An Expository Comment on 2 Corinthians 1, Exposition · Sermon 30
SERM. XXX.
Of Praiſing God, and that for all, but eſpecially for ſpiritual Mercies.
2 COR. 1. 3.
Bleſſed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jeſus Christ, &c.
FRom the method that Paul uſeth here, and in the beginning of moſt of his other Epiſtles, we have obſerved the Duty that lieth upon all the people of God, to bē carefull and conſcientious in this duty of bleſſing and praiſing of God, which is as the legal ointment for the High-prieſt, compounded of choice and ſweet ingredients. It's an Angelical work to bleſſe God. There remain further particulars that are conſtituent of this comfortable and profitable duty. As
Firſt, The heart that is duly fitted to praiſe God, though it be thankefull for every mercy, even the leaſt mercy, yet it keeps an order in its thankeſgiving according to the dignity of its objects; ſo that it praiſeth God chiefly and principally for ſpiritual mercies; and then ſecondarily, for temporal mercies. And this argueth the difficulty of this duty, and that alſo only the regenerate and ſpiritual man can in a Scripture-way bleſſe God, for he only doth preferre heavenly things above earthly. When the Pſalmiſt had ſpoken of outward mercies to a people, Pſal. 144. 12, 13, 15. great mercies in ſons and daughters, rich abundance and plenty, he corrects all at laſt, Happy is that people that is in ſuch a caſe, yea happy is that people, whoſe God is the Lord. So that you ſee all the outward deſirable mercies that are, are but in a ſubordination to Gods favour. When thou art breaking forth after this manner, I bleſs God for my children, for my health, for my outward contents. Oh but above all, Lord, that I have any ſpiritual mercy, that thou haſt loved my ſoul, converted me to thy ſelf, ſaved me from the evil wayes of the world, in this my ſoul is overwhelmed! So then, as we ſee it is in matter of Petition, Seek ye firſt the Kingdom of Heaven. Thus it is alſo in Thanksgiving, whatſoever heavenly mercy God hath beſtowed on thee, bleſs God for that in the firſt place. Thus the Apoſtle doth praiſe God in a moſt divine manner, Eph. 1. 3. Bleſſed be God, who hath bleſſed us with all ſpiritual bleſſings in Chriſt. Inſomuch that this may be a good Touchſtone of the truth of grace in thee, whether thy ſoul be moſt affected and enlarged towards God for ſoul-mercies, that thou canſt truly ſay; O Lord in that thou haſt made me in a ſaving manner to know thee, in that thou haſt revealed thy Son to me, I do more rejoyce in this, and bleſs thee for it, then if thou hadſt given me all the glory of the world! Doeſt thou ſee a natural worldly man boaſt in his riches, in his birth, in his greatneſs above others, and knoweth nothing at all of Gods favour and ſpiritual mercy to his ſoul? This is like a beaſt that is crowned with Garlands, but yet prepared for the ſlaughter. Canſt thou ſay, O Lord, I judge all the outward mercies I have to be but husks, and empty ſhels, in compariſon of that Manna, that ſpiritual favour I am made partaker of. As therefore the ſpiritual man, when in outward miſeries and ſtraights is not ſo much grieved under thoſe outward calamities, as becauſe he hath ſinned, and God is offended: So neither in outward mercies is the ſame gracious ſoul, ſo much affected with the comforts it enjoyeth, as that the light of Gods countenance doth ſhine upon him, that he hath an evidence of propriety and intereſt in Chriſt, this he would not loſe for all the Kingdoms of the world. Let us preſs this the more, becauſe even the moſt holy are apt to be affected more with ſenſible mercies than ſpiritual; Nature teacheth them the one, but Grace the other. For as we are apt to deſire temporal things above ſpiritual, ſo alſo to be affected with, and bleſs God for one more than another.
But take theſe few Motives to provoke thee to bleſs God for ſpiritual mercies, Motives to be more affected with ſpiritnal mercies than temporal.which are of two ſorts, External, as the means of grace, and the Ordinances; or Internal, the inward ſanctification and juſtification of our perſons. As
1. That if thou hadſt more mercies than Solomon, if thou hadſt all thy ſoul can deſire in theſe outward things, yet if without ſpiritual mercies thou judgeſt thy condition is curſed, and to be lamented. Therefore Pſal. 4. when the natural perſons of the world cried out, Who will ſhew us any good? David, as knowing a better and more ſolid good, prayeth, God would lift up the light of his countenance upon him: And therefore he that hath the leaſt drop of grace, is more bound to bleſs God, then he that may have all the glory and plenty in the world: Oh then, why art thou not more ſollicitous, ſaying, what is this wealth without Gods favor? What is it to ſay, this houſe is mine, this eſtate is mine, but am not able to ſay, God is mine? but if God doth evidence himſelf to thee, then over-look all thy outward comforts, put the Ecce, the Selah, upon what is ſpiritual. This is like the Sunne, which is farre above all the Starres. It is this that makes all outward mercies, mercies; they are no wayes good to thee, but ſnares and temptations to draw out thy ſins. So that thy condemnation in hell will be the hotter, if thou doeſt not enjoy ſpiritual mercies with them.
