An Expository Comment on 2 Corinthians 1, Exposition · Sermon 119
SERM. CXIX.
Chriſt the Alpha and Omega of all Preaching.
2 COR. 1. 19.
For the Sonne of God Jeſus Chriſt, who was preached among you by us, even by me, and Sylvanus, and Timotheus, was not Yea, and Nay, but in him was Yea.
THis verſe containeth a new Argument for the conſtancy and immutability of Paul's Doctrine, and it is from the object matter of his preaching. If Chriſt be alwayes the ſame Chriſt; if there be no new Chriſt, then his preaching muſt alwayes be the ſame, becauſe he preached nothing but Chriſt.
So that in the words we have,
1. The Object matter of Paul's preaching, what were the contents of his Sermon, not his own imaginations, not the Jewiſh Rites and Ceremonies, but Chriſt: and he is deſcribed,
1. From his two Natures, his Divine, The Sonne of God; His humane Jeſus, which name was given him by the Angel.
2. From his Office, Chriſt. The two Natures are united, but diſtinguiſhed; there is aliud & aliud; there is not a confuſion of them. Again, they are united into one perſon, ſo that there is not alius & alius.
In the next place you have,
1. The Inſtruments that do thus preach Chriſt, whereof Paul is ſet down as the principal, by me.
2. His aſſociates and fellow-labourers, Sylvanus and Timotheus.
Laſtly, Here is the Predicate, or Property affirmed of this object matter thus preached, was not Yea and Nay, but in him was yea.
In all theſe parts we may find excellent ſubſtantial matter; but I ſhall be the briefer in ſome of the Doctrines, becauſe I have handled them upon other occaſions.
Let us beginne with the Object Matter, the Sonne of God Jeſus Chriſt, was preached. By Chriſt, ſome here underſtand the Doctrine of Chriſt, and give a Canon or Rule for interpreting Paul, that ſometimes by Chriſt we muſt underſtand his Doctrine: ſo Epheſ. 4. But ye have not ſo learned Chriſt. In like manner ſome expound that place, Hebr. 13. 8. which is parallel to the Text, Jeſus Chriſt, the ſame yeſterday, and to day, and for ever, that is, the Doctrine of Chriſt. We may underſtand both, Chriſt and the Doctrine of Chriſt: the one is preached, ut quod; the other, ut quo (as they ſay.) Indeed ſome Expoſitors doe not make this an Argument from the Object Matter, but à pari, or majori; if Chriſt Jeſus was not unfaithfull, was not uncertain and inconſtant; but whatſoever he promiſed, he made good; then neither are we his Miniſters, who are deputed to this Office by him. But I rather go the former way propoſed, and then the firſt Doctrine is,
That Chriſt onelyonly is to be the ſubject of all our preaching.Chriſt only is to be the ſubject of our preaching.
The Apoſtle argueth his Doctrine was alwayes the ſame, and uniforme; becauſe Chriſt is ſo, he never altered and changed, now he preached onelyonly Chriſt. As therefore the ſubject of the whole Scripture is Chriſt: The whole Word of God tends to the exalting of Chriſt: So it ought to be with us the Miniſters of the Word. As Chriſt is in himſelf the Alpha and Omega; ſo he ſhould be in our whole Miniſtry: him whom God intended to exalt, we ſhould alſo magnifie. And to let you know, that you doe not underſtand any thing rightly, till it bring you to Chriſt, there is no truth, that you are ſimply to ſtay in; but you are to follow this ſtreame, till it empty it ſelfe into the Ocean, which is Chriſt. When we preach of Faith, of Repentance, of a godly life, theſe are but the ladders (as it were) to tread upon, that you may lay hold on Chriſt.
