An Expository Comment on 2 Corinthians 1, Exposition · Sermon 100
SERM. C.
'Tis Perſeverance that is the Crowne of Holineſſe.
2 COR. 1. 13.
And I truſt that you ſhall acknowledge even to the end.
THe Apoſtle having declared, that he had his teſtimonials, not onelyonly from his own conſcience, but theirs alſo: he further addeth, that he truſteth this will hold and continue. For it is nothing to have hopefull beginnings, and afterwards to revolt from all again. Bloſſoms without fruit will not anſwer Gods expectation.
Now this his hope is expreſſed in this laſt clauſe of the verſe, I truſt you ſhall acknowledge, even to the end. To the end] that is, ſay ſome, fully and perfectly, oppoſite to that foreign, in part, mentioned in the next verſe; or elſe as it is uſed ſeveral times for the end and utmoſt of a thing; as Chriſt is ſaid, John 13. 1. To love his to the end. And 1 Theſſal. 2. 16. Wrath is ſaid to come upon the Iews, foreign, that is, to the end, as ſome expound it, who are againſt the Iewes National converſion. But it may be underſtood of the heavineſſe and quality of the judgements which are inflicted upon them, being ſo great that they cannot be more. Or elſe it may be interpreted of that end, which God hath appointed for the judgements which are to come upon them, till which end be accompliſhed, there is no poſſibility of eſcaping that wrath, which is upon them. When the Apoſtle ſaith, He truſts they ſhall acknowledge to the end, ſome underſtand it wholly of Paul, as if his meaning was, My converſation hath hitherto beene acknowledged by you to be ſincere and upright, and I trust in God, that by his grace he will ſo preſerve me, that you ſhall never ſee otherwiſe by me. I hope, by the aſſistance of God, always to keep up this integrity of life. Others underſtand it of the Corinthians, I hope as you doe acknowledge us, ſo notwithstanding all the calumnies and ſubtil endeavours of the falſe Apostles to draw you away from me, yet you will perſevere and continue in your right judgement concerning me.
We may very well take in both together; for the latter doth neceſſarily ſuppoſe the former; they could not continue in their acknowledgement of his integrity, unleſſe Paul alſo did perſiſt in his uprightneſſe.
Now in that Paul ſaith, He truſteth (viz.) in God, that he ſhall be thus preſerved: you ſee the humble and holy frame of his heart; he doth not put confidence in his own ſtrength, in his own gifts and graces, but alone in God; which might teach us, That though never ſo godly, yet we are to depend upon God alone for our perſeverance in the way to Heaven. But we have already ſpoken to this in the general, That it's the property of the godly to acknowledge the grace of God towards them in all things. We ſhall therefore pitch upon another, which floweth from both the interpretations joyned together, viz.
That hopefull beginnings in the wayes of Religion, are not enough without An hopefull beginning in holineſs, is not enough without perſeverance.a faithfull perſeverance therein.
It is not enough for a man that runneth a race, to ſet out at firſt with all ſpeed and ſwiftneſſe, unleſſe alſo he hold out to the end. Neither doth it avail a Traveller to get up betimes, and to beginne his journey with all haſte, if afterwards he loiter, or come back again. Now this falleth out too often very ſadly in our courſe of Chriſtianity; many that were once firſt, are now laſt: Yea are now nothing at all, but turned clear out of the narrow way, into the broad way that leadeth to Hell and deſtruction. Thus the Apoſtle upbraideth the Galatians, Galat. 3. 3. For ginning in the Spirit, and ending in …he fleſh; are you ſo fooliſh, ſaith he? It is the greateſt folly that can be. For hereby all our former zeal, all our by-paſt activity for God is forgotten, all is in vain, Have ye ſuffered ſo many things in vain? as it followeth in the next verſe. And again, it is extreame folly, becauſe we part with God for ſinne; with Heaven for Hell, with honey for gall; we loſe our ſweetneſſe and fatneſſe, to become briars and brambles, that are fit for nothing but to be burnt.
