An Expository Comment on 2 Corinthians 1, Exposition · Sermon 74
SERM. LXXIV.
We are not to conſider Gods Mercies in general onelyonly, but their ſeveral Aggravations alſo.
2 COR. 1. 10.
Who delivered us from ſo great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we truſt that he will yet deliver us.
THe Apoſtle having formerly diſcovered his humane feares and diffidence under that great trouble which came upon him in Aſia, doth now recollect himſelf, and revive out of his ſwoonings. The Sunne that was in an Eclipſe, doth now begin to ſhine forth in glorious luſtre. He had informed us, that the end of that heavy tribulattion was, That he ſhould not truſt in himſelf, but in God. And now in this verſe, we ſee this bleſſed effect took place in him. For by the experience of Gods mercy to him at this time, he is encouraged to truſt in God for the future; he hath, doth, and will deliver. One favour from God is a pledge of more to come.
In this verſe then we ſee Paul got above, and conquering that weakneſſe and imbecillity which he found in himſelf, and acknowledging the goodneſſe of God, and his power to him, Paul found God able to raiſe the dead, by what he had done to him in his particular.
In the Text then we may take notice of,
1. Paul's ſolemn acknowledgement of the goodneſs and power of God to him in delivering of him. And
2. His Encouragement from thence to truſt in God for the future.
In the former part we have his celebration of Gods goodneſſe to him; and this he aggravateth from the hopeleſneſſe and deſperateneſſe of his eſtate, which he calleth a Death, not a ſickneſſe, but a death. Yea Chryſostome obſerveth, That he doth not ſay, Who hath delivered us from ſuch dangers, but ſuch death, to ſhew the extremity. Chryſoſtome reads it in the plural number foreign, deaths; but the general Copy is otherwiſe. Now Paul doth not onelyonly call it death, but foreign, ſuch death. The word is uſed in the New Teſtament about three times, beſides in this place; and it is alwayes applied to the great aggravation of a thing, ſo as we are to admire it, as if the like had never been heard of. Thus Revel. 16. 18. foreign, is ſuch an Earthquake as never had been before. James Chap. 3. 4. foreign, are ſhips very great. And Hebr. 2. 3. How ſhall we eſcape, if we neglect, foreign, ſo great ſalvation? then which there cannot be a greater. The Apoſtle therefore in uſing this word, doth intend to aggravate the goodneſſe of God towards him, to leave out no circumſtance that may not heighten the mercy. It is not enough with him to take notice of the mercy, but the aggravation of his mercy; and this maketh his heart ſeven times hotter (as it were) in praiſing of God, than otherwiſe it would be. From whence obſerve,
That the children of God do not onelyonly acknowledge the mercy of God to them, The children of God do not only take notice of Gods mercies, but their aggravations likewiſe.but they alſo conſider of every circumſtance that may make the mercy appear greater.
They will take up every crumme, and the fragments (as it were) that Gods miraculous power may be more demonſtrated. They doe not content themſelves with a beholding of the mercy in the bulke, but they weigh every particular ingredient, and ſo of one mercy make many mercies. That as the godly in their humiliation for ſinne, thinke it not enough to humble themſelves in the general, but they endeavour to bring to minde every circumſtance that may aggravate it, and ſo make themſelves more abominable and loathſome in their own eyes: Thus they do alſo in matter of thankſgiving; They doe not take the mercy in the groſſe, but they looke through it, and about it to eſpie out every particular that may be like a coale of fire in their boſomes. Thus we have the thankfull Pſalmiſt, Pſal. 136. ſevering every particular mercy of God to Iſrael by it ſelf, and then addeth, For his mercy endureth for ever: Sihon King of the Amorites; for his mercy endureth for ever. Og King of Baſan; for his mercy endureth for ever. He reckoneth them up one, and by one, though he might have ſatisfied himſelf with that expreſſion, verſ. 24. Who hath redeemed us from all our enemies: But a gracious heart dare not rob God of his glory in any one benefit that he hath from him. For if he muſt ſay with Jacob, He is leſſe than the leaſt of his mercies; It is not for him to paſſe it by; for every little mercy is farre above his deſerts; to him belongeth all the curſes of the Law; whatſoever is not hell and damnation, cometh from the meer bounty of God.
But let us illuſtrate this truth in the particulars, ſhewing wherein the people of God uſe to make their aggravation. And
Firſt, The children of God uſe to enlarge their thoughts in praiſes of God, