An Expository Comment on 2 Corinthians 1, Exposition · Sermon 55
SERM. LV.
All the Diſpenſations of God carry on, and further the Salvation of his People.
2 COR. 1. 6.
Or whether we be comforted, it is for your conſolation and ſalvation.
THe firſt part or member of that diſtribution, which the Apoſtle here uſeth hath been diſpatched. For as to the laſt particular obſerved in the illuſtration, which the Apoſtle uſeth, viz. The object matter of their patient enduring, which is ſaid to be the ſame ſufferings which we alſo ſuffer. If any new matter ſhall preſent it ſelf, it will be more fitly conſidered in the next verſe.
I proceed therefore to the ſecond part of the diſtribution uſed here by the Apoſtle; In that we may obſerve, The Condition ſuppoſed, If we be comforted. Here is light as well as darkneſs, Summer as well as winter. The godly are not alwayes afflicted, but they have alſo their ſeaſons of comfort. It is not an impoſſible thing here ſuppoſed, but what God doth ordinarily bring about for thoſe that fear him. So that in the time of adverſity, thou art to remember the time of thy conſolations alſo; whereas the people of God in their diſtreſs are apt with David to cry out, Hath the Lord caſt off for ever? Will he be gracious no more? Thy tribulations are not eternal: After thy wilderneſſe condition thou wilt be brought into a Canaan.
2. We have the effect or end of ſuch conſolations, which are vouchſafed to others, eſpecially the Officers of the Church, who are like the mountains whoſe ſprings empty themſelves into the valleys, and that is two-ſold, Conſolation and Salvation. Of the former enough hath been ſaid already.
We come therefore to the latter, which is their Salvation, foreign. We have three words in the New Teſtament, tending to the ſame, foreign, a Saviour, thus Chriſt is often called; and his Name Jeſus is, becauſe he doth ſave his people; Chriſt is the cauſe of our ſalvation. Then there is foreign, Actual ſalvation, Act. 4. 12. Yea this is applied ſometimes to Chriſt himſelf metonymically. Even as in the Old Teſtament David doth often call God his ſalvation. Act. 13. 47. Chriſt is there ſaid to be foreign, For ſalvation to the ends of the earth. Luk. 1. 69. he is called the horn of ſaluation, that is, a powerfull and ſtrong Saviour. Laſtly, There is foreign, which doth not ſo much ſignifie ſalvation it ſelf, as the means and inſtrument by which it is procured; and thus Chriſt as Mediator is our foreign, Luke 2. 30. Luk. 3. 6. Hence Epheſ. 6. 17. The helmet of ſalvation, becauſe it's foreign, it may relate even to Chriſt himſelf; as David calleth God, his helmet, and his ſhield, &c.
As for the thing it ſelf, viz. Salvation, that may anſwer the Hebrew word A two-ſold ſalvation, temporal and ſpiritual.Peace, which containeth a confluence of all good things. The Heathens did ſo admire it, that they built a Temple Deae Saluti, to the Goddeſſe Safety; though they underſtood only a temporal ſafety; and therefore when they were ſaved or delivered from dangers, they did offer their Sacrifices called foreign; Thus they thought all their ſafety came from Heaven, though corrupted with blind minds. In the Scripture we read of a two-fold ſalvation: A Temporal one; and the Old Teſtament ſpeaketh much of this ſalvation, becauſe temporal mercies were in a more plentifull manner vouchſafed to them; not but that the godly looked for a ſpiritual ſalvation, as Jacob witneſſeth in his benedictory prayer before his death, ſaying, Gen. 49. 18. I have waited for thy ſalvation, O Lord; only ſpiritual things were not ſo clearly and plainly manifeſted, as in the Goſpel times. Hence the Temple, 1 King. 6. 4. had windows indeed, but they were of narrow lights. This Salvation temporal is often in the Old Teſtament expreſſed in the plural number, The ſalvations of the Lord, becauſe of the multitude and Frequency of them.
2. There is a ſpiritual Salvation; and this is ſometimes applied to the Goſpel and means of grace, becauſe they are inſtituted means to bring to ſalvation, Act. 13. 26. It's called the Word of ſalvation. 2 Cor. 6. 2. Behold now is the day of ſalvation, Heb. 2. 3. How ſhall we eſcape, if we neglect ſo great ſalvation? So that the very title which is given to the preaching of the Goſpel, ſhould partly much affect and winne upon us; who would not be ſaved? Why ſhould not all Congregations endeavour after a godly Miniſtry? This is to bring in Salvation amongſt them: And partly it ſhould terrifie all prophane atheiſtical men, who delight in their luſts, and ſlight the Goſpel preached; what is this but to refuſe ſalvation? What is this but to ſay, Let me be damned, I had rather with my luſts go to hell, then without them to Heaven? Every Sermon thou deſpiſeſt, ſalvation it ſelf is rejected by thee. But then, 2. This ſpiritual Salvation is either inchoate, or Spiritual ſalvation is either inchoate or conſummate.conſummate. Inchoate or Salvation begun, is attributed to the works of grace in this life, Sanctification, eſpecially Juſtification. So Epheſ. 2. 5. and 2. 8. By grace ye are ſaved; he ſpeaks of Juſtification in this life, and as that which is already ob…ained, 2 Tim. 1. 9. Juſtification is ſalvation begun, though good works are otherwayes required to one and the other. The Conſummate or compleat Salvation, is that in Heaven, which is the Salvation ſo often promiſed in the Scripture, and that is the Summum bonum, and the ultius finis, the mark all are to aim at. The Scripture doth clearly deſcribe that, which the Philoſophers did grope in the dark about, having many ſeveral opinions about it. That as our Saviour asked his Diſciples, Whom do men ſay I am? And they anſwered, Some John Baptiſt, ſome Elias. Now though theſe were holy men, yet it was a diſhonour to Chriſt to be accounted no more than a man; Woe be to us, if Chriſt had been no more than a meer Prophet. Seeing therefore theſe did ſo miſtake, our Saviour asketh further; But whom ſay ye that I am? Then Peter anſwered, The Sonne, of the living God. It was the Father, not fleſh and blood that had revealed this. Thus if you ask, What do the men of the world ſay Happineſſe and Salvation is? One will reply, Riches; another, Honours; but what do ye ſay, who are more than fleſh and blood, who have the Spirit of God revealing things to you? Even the enjoyment of God and Chriſt to all eternity, this is Salvation, this is Bleſſedneſſe. This Salvation is that which we are to endeavour after in our whole life. Better never have been borne, and not ſaved. What will it profit thee to have had a little pleaſure, a little greatneſſe and honour in this life, and hereafter to loſe this ſalvation? There are ſome places of Scripture, wherein it's diſputed, what Salvation is ſpoken of, whether temporal or ſpiritual, or both? 1 Pet. 3. 20. Eight perſons were ſaid to be ſaved in the Ark. So 1 Pet. 4. 18. The righteous ſhall ſcarcely be ſaved. The Arminian would bring that place, 1 Tim. 4. 10. Who is the Saviour of all men, to a ſpiritual ſalvation. But that is abſurd, for he ſpeaks of being an actual Saviour, and that cannot be to wicked men, for they are not ſaved, therefore it is of a temporal preſervation; for even to wicked men he vouchſafeth daily ſalvations and deliverances. Now it is plain my Text ſpeaketh of a ſpiritual Salvation, and that which is to come, called eternal Salvation. Obſerve,
That God doth by all his dispenſations carry on and further the ſalvation of God doth by all his diſpenſations carry on and further the ſalvation of his people.his people.
If others be afflicted, if others be comforted, all helpeth forward to the ſalvation of thoſe that believe. In this ſenſe it is ſaid, 1 Cor. 3. ult. All things are yours. The Officers and Miniſters of the Church, life and death, things preſent, and things to come, How are all theſe things a godly mans? Even becauſe they further his ſalvation; by all theſe he promoteth the happineſſe of his people. Thus Paul knew, Phil. 1. 19. that all his enemies practices, yea their preaching Chriſt out of envy, thinking thereby to afflict him more, yet this would all turn to his ſalvation. What Doctrine can be fuller of comfort than this, to conſider that what ever befalleth thee, whatſoever Gods diſpenſations are towards thee, yet all doth advance thy ſalvation, thou ſhalt not be a loſer by any thing? The people of Iſrael indeed they were hindred and put backwards in their journey to Canaan, being fourty years detained therein, when their arrival at Canaan might have been farre ſooner; but our journey to Heaven is haſtened by every thing, yea our very ſtumblings do make us afterwards go the faſter.