To enlarge this, conſider,
Firſt, That a man who doth firſt ſet upon the way of Religion, who will 1. A man that would ſet upon an holy life, muſt firſt look to his foundation.become a Diſciple of Chriſt, muſt above all things look to his foundation well. He muſt have a ſpecial care that he layeth a good beginning, otherwiſe though he may make a glorious ſhew for a while, his fall at laſt will be very great and terrible. Therefore our Saviour knowing the hypocriſie and inconſtancy of mans heart, doth much preſſe this point, and that to ſuch hearers, who did ſhew exceeding great zeal and forwardneſſe in following after him. witneſſe the Parable of the ſeveral kinds of grounds that received the good ſeed, Matth. 13. and Luke 8. The difference between the good and bad lay in this, that one had a good and honeſt heart, wherein the word of God had deep rooting; The other had onelyonly a ſuperficial worke, and therefore when hardſhip came, could not endure. So likewiſe the Parable of the fooliſh and wiſe builders, Luke 6. 47. is expreſly to this purpoſe, that none ſhould pleaſe themſelves in hearing of the Word, in publick duties and profeſſion; but look to their foundation, to obſerve what all their duties and expreſſions are built upon. For what is built only upon a Rock will endure, when ſtormes and tempeſts ſhall ariſe. It is neceſſary to inſtance in ſome of thoſe particulars that will thus qualifie our beginnings. For as in diſeaſes, yea and in ſinnes, the Rule is, To looke to the beginnings; So in another ſenſe, it is good counſel to obſerve, what was the firſt beginning that ever brought you into the wayes of God. How came you to leave off what was formerly done by you, and to appear in a contrary way? For in ſome ſenſe we may ſay here, not dimidium, but principium eſt plus toto. And
Firſt, We are to look to our motives, whether they were temporal, external upon ſome outward advantages; or whether holy and ſpiritual. Chriſt had many followers, becauſe of the loaves. There are many that know Chriſt after the fleſh; that come with the petition of Zebedee's children, Grant that we may ſit in thy Kingdome, one on the right hand, and another on the left, thinking Chriſts Kingdome would be outward and glorious. Now ſuch as theſe will never continue: It is but painting, and near the fire it will melt: It is but the morning-dew, when the Sunne ariſeth it will vaniſh away. Oh then above all things look to thy motives! Conſider what it was that brought thee off from thy former wayes? Was it from beholding a ſpiritual excellency in Chriſt and holy things? Was it for godlineſſe ſake? Then becauſe Chriſt is the ſame, and godlineſſe is the ſame, thou wilt alſo be the ſame; but if to get the favour of men, to get wealth, to obtaine paces of credit and profit, then thou art but a meteor compounded of terreſtrial materials, and ſo wilt be toſſed up and down, as any winde driveth thee.
A ſecond thing neceſſary to look to in thy beginnings, is to ſee, That the workings of Gods Spirit make impreſſions deep enough, that it have full rooting. For Matth. 13. and in many other places, we read of many common gifts of Gods Spirit beſtowed upon men, whereby they may make very hopefull beginnings; they may be furniſhed with excellent gifts and abilities, ſo as to be able to work miracles; they may taſte of the good word of God, they may be enlightned, they may believe, they may receive the Word with joy; and are not theſe great and rare things? How few are there that attain to thus much? They have not that common illumination, nor thoſe tranſitory affections, whereby we may ſay, they do for a ſeaſon rejoyce in the light. When therefore we begin to take the firſt ſtep to Heaven, we are to conſider whether we have any more than the common breathings and inſpirations of Gods Spirit, whether we have more than gifts or abilities, more than ſome bodily raviſhments or extaſies. For all theſe do not neceſſarily inferre the new creature, o… a divine nature within us. Indeed we could not have theſe things without the aſſiſtance of Gods Spirit; and therefore when carnal and natural men are partakers of theſe, they admire them, they take theſe for grace, they never had ſuch workings upon their ſouls before; there is a vaſt difference in themſelves, as they find, between what they were once, and what they now feel; and this maketh them very ſecure and confident; but becauſe a good foundation, was not at firſt laid, therefore many of ſuch a frame of ſpirit going no further, do greatly apoſtatize, and are more taken with their opinions, experiences and apprehenſions, than Chriſt dwelling in them; they are affected with them, and not renouncing all, go out of every thing, that Chriſt may be exalted, and they debaſed.