To enlarge this truth, we muſt take notice how, or when Chriſt is preached. When is Chriſt preached.And
Firſt, When we declare that Jeſus of Nazareth, who was crucified at Jeruſalem 1. When he is declared to be the Meſſiah.is the promiſed Meſſiah, that he is the Perſon, in whom all thoſe glorious Prophecies that are mentioned in the Prophets, are exactly fullfilled. This is indeed the Fundamental Article, upon which all the other Doctrines about Chriſt do depend. For if that individual perſon be not the Meſſias, then doe we in vaine preach him to be the Mediatour, and the Saviour. Now this preaching of Chriſt is the more neceſſary, becauſe of the Jewes, that are deſperate enemies to our Chriſtianity, expecting another Meſſias, judging our Chriſt to be an Impoſtor, and that he deſervedly died, upon the Law made againſt falſe Prophets and blaſphemers. So that this was a great part of Paul's preaching, to prove, that Jeſus was the Chriſt promiſed for the Jewes, being pre-poſſeſſed with falſe principles about a Meſſias, expecting he ſhould come like a temporall Prince, to worke externall deliverance for them, the more difficult was it to perſwade them of this truth. And for this ground it is, that we have the Scripture attributing ſo much to the believing of this truth, He that believeth Jeſus is the Christ, is born of God, 1 Joh. 5. 1. & 4. 15. Whoſoever confeſſeth that Jeſus is the Sonne of God, dwelleth in him, and he in God. Hence alſo it is, that our Saviour enquired about this faith ſo much, when any came to him, If they did believe he was the Sonne of God; If they did believe he was able to doe what they deſired. The Papiſts indeed would from hence inferre, That there is no ſuch thing required in Scripture, as by a ſpecial Faith to appropriate Chriſt to our ſelves, to be mine and thy Saviour; becauſe this general faith will ſuffice (ſay they) and Chriſt required no more than to acknowledge he was the Saviour ſent of God into the world to heale ſinners; but this doth not exclude juſtifying, ſpecial faith. OnelyOnly the great reaſon, why they were required to make a confeſſion of that dogmatical truth, viz. that he was the Meſſias, was, becauſe that was the thing ſo greatly controverted at that time; if that were believed, all the reſt would be quickly aſſented unto. So that this is the introductory worke, with this we are to beginne, That the Jeſus crucified at Jeruſalem is the Meſſias promiſed; and that it is in vain to look for any other, ſeeing that all the characters of a Meſſias, given by the Prophets, doe ſo exactly andually meet in him. And as for that great Objection, that the Jewes have, The temporal glorious things attributed to the Meſſias, were not accompliſhed in Chriſt. The weight of which ſeemeth ſo heavy, that ſome expect a ſecond coming of Chriſt, when he will perſonally reigne in a glorious manner upon the earth, and then thoſe promiſes will be fulfilled. But the moſt proper and ſolid Anſwer is, That as the Old Teſtament doth deſcribe Goſpel-worſhip under the Names and Titles of the Levitical ſervice; ſo it doth alſo declare ſpiritual and Goſpel-priviledges, under the names of earthly greatneſſe. Neither is this any wonder, ſeeing even the New Teſtament deſcribeth the joy and glory of Heaven, by that which is glorious and pleaſing to our ſenſes.
Secondly, Chriſt is to be preached as God and man, for ſo both his Natures 2. When preached as God-man.are here mentioned. Wonderfull hath been the violence of the Devil, in raiſing up curſed Hereticks, who have with all their might endeavoured to diſ-robe him of either of his Natures. Some, and they quickly filled the whole world, denied the Divine Nature of Chriſt; others, though not ſo numerous, they denied his Humane Nature. Which opinions, though ſo abominable, and very deſtructive of the Fundamentals, yet found many gates and doores ſet open for their entertainment. But if he be not preached as God-man, as Emanuel, as the Word made fleſh, then alſo our faith and conſolation is wholly deſtroyed. In the union of theſe two Natures is founded that aptneſſe and fitneſſe which is in him to be our Mediatour: No meer creature could be a Mediatour, no not the higheſt and ſublimeſt Angel. He muſt be man, becauſe man had ſinned, becauſe the curſe of death muſt be removed by death. And he muſt be God alſo, elſe he could not ſatisfie Juſtice, nor remove the curſe of the Law. It is true, God and man united together in one Perſon, is a wonder of wonders, there is not the like, nor an example thereof in all the world. Divines doe bring many inſtances to illuſtrate it, but none are perfect: And indeed if there were the like, then it would not be ſingular. Now though Chriſt be thus often preached amongſt us, How great is the ignorance of many people in this particular? Aske them, What was Chriſt? They will ſay, a Saviour, or ſome ſuch thing; but to give any underſtanding account about his God-head and Man-hood, therein they faile exceedingly. How canſt thou be ſaved that knoweſt not what Chriſt was? Though it hath been a thouſand times preached in thy eares, That Chriſt is God from all eternity, and that in time he became man, to die for our ſinnes, yet thou remaineſt as ignorant, as if thou hadſt lived amongſt Pagans, where the Name of Chriſt is not heard. But let the true believer be daily exerciſing himſelf upon this myſtery of Godlineſſe, which the Apoſtle in a moſt compendious manner doth deſcribe, 1 Timothy 3. 16. God was manifeſt in the fleſh, &c. Neither is this ſpeculatively to be believed, but it is to advance godlineſſe; and therefore called the myſtery of godlineſſe. For what holineſſe, what love, what thankfulneſſe, what reformation ſhould this make, in that God is made man?
Cur Deus fit homo, ſi non corrigitur home?
Therefore the Socinian, that denieth the God-head of Chriſt, taketh away that great incentive to godlineſſe, which the Scripture urgeth from Gods manifeſtation in the fleſh.
Thirdly, Chriſt is to be preached in his Perſon and Offices, as well as his 3. When preached in his perſon and his offices.Nature. That he is one Perſon, not two Perſons, though he hath two Natures: And herein alſo faith doth tranſcend reaſon; here is a particular above the reach of the moſt intellectual capacity: How there can be an individual, humane Nature, and yet not have a perſonal ſubſiſtency compleat of it ſelf, which yet it hath not in Chriſt; for then Chriſt would be two Perſons, one as God, and another as man, which is abſurd to think. It is well called Chriſtian Faith, becauſe in this the underſtanding of a man muſt only acquieſce upon the teſtimony of the Scripture. Therefore when the Scripture ſaith, Chriſt was made like us in all things, ſinne onelyonly excepted; we may alſo adde the manner of his humane ſubſiſtency, which is not as in other men: but his Office that is to be celebrated with great joy. How were the Angels affected with this, though they did not immediately reape the benefit by his death? Now this Office of Chriſt is made by Divines three-fold, a Prieſt, a Prophet, and a King; the ſumme of it conſiſteth in being a Saviour and a Redeemer from all our ſins, both in reſpect of the guilt of them, as alſo the power of them. It is woe with the Church, when Chriſt is not thus preached the alone Saviour, the alone Mediatour. Now how abominably derogatory the Popiſh preaching in many ages hath been to Chriſt herein, the world knoweth: Inſomuch that St Francis, or St Dominick, or the Virgin Mary, or ſome other Saint, theſe were preached more than Chriſt. Inſomuch that we may ſay, Till God raiſed up our Reformers, there was no preaching of Chriſt: Images, Saints, Pilgrimages, and workes of Supererogations, theſe were made the whole of Chriſtianity. It is true, they would ſometimes mention Chriſt, but then they make him but a ſemi-Saviour; they make others to joyne in this worke. And although they runne to many plauſible diſtinctions; yea would perſwade us, that they more honour