2. Be in the firſt place affected with ſpiritual mercies, Becauſe Chriſt ſhewed his love to thee moſt in theſe, it was for theſe he died. The Scripture doth exceedingly commend to us the love of Chriſt in his death. Now what are the effects of Chriſts death? Are they chiefly to make us rich, great or honoured in this world? No, it is for remiſſion of ſinne, it's for holineſs and power over the Devil. Certainly, if Chriſt died to purchaſe theſe for thee, thou art very unthankfull, if thy heart be not moſt inlarged to bleſs God for them.
3. Spiritual mercies are the chiefeſt object of our praiſes, Becauſe theſe onelyonly can truly ſatisfie the ſoul, theſe only are a ſound cauſe of rejoycing. The heart of a man is never ſatisfied with temporal mercies; but the more he drinketh of them, the more thirſty ſtill he is. When Solomon hath made an experience of all, his Motto is, That they are vexation of ſpirit, as well as vanity; whereas the pardon of ſinne, and the Spirit of Chriſt working in us, theſe afford uninterrupted cauſes of joy.
4. The ſoul-mercies will abide for ever, thou canſt not loſe thy title and intereſt in them; but all theſe earthly comforts are as the flower which preſently withereth; thou haſt them to day, and they may be removed to morrow. Be ſure then, that thy bleſſing of God, keepeth that method which the nature of mercies doth require above all things. Let thy ſoul melt with joy in bleſſing of God, for what he hath done to thy ſoul.
Laſtly, Conſideration, remembring, and fixed meditation upon the mercies of God, is that which will greatly inflame the ſoul to give all glory and honour to him. The heart is not eaſily and quickly put into a bleſſing frame; there muſt be poliſhing and faſhioning of it; and there is no ſuch way for this, as true conſideration. When David calls upon himſelf ſo much to glorifie God, this implieth, that he found his ſoul dull, heavy and unfit for that duty. The heart will not boil over in meditation, unleſs it be long upon this fire. Pſal. 45. 1. David there calls his inditing, the boyling or bubling of his heart; we are apt to forget Gods mercies, or when we do think of them, they are but tranſistory and ambulatory, It is Gods goodneſſe, or I bleſs God, and there is all; whereas when we bleſs God, our ſouls ſhould be raiſed up into divine inflammations; we ſhould be as Elijah, who was carried up to Heaven in a Chariot of fire; whereas the ſoul is at other times abridged or epitomized, but in ſhort characters, in the praiſes of God it ſhould be voluminous, as you ſee David in Pſalms 103, 104, 105, 106, and 107. very large in the enumeration of all Gods benefits, which intimateth, That the ſoul ought to be extended in all its dimenſions, while it ſets upon this work. And certainly, meditation is like the birds ſitting on the egge, not leaving it, till it hath produced a live young one. This will ſo often work upon the ſoul, that at laſt there will be heavenly and ſupernatural life; for ſeveral aggravations will the meditating heart find in every bleſſing it doth poſſeſs. As
1. It will admire the power and ſtrength of God in every mercy, especially in ſoul-mercies; That God ſhould change ſuch a ſtubborn heart as thine was; That God ſhould give thee eyes to ſee, that haſt been blind ſo long; That God ſhould give thee life, who waſt dead and putrifying in the grave of ſinne. This will make thee wonder at the glorious power of God.
Again, The Wiſdome of God, if that be conſidered in every mercy, this will alſo greatly inlarge to thankefulneſſe. Gods mercies are not only mercies in themſelves, but they come in ſuch fit ſeaſons, they are at ſuch times and opportunities, that this maketh them double mercies; and ſo ſome have obſerved this difference between bleſſing and praiſing of God; Bleſſing of God is, becauſe of the goodneſſe of the mercy; Praiſing is for the wiſdome and curious workmanſhip of God, as it were in that mercy. As if a friend, who alſo was himſelf the maker of a curious Watch, ſhould beſtow it upon you as a gift, you would not only thank him for his love, but praiſe his skill and art likewiſe. Thus we are not only to conſider the mercies God giveth us, but the wiſdome that God demonſtrateth at that very time, making every mercy to be with an aggravation.
