An Expository Comment on 2 Corinthians 1, Exposition · Sermon 19
SERM. XIX.
Of the Name and Nature of a Church-Saint.
2 COR. 1. 1.
With all the Saints which are in all Achaia.
WE are now arrived at the laſt clauſe in this verſe, which containeth a more general Deſcription of thoſe to whom he directs this Epiſtle. Some Epiſtles are called Catholick, becauſe not inſcribed to any particular Churches or perſons, but to the whole Church of God. Others are more particular and local, as this to the Corinthians, yet we ſee it's not ſo inſcribed to them; but that alſo, all the adjacent Saints are comprehended in it. Yea, though Paul and others wrote their Epiſtles to certain Churches and perſons, yet they are in ſome ſenſe Catholick; for they all were written as a perpetual Rule to the whole Church of God, in all ages. So that this Epiſtle doth concern even the Churches of God in other Nations, as well as that of Corinth, when guilty of ſuch diſorder.
So that in the Inſcription, which is more general than the former clauſe, we may take notice,
1. Of the Perſons to whom Paul writeth, and they are deſcribed by their qualifications, Saints.
2. By a Note of Univerſality, All the Saints. There is none ſo mean or inconſiderable, but the Apoſtle writeth as well to ſuch a poor contemptible Saint, as well as to the greateſt and moſt eminent.
3. There is the place where, Which are in all Achaia.
I ſhall firſt conſider the Qualification, Saints. He giveth this title to all that were of this Church; even as in the former Epiſtle, he ſaith, They were ſanctified in Jeſus Chriſt. Now the Queſtion is, How the Apoſtle could give the title How the Apoſtle could call the Corinthians Saints, when many of them were ſo foully polluted.of Saints to to all the Corinthians, with thoſe in Achaia; for they both ſeem guilty of the ſame ſins; and therefore from this Epiſtle directed to them, when yet they were ſo foully polluted. Was the inceſtuous perſon, before he repented? Were thoſe unclean perſons, that had not humbled themſelves for their ſins, and Paul was afraid he ſhould find them ſuch when he came? Were thoſe Saints? Were ſuch, who denied the Reſurrection, yea that had no knowledge of God, as Paul ſaid of ſome, to whoſe ſhame he ſpake it, were theſe Saints?
To this Auſtin of old anſwered, and ſo ſome of late, That the Apoſtle ſpeaks this generally of the whole body, becauſe ſome amongst them were Saints. The denomination being from the moſt worthy part. So that they conclude of this as a Rule to interpret Scripture by, To underſtand that of ſome parts, which yet is attributed to to the whole. And for this reaſon (they ſay) it is, That the Apoſtle writing to ſome Churches, as to this of Corinth, doth ſometimes ſpeak of them, as if they were all godly; and at another time, he reproveth them ſo, as if they were all blame-worthy. Thus becauſe ſome were Saints indeed, therefore he writeth to the whole Church, as if Saints; as we call a field of corn by that name, though there may be many weeds and bryars amongſt it. This hath ſome truth, but yet this is not all.
Secondly, It may be thought that the Apoſtle calls them Saints, in the judgment of charity, becauſe they did outwardly profeſs their faith and obedience in Chriſt, even as Paul ſaith of Sylvanus, 1 Pet. 5. 12. A faithfull brother, as I ſuppoſe; but a judgement of charity muſt be according to truth, and he knew that all in Corinth were not truly Saints. And as for that expreſſion of Pauls concerning Sylvanus; Calvin, Eſtius and others, do not relate the phraſe (foreign) to a faithfull brother, but to the foreign, the few things, or briefly, as added for Modeſty ſake; and indeed if it were related to Sylvanus, it would not commend his fidelity, but rather give occaſion to doubt of it. But if we attribute it to Sylvanus, the word foreign is not foreign, or foreign, it ſignifieth a firm and undoubted judgment upon good conſideration, therefore our Engliſh word (ſuppoſe) doth not ſo well anſwer it.
Therefore in the third place, That diſtinction of a Saint by external profeſſion or dedication to God thereby, and by internal and ſpiritual renovation is the moſt genuine to anſwer this doubt. Some were Saints by inward regeneration; Others were Saints by external profeſſion and outward ſubmiſſion; ſo that they had not as yet renounced their Chriſtianity; and this ſenſe the Apoſtle plainly makes, when he gives that oppoſition between Heathens and Saints, as 1 Cor. 6. 1. Dare any of you go to law before the unjuſt, that is, the Heathens, and not before Saints? where Saint is oppoſed to an Heathen. So verſ. 6. a brother, which is all one with a Saint, is oppoſed to an unbeliever. All that came out of the world to profeſs Chriſt, are called Saints and believers, though even amongſt them all were not godly. Now you muſt know, that there are degrees of godlineſs,