To open this, Conſider.What this ſalvation doth imply. 1. It is Negative.
Firſt, What this Salvation doth imply; and therein is connoted the ſtate and condition from which we are ſaved, that we were in danger of being loſt in the contrary eſtate. Thus it is called a Salvation, becauſe a man by his ſins was in danger of being eternally damned, and loſt in ſoul and body for ever. Even as you ſee it was with Lot, when he was in Sodom, fire and brimſtone was ready to conſume the City; now God being mercifull to him, he ſendeth an Angel even to pull him out. Thus it is with every one that is ſaved, he was in a ſtate deſerving the brimſtone and fire of hell, within a little time it would have been poured upon him; but God in much mercy pulleth him out; his neighbours (it may be) they are loſt, ſome in the ſame family, ſome of his brethren or ſiſters, yea it may be his parents, they are loſt in this fire, and he is delivered; this is to be ſaved. It may alſo be emphatically reſembled by Noahs Ark, when the deluge overwhelmed the whole world, there were but eight perſons put into the Ark, and ſaved from the waters. Think in what fear and agonies the reſt were, how deſirous to come into the Ark; and of all mankind there were but eight preſerved. Thus thoſe who ſhall be ſaved, are but very few in compariſon of thoſe who ſhall eternally periſh. And at the day of judgment, what praying and crying will there be, Lord, Lord, open to us; but they ſhall be commanded to depart into everlaſting fire. So that while we are here in this life, we cannot tell what it is to be ſaved; we know not how to put a due eſteem and prize upon it: But at the day of judgement, when the world ſhall be on fire, when all ſhall ſtand trembling at the barre of Gods juſtice; then for you to hear God call ſuch and ſuch an one, Come into Heaven as an Ark, come and partake of eternal glory; but to thee God ſhall ſay, Go thou curſed. Oh the unſpeakable horrour and confuſion that will then fall on thee! What worlds wouldſt thou give then to be ſaved? What cries and agonies wilt thou then roar out for thy ſalvation, but it will be denied thee? Salvation will one day be in requeſt, and accounted a bleſſed and happy thing, though now it be contemned by thee, and thou thinkeſt thy luſts will be better then ſalvation to thee. In what a pathetical manner doth our Saviour repreſent this? Luk. 13. from verſ. 24. to 28. Many ſhall ſtrive to enter in: And when the Maſter hath ſhut the door, then thoſe that ſtand without ſhall knock at the door, ſaying, Lord, Lord, open to us; but he ſhall bid them, depart, then there ſhall be weeping and gnaſhing of teeth; when ye ſhall ſee Abraham and Iſaac, ſuch and ſuch godly men received, and your ſelves thruſt out. Doth not our Saviour ſpeak thus, who is truth it ſelf? Oh imagine all theſe things to be now a doing! Let faith make future things preſent. If this conſideration will not make a change in thee, what canſt thou expect, but to be in the number of thoſe, who ſhall for ever be denied this ſalvation?
Again, Salvation doth not only denote a Negative, a freedom from all this miſery, 2. Poſitive.but alſo a Poſitive, a ſtate of glory, holineſſe and happineſſe, and that to all eternity. Thus it is deſcribed in Scripture by all ſuch poſitive good things, that may make us readily part with all, leave all for this condition. As Joſeph was not only ſaved from death, and from the priſon, but advanced alſo to high honour and glory. Thus Salvation doth not only deliver from hell torments and everlaſting wrath, but alſo doth give us poſſeſſion of all holineſſe and perfect bleſſedneſſe. This is the ſalvation God hath provided for thoſe that fear him. No wonder if all afflictions be born patiently in expectation of this. No wonder if this be in the eye, and hope of all the godly. Were it not for this ſalvation, how miſerable and wretched ſhould they judge themſelves? This is the ſalvation that we are commanded to make ſure of in this life, and who would live in uncertainties about it? Is it not day and night worth the ſtriving for? This is the ſalvation that every wicked man wilfully depriveth himſelf of. It is for this that ſinne is juſtly called folly and madneſſe; and well may it be ſo ſtyled. For can there be greater ſottiſhneſſe and madneſſe to put thy ſelf from this ſalvation, to have the pleaſures and profits of this world, which abide but for a ſeaſon? No wonder if the damned in hell weep and gnaſh their teeth; if they have a worm always gnawing of them, a conſcience always torturing and tormenting of them, becauſe for a drop of honey, they are rewarded with an ocean of gall. Would the damned in hell do as they once did, if they were to live again? Have they ſuch thoughts, ſuch purpoſes, now they are roaring in thoſe flames, which they had, while in their carnal jollity? Oh that God would perſwade you about theſe things!