Again, Meditation will inflame, by apprehending of Gods freeneſſe in every mercy, and our unworthineſſe. We could do nothing, that may provoke God; eſpecially this we are to aggravate in our ſpiritual mercies, as Paul doth often, excluding our works, and giving all to the grace of God, who worketh according to his own purpoſe and will. Oh what coals of fire will this be in thy boſome! To think, why doth God do this to me? What moveth him? Is God neceſſitated to it? Can he not do otherwiſe? Would he be unjuſt, if he did it not? And this further will be aggravated, when we conſider the mercy comparatively with others that want ſuch; if for ſpiritual mercies, we compare them with the damned Angels, that are utterly cut off from the leaſt crum of any ſpiritual mercy, though ſo noble and excellent creatures, may not this aſtoniſh thee? And if thou ſayeſt, Theſe are not of the ſame nature with thee; How many are there of the ſame fleſh and bloud, in the ſame vicinity where thou liveſt, of the fame calling and profeſſion, yea of the ſame parentage, and yet they are forſaken by God, and left to their natural deſerts, whereas he hath pitched his favour upon thee, to juſtifie, ſanctifie, and at laſt to glorifie thee? Certainly, thou art a ſtock and a ſtone, if ſuch diſcriminating mercy as this doth not affectionately poſſeſs thee.
In the laſt place, The univerſality of the mercies thou enjoyeſt, will much heighten in the conſideration of them. All that thou ſeeſt, thou heareſt, thou eateſt, thou feeleſt, yea thou thinkeſt and apprehendeſt, is a mercy. There is nothing within thee, without thee, or about thee, but it is a mercy. To hear is a mercy, to ſee is a mercy, to think without madneſs and diſtraction, is a mercy. Every thing that is not hell, is a mercy to thee. All the creatures, as Pſal. 8. the Sunne, the Sturres, the beaſts of the field are wholly mercies; if then a man ſet himſelf to meditation after this manner will he not find the goodneſs of God, like Ezekiels waters, To aſcend higher and higher, till they come over his head.
But to finiſh at laſt this Subject, take notice of the encouragements to this duty of a thankful, bleſſing and praiſing ſoul, that ſo if thy heart at laſt be throughly raiſed up to this duty, thou mayeſt praiſe God, for this truth that provoketh thee to praiſe him. And
Firſt, The more thou bleſſeſt God, the more wilt thou have cauſe to bleſſe him. Motives to bleſs God for all his merciesFor to the thankfull heart, God multiplieth his mercies, as many times, becauſe thou doeſt not take notice of his goodneſs to thee, or lookeſt upon his mercies as a debt to thee, or thou takeſt the mercies God hath given thee; and uſeſt them as weapons againſt him, therefore he taketh away thy mercies from thee, to make thee prize them the more; whereas to the ſoul that taketh every mercy, as the hen, every drop of water, and immediately looks up to Heaven, that will take up every fragment, that nothing be loſt: As thou bleſſeſt God declaratively, God will bleſs thee really: Chriſt will bleſs thee, as he did thoſe few loaves by multiplying of them.
Secondly, Conſider this is all thou canſt do to God, for all his ſeveral mercies. What doth God require of thee, after all that he hath done for thy ſoul and body? Is it any thing elſe, but to magnifie his name, to give him the glory of it? And this doth not at all adde unto the greatneſs of God, he is not made the more perfect and bleſſed in himſelf by all the glory thou giveſt to him. So that indeed it is the greateſt glory that thou art capable of, that God will accept of bleſſing from thee, that he will own praiſes out of thy mouth, that he doth not rebuke thee, as Chriſt did the Devils, when they confeſſed, He was the Son of the living God.
Thirdly, This bleſſing and praiſing of God, will keep thee in a joyfull, active, and fruitfull way. Thoſe that ſing at their work, diſpatch it with greater facility: And thus it is, the ſoul filled with cordial thankfulneſs to God, doth more for God then many others, who are clogged with dejecting and diſcouraging thoughts: See whether the cauſe of all thy heavineſs, yea the prevailing of luſts and paſſions upon thee be not want of chearfull bleſſing of God, The joy of the Lord is our ſtrength.
Laſtly, Conſider the example of David, how unwearied he is in this work, never thinking that his ſoul doth enough herein; and therefore becauſe he cannot diſcharge this duty to his deſire, he calls upon all the creatures of the world almoſt to help him therein, yea the very Ice and Snow, and ſuch inanimate creatures; how much more Angels and men, muſt joyn with him to praiſe God. In Auſtin's time, ſome were named Deo gratias, certainly we ſhould ſo abound in this duty, that it may be truly ſaid unto God, as Pſal. 22. Thou inhabiteſt the praiſes of Iſrael.