1. There is that which is ſupream and infinite, and thus God is holy, holy, holy.
2. There is created bolineſs, and that either perfect, ſuch as the humane Nature of Chriſt, the Angels and glorified Saints in Heaven have, or elſe imperfect, ſubject to many imperfections and weakneſſes. Hence ſaith Salmeron, We dare not call any man a Saint, while be liveth on this earth, till he be conſummated; but that is abſurd; for to be a Saint is no more than to be holy; ſo that if we may call any holy, we may alſo call them Saints, as our Tranſlators do for the moſt part render the word. The Papiſts indeed they call only thoſe that are canonized Saints, who are already in Heaven; therefore thoſe that lived in the Old Teſtament, becauſe of their opinion of their being in Limbo Patrum, they are never in the Roman Church called Saints, they never ſay Saint David, or Saint Iſaiah. Salmeron alſo obſerveth from this title of Saints given to all believers, That in the Infancy of the Church (ſaith he) all were called Saints, in the Adoleſcentiâ, only the Biſhops, and Officers in the Church, but in Senectute, only thoſe that are tranſlated into Heaven. But we muſt conform to Scripture, not humane ſpeculations. The Greek word foreign, anſwering the Hebrew Kodeſh; for the Septuagint ſeldom tranſlate it by foreign, or foreign, but generally by foreign, is by ſome ſaid to be as much as ſine terrâ, without earth, or any worldly pollution. But the beſt Grammarians derive it from foreign, to reverence and respect, as foreign from foreign, to deſire, becauſe all holy things are with much reverence to be regarded. Whereas then to be holy, hath a two-fold principal ſignification:
1. To be dedicate and ſet apart to God.
2. To be inherently ſanctified; and both theſe applicable in the Text. We All that are of the Church are Saints by profeſſion, and ought to be ſo in their converſations.may obſerve,
That all thoſe who are of Gods Church are Saints by profeſſion and dedication, and ought to be Saints by their lives and converſations.
Hence Rom. 1. 7. we have that expreſſion, called Saints, that is, either called to be Saints, holineſs being the term to which of their vocation; or Saints by calling, as Paul was by his calling an Apoſtle. Both theſe tend to the ſame thing, and all oblige to holineſs.
Firſt, Let us conſider, how much this Church-Saintſhip doth comprehend, What is comprehended under Church Saintſhip.what degrees and ſteps it hath. And
1. It doth imply, Their being under the external dispenſation of Gods Covenant of Grace. All that are under the Covenant adminiſtration, are thereby Saints, and holy, though all are not regenerated. Upon this account it is, that the children of one, or more believing Parents are called holy, 1 Cor. 7. 14. where to be under the Covenant is enough to give this denomination of holy. And hence it is, that all the people of the Jews among whom there were many prophane and unholy perſons, in reſpect of inward Sanctity, are yet called all of them Saints, becauſe the Covenant-diſpenſation was towards them. Pſal. 77. 2. The Pſalmiſt complaineth, That the enemies had given the fleſh of his Saints to the beaſts of the earth, where the Nation of the Jews, deſtroyed by their enemies, are all called Saints. So Pſal. 89. 5, 7. the aſſembly of the Iſraelites, wherein alſo David did meet to praiſe God, is called, the Aſſembly of the Saints. Now we cannot think, that every Iſraelite who came to ſacrifice and ſerve God was truly holy. Yea Pſal. 50. God complaineth of ſuch, Who came and took his name into their mouth, and yet hated to be reformed. Therefore they are called Saints, becauſe they are all under the Covenant of Grace.
2. Church-Saintſhip conſiſts in a dedication, and conſecrating our ſelves unto God. For our Baptiſm is the initial Sacrament, and by it we are externally ſanctified and ſet apart to God from the Devil, ſinne and the world. For as in the Old Teſtament, there were by certain ceremonial Rites, dedicating of perſons and things to God, which thereby had a relative holineſs, and ſo were called holy, becauſe dedicated; Thus though with ſome diſſimilitude, by the Sacrament of Baptiſm, we are baptized into the Name of the Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghoſt; which amongſt other things, ſignifieth this alſo, that we are given up to God from the world and the Devil, to be no more theirs, not to live according to their courſe and way. And for this reaſon it is that thoſe who are not of the Church, are ſaid to be without, 1 Cor. 5. and the world is diſtinct to the Church, when therefore of the Church, we are not of the world; we are not without under the kingdom of Satan, but we are of the body of Chriſt, of his houſe; and our Baptiſm doth ſacramentally denote our communion with Chriſt. Now although all that are baptized do not in deed and in truth put on Jeſus Chriſt, yet as long as they do not renounce their Baptiſm, ſo long by that there is an outward dedication of them to God. And thus that Apoſtate ſpoken of, Heb. 10. 29. who never had true grace, yet is ſaid to be ſanctified by the bloud of the Covenant, whereof the Sacraments are ſeals. So that our ſacramental relation doth give an outward denomination of a Saint, or an holy perſon, though if there be no inward holineſs, the condemnation of ſuch will be farre more dreadfull and intollerable, than of the vileſt and worſt of Heathens.