But I proceed. This happy and bleſſed eſtate is promoted, as the Doctrine informeth us, by all the dispenſations which the people of God meet with. That as paſſengers in a ſhip are ſtill carried on to the haven, though ſick and well, though waking and ſleeping, yet every moment they are driven forward to their home. Thus the people of God, if afflicted, this helpeth forward to Heaven; if comforted, this alſo maketh for Heaven. So that let the Devil be never ſo buſie a Lion to devour them; let the world be filled with never ſo many ſnares, yet the counſel of God cannot be fruſtrated. That gracious purpoſe of God to bring them to ſalvation will be effectual, and be accompliſhed even by thoſe things that ſeem to oppoſe it.
Now there are two ſorts of dispenſations from God, which further the ſalvation of belivers.Two ſorts of diſpenſations from God which further the ſalvation of a believer. 1. The direct means appointed by God for this end.
1. There are thoſe things that are means inſtituted and appointed by God, and ſo do directly and genuinely tend to ſave them; and theſe are the Ordinances, the Miniſtry, the preaching of the Word, and the Sacraments. Theſe do in Gods way wonderfully promote the ſalvation of thoſe that are rightly exerciſed therein. Hence you heard, that the preaching of the Goſpel is called Salvation, becauſe it doth ſo directly work thereunto; and thoſe who fear God, do find theſe Ordinances very powerfull for their ſalvation. They are like the ſaws and hammers, that did prepare and poliſh the ſtones to be fit for the building. So that to be deprived of theſe, to be denied theſe, is even to be deprived or denied ſalvation it ſelf: Only when we ſay, they are means inſtituted to procure ſalvation, You muſt not think there is any intrinſecal vertue in theſe, as the Lutherans ſpeak about the Word preached; or as the Papiſts about the Sacraments, working ſalvation, as Phyſick doth health by a natural cauſality: No the Apoſtle tels us, That in ſome it is not the Word of life, but of death, 2 Cor., 2. 16. It's to ſome people as the Ark to the Philiſtims, becauſe not uſed aright, it becomes their further damnation.
2. There are occaſional means, which do not directly, but occaſionally promote 2. The occaſional means, asthe ſalvation of believers. And they are,
1. Their very ſinnes. Theſe are Occaſiones paſſivae, paſſive occaſions, meerly 1. Their ſins.becauſe ſinne of it ſelf hath ſuch a deadly nature, that it is not ordinable to ſalvation; only the Omnipotency, the Wiſdome and Goodneſſe of God make the former ſinnes the godly have commitred to be admirable antidotes and preſervatives againſt future ſinne. Thus Pauls blaſphemy and perſecution was overpowred to promote his ſalvation by making him more active. Even as one grief doth cure another ſometimes, or the burning of fire is taken out by fire, which made one not afraid to ſay, That he got good by his ſinnes, more than by his graces. Hence Rom. 8. many learned men do not exclude ſins themſelves from that comfortable expreſſion of the Apoſtle, All things ſhall work together for their good.
The ſecond occaſional means are Afflictions, and theſe may be called Active 2. Their afflictions.occaſions, becauſe in their nature they are ordinable and actually by God are ordained to help forward our ſalvation. Now the ground of all this is from Gods Predeſtination and Election of ſuch to ſalvation; and becauſe ſo elected every thing becomes inſtrumental to that end: ſo that God governeth and ruleth in all things, thereby to bring them to eternal bleſſedneſſe; for Election will obtain, and cannot be fruſtrated.
So that the Uſe may be to inform the people of God of their infinite obligation to the goodneſſe and grace of God towards them in this particular, if grace did fall aſleep (as it were) but a moment; thy ſalvation might be for ever loſt; but this grace that keepeth thee, doth neither ſlumber nor ſleep. What joy and gladneſſe may it fill the godly heart with, when he is allowed to ſay with Paul, I know this ſhall turn to my ſalvation! If I be afflicted, if I be comforted, if I have mercies, if I be without them, if I live, if I die, I know all theſe things ſhall carry on my ſalvation.