſes, thou hopeſt in them for mercy and pardon: Are they cleanſing Promiſes, purifying Promiſes? Do they perfect holineſſe every day in thee through the fear of God?