Thirdly, And I will inſtance in no more, It behoveth thoſe who are beginners in Chriſtianity, deliberately and ſeriouſly to conſider how much it will c…ſt t… be godly. They are not only to look to their motives, but to the nature of ſuch duties as they muſt be continually exerciſed in. For when a man findeth that the way of godlineſs is a more ſelf-denying, mortified way, a more oppoſed and perſecuted way than he expected; this maketh him to be offended, and he is ready with Judas to betray Chriſt for a piece of ſilver; or with Eſau, to ſell his birth-right for a meſs of pottage. Our Saviour ſpeaketh fully to this, Luke 14. 28, 29, 31, 32. where preſſing thoſe who are to be his Diſciples to theſe great and difficult duties of hating father and mother, and life it ſelf for him; Yea to take up his croſs, and to follow him: No more for ever to own any object, as the chiefeſt delight of his ſoul, but Chriſt; he illuſtrateth this by two ſimilitudes, one of a builder, who if he be wiſe, will conſider what expences he is able to bear, before he ſetteth upon it, leſt his folly be known to all: And another of a King going to warre, who will firſt conſider what his ſtrength is; and whether he be able to meet his adverſary or no. Thus it ought to be with every one that will profeſs the name of Chriſt: How come you to to do it? Have you ſeriouſly conſidered what it is to be a Chriſtian indeed? Can you hate all, leave all, if Chriſt require? Can you part with your luſts, your pleaſures and profits? If you could have theſe, and Chriſt too, then the way to Heaven would not be ſo difficult, then many would be ſaved. But this is that which maketh ſo many apoſtaſies, ſo many revoltings and ſcandals in the way of Religion, that men come on a ſudden into the profeſſion of Chriſt, either for education only, or the national example, or ſome external encouragements; and then when they meet with harder brunts than they looked for; when they ſee Chriſt will have them to be godly in good earneſt, to be ſelf-denying indeed, elſe they ſhall not be owned by him, then they diſcover [that Inſipientis eſt dicere, non putabam,] the language of the unwiſe, I did not look for this, I will go back into Aegypt again, rather than endure in this wilderneſs. Thus you ſee that a mans beginnings in Religion is all in all: It is not ſo much to ask, Doth he pray, doth he hear, doth he walk otherwiſe then he did? But what was the cauſe of this? How cometh it about that he doth ſo?
Hence the ſecond particular to clear this truth is, That true, ſolid, and ſincere 2. Sincere beginnings are the cauſe of perſeverance.beginnings are the cauſe of our perſeverance and continuance in what is holy. Whereſoever a principle of ſupernatural life is infuſed, Whoſoever is borne of God; The man who hath the fear of God put into his inward parts, this man will be preſerved, that nothing ſhall either totally or finally ſeparate that ſoul and Chriſt: So that good and true beginnings, will be ſure to have holy and comfortable endings. That place ſhall ſuffice for the preſent, John 10. 27, 28, 29, 30. My ſheep hear my voice,—and I give unto them eternal life, and they ſhall never periſh, neither ſhall any man pluck them out of my hand, &c. To ſay they may by their own negligence throw themſelves out of Gods hand, is to thwart the comfort intended there for true believers. For if the Devil, or wicked men could not make them to periſh, yet if they ſhould do it themſelves, if the grace of God did not keep back their own corrupt inclinations, as well as keep off the Devil, they ſhould remain in continual perplexing fears and uncertainties. Where then the foundation-ſtones of this ſpiritual building are truly and ſoundly laid, there no tempeſts can wholly overwhelm, though they may cauſe terrible ſhakings; and therefore perſeverance is not the condition upon which the truth of grace depends, but it is the effect of it; that is, we are not to ſay (as Arminians do) If you perſevere in believing, if you continue in loving of God, then this will make your grace effectual; then this will make you to be ſincere and not hypocrites. For if ſo, then till we die, we cannot have any true ground of comfort, becauſe we know not how irrecoverably we may fall off from Chriſt, before that time come. And this is to thwart the general torrent of the Scripture, who calleth upon the people of God, To rejoyce, and to have peace with God, as a Father; and to encourage our ſelves from the preſent ſtate of grace we are in, ſo that we ſhall never be deprived thereof. Perſeverance then doth not make our grace to be true, but true grace maketh us to perſevere, as the wheel runneth round (which is Auſtin's compariſon) not that it may be round, but becauſe it is round. It is true, our Saviour ſaith, Iohn 8. 31. If ye continue in my Word, then are ye my Diſciples indeed; not that this made them ſo, but becauſe this would declare and manifeſt them to be ſo.