3. This Church-Saintſhip goeth a further ſtep, and that is, An external profeſſion of our faith in Chriſt, and ſubmiſſion unto his will. For a Church being a viſible Society, there muſt be ſome external and viſible ſign, whereby we may demonſtrate our ſelves to be of the Church. Hence Rom. 10. it's ſaid, That with the mouth confeſſion is made to ſalvation. There may be many ſecret and hidden Atheiſts in the Church of God, yet becauſe they do externally profeſs the Chriſtian Religion, therefore it is that they are of the Church, in reſpect of the external and viſible ſtate of it. Thus Simon Magus, and others, while they did profeſs their faith in Chriſt, they were under the name of a Church, and believers, and ſo of Saints.
4. There is yet a further degree in this Church-Saintſhip, and that is, When beſides this ſacramental and external holineſs, there are ſome workings of Gods Spirit upon their ſouls. So that the Chriſtian Religion hath ſome kind of influence upon them. They are not only titular Saints, but they have ſome kind of inchoate and imperfect workings of Gods Spirit upon their ſouls, which have a tendency to godlineſs, or at leaſt a reſemblance and ſhew of it. So that in the opinion of others, and many times in their own perſwaſions likewiſe, they are true Saints. Now theſe may well enough be ſtiled Saints, becauſe the Scripture attributes to them ſuch acts as have the name of holineſs▪ So Mat. 13. the temporary believer likened to the thorny ground, is ſaid to have faith, and to receive the Word with joy. Some are ſaid in 2 Pet. 2. To eſcape the pollutions of the world. Yea Heb. 6. ſome are ſaid to be enlightned, to have taſted the good Word of God, to partake of the holy Ghoſt, &c. and yet for all that, ſuch were never true Saints. For ſuch that are ſo, can no more finally apoſtatize than true ſtarres can fall from the Heavens. Comets and blazing Stars may have a great luſtre for a while, but being compoſed of terreſtrial exhalations, at laſt they fall into the womb of that Earth from whence they ſprang. Thus thoſe, who have only ſome imperfect, common works of Gods Spirit, abounding in gifts, and many admirable abilities, theſe may ſeem in Saintſhip to exceed many that are truly ſo; but becauſe there was never true and deep rooting, when the ſtorms and tempeſts ſhall ariſe, this glorious building will not have ſo much as a ſtone left upon a ſtone. Thoſe uncomfortable Teachers, injurious to the grace of God, that do ſo peremptorily dogmatize the Apoſtaſie of the Saints, do yet never bring ſuch Texts of Scripture or inſtances, that do neceſſarily prove thoſe to be true Saints that are ſpoken of. Saul was never a true Saint, Judas was never a true Saint, and ſo no wonder of hopefull beginnings, degenerated into ſuch tragical and horrid beginnings. Now whereas the former mentioned, viz. thoſe that are only baptized, that give an external ſubmiſſion to Chriſts Laws eſpecially, if (as too many do) wallowing in all the wayes of the fleſh, and carnal exceſs, if theſe (I ſay) may by all be proclaimed to be no real, but nominal Saints, all the world ſeeth they are Chriſtians in name, but beaſts and devils in reſpect of real Saintſhip. Yet the great difficulty, and the conſtant wiſdome of a Chriſtian is exerciſed about the diſcerning this later holineſs from that which is true. To know, when I am gone further, than any hypocrite or reprobate can attain unto. This as we are greatly to ſtudy and examine our ſelves in; ſo we are to know that it is better to be deceived in any worldly matter than in this.
Laſtly, The ultimate and moſt compleat ſtep of Church-Saintſhip in this life, is, When we go beyond all the former, and are made partakers of the Spirit of God, in the powerfull renovation of us, ſo that from that holy, and new creature within us, our lives and actions are made really and ſolidly holy. And this is indeed the true and proper Saintſhip, to which only the promiſe of Juſtification and Glorification is made. So that if thou didſt enjoy the greateſt Church-priviledges, yea, and the moſt admirable gifts therein; yet if deſtitute of this Saintſhip, thou art but a tinkling cymbal, and the hotteſt place in hell will be filled with ſuch ſeeming Saints.