Chriſt, then we doe; yet all the water of their Tyber, cannot cleanſe them herein. It was then bleſſed mercy, when the Sunne-ſhine of the Goſpel began to ariſe; ſo that Chriſt was exalted in his Glory and his Offices; that now there was no more robbery, making others equal to him. Yea the bold blaſpheming picture, was not aſhamed of this Inſcription, That the way to Heaven by St Francis, was eaſier than by Chriſt. The Papiſts then do not preach Chriſt. And as for the Socinian, he ſurpaſſeth the Papiſt, and deferveth not to be reckoned amongſt Chriſtians. For although they hold him to be a conſtituted God; and ſome of them ſay, That religious adoration is due to him: yet they ſay, This is meerly from Gods appointment. Hence as they diſ-robe him of his Deity, ſo they deny him to be a Saviour and Redeemer, by way of ſatisfaction and atonement to the juſtice of God, and therefore make him but as an eminent Prophet and Martyr, but having no eſſential God-head, nor procuring by his death any atonement for our ſinnes to the vindicative juſtice of God. What cauſe then have we to rejoyce under the full and exact preaching of Chriſt, where Chriſt in his Natures, in his Offices is ſo magnified, that he alone is to be our Mediatour? In his obedience alone, in his death alone we put all our confidence. For if Chriſt be not known as the way, truth and life: If the Natures and Offices of Chriſt be not underſtood, all the way of conſolation, of juſtification, of remiſſion of ſinne, is wholly miſtaken. Becauſe Chriſt is not known in his Mediatory Office, therefore men either runne into deſpair and tormenting fears on one ſide, or elſe into inſtituted wayes of ſuperſtition and ſupererrogation; to the workes of the Law; and to merits, which hath been the poiſonous Doctrine in Gods Church for many yeares together, this was the wormwood that was in all their water. The Popiſh Caſuiſts did give conſciences troubled for ſinne, nothing but gall to drink; and in ſtead of healing did provoke and irritate the wound farre more.5. When he is ſet up as the head of his Church.
Fifthly, Chriſt is preached, when he is ſet up as the King and Lord of his Church, to whoſe Lawes and commands we are wholly to ſubmit, elſe we ſhall hereafter finde him to be the great Judge of the world, who will judge it in righteouſneſſe. People are deceived, when they think Chriſt muſt be preached onelyonly as a meer abſolute Saviour, that though they live in prophaneneſſe and diſſoluteneſſe, yet they are to truſt in him as a Saviour. Whoſoever preacheth Chriſt thus, he preacheth another Chriſt than what is revealed in the Word. Therefore the Doctrines of Antinomians and Libertines, who turne the grace of God into wantonneſſe, are to be abhorred with all abomination; though there may be a ſinfull ſetting up of righteouſneſs, and our good workes againſt Chriſt and his grace; ſo there may be alſo a licentious conjoyning Chriſt and wickedneſſe. We muſt therefore diſtinguiſh of what perſons we have to do with. For, as Luther obſerved well to this effect, (Comment. in Gen.) The Antinomians, who cry down holineſſe and mortification, they maintain themſelves by my words and doctrin which I have preached; but they muſt remember, that when we came out of Popery, we found the whole world in phariſaical admiration of ſuperſtitious workes, as if by them they ſhould be juſtified and ſaved, which made us ſo advance Chriſt. But under this pretence to cry down the preaching of the Law, to give way to all licentiouſneſſe; as if a Publican living in his ſinnes might be ſaved by Chriſt, though not a Phariſee: This is to ſeparate one Scripture from another.
But you will ſay, If we are onelyonly to preach Chriſt, then we muſt not preach the Law, we muſt not preach about regeneration, and the differencing characters between a temporary believer, and a true one: we muſt not then preach repentance, holy duties, nor the day of Judgement.
To this it is anſwered, That the right preaching of all theſe, is to preach Chriſt. Therefore the Law is preached, hell and damnation are preached, that ſo Chriſt may be the more welcome, that ſo the grace of the Goſpel may be the more conſpicuous. Even as it is with the Phyſician, it's health that he aimeth at, even while he maketh ſick, while he putteth to paine, and ſeemeth to take the ready way to deſtroy and kill. The Husbandman, while he ploweth and harroweth the ground, it is the crop he looketh at in all this: So it is with the Miniſters of God, while they convince, threaten, terrifie; while they informe, direct; all is to bring you nearer to Chriſt; Theſe are the Ladders to ſtand upon, while Chriſt is built in you.