Thirdly, Therefore it is not enough for the grace of God once to put us into 3. Therefore the grace of God is not only neceſſary to begin, but alſo to continue holineſs in us.a ſtate of holineſſe, and then to leave us to our ſelves; but it is neceſſary that we ſhould have his conſtant quickning grace, to enable us to hold out to the end. Chriſt is not only the Author, but the finiſher of our faith, Heb. 12. 2. And therefore we have the godly ſo often praying, that God would keep them, that he would teach them, that he would increaſe their ſaith, that he would not lead them into temptation; which neceſſarily ſuppoſe, that the ſame grace of God, which began the foundation, muſt alſo build up all, and finiſh whatſoever is begun. It is not then from our ſelves, or from the nature of grace, as if it were not amiſſible: Adam, and the apoſtate Angels are a clear inſtance to the contrary; but from the aſſiſtance and help of Chriſt without us.
Laſtly, Though perſeverance to the end be thus the promiſed effect of Gods grace, yet that doth not exclude, but include an holy fear, loſt we that ſtand 4. Perſeverance promiſed, doth not exclude, but include fear, watchfulneſſe, and diligence.ſhould fall; a diligent working out of our ſalvation with fear and trembling; a conſtant watching over our hearts, and a daily keeping down of our body, leſt after we have appeared ſo long in the wayes of Chriſt, we afterwards turne aſide into the Devils paths. For there are ſad inſtances in Scripture of ſuch, who in outward appearance were eminent in the Church of God (as Judas was) but having not a ſure bottome, and neglecting ſuch means, which Chriſt required of them, they became ſad ſcandals in the Church of God, for their fall was great.
Uſe of Exhortation, Not to reſt upon what we have been. What though ſo many years thou haſt appeared a Diſciple of Chriſt? For if the foundation was not well laid at firſt, one time or other there will be a breaking upon thee. What moved thee, what prevailed over thee to become a Diſciple of Chriſt at firſt, and be moved hereunto? becauſe if thou continueſt not in the good way thou didſt begin in,
1. Thy revoltings will do more hurt, then ever thy hopefull beginnings will do good. Thy later end will more offend God, more ſcandalize Religion, than ever thy former zeal could exalt it. Oh what a ſad thing is it to be a deſtroyer of what thou didſt once build up!
2. Remember the folly (as you heard) that is in doing ſo. For godlineſſe is the ſame, Chriſt is the ſame, Heaven is as good as it was at firſt: Why then ſhould it not be ſo to thee? What art thou weary of gold for droſſe and dirt? Is it better to lie roaring in hell, than to be bleſſing and praiſing of God to all eternity?
3. This maketh thy condemnation greater. Thoſe prophane wretches that never ſet their face towards Heaven, that have continued in that wickedneſs, which of old they were accuſtomed unto, theſe will meet with more eaſie puniſhment then thou ſhalt. The Apoſtle Peter ſpeaketh terribly to ſuch a man, 2 Pet. 2. 20. If when they have eſcaped the pollutions of the world, they are again intangled and overcome, the latter end is worſe with them than the beginning. Better never have known the way of godlineſs, better never have ſet thy hand to the plough, then to look back again to thy former luſts.
4. The anger of God even in this life, doth break out moſt dreadfully upon ſuch, blaſting their parts, curſing them, that no fruit ſhould grow more upon them; giving them up to abominable luſts, and to ſuch an obſtinate, ſenſleſs heart, that they are never able to recover again, as appeareth, Heb. 6. 6. Oh pittifull and wretched, who are thus caſt out from God, and the good thoughts of thoſe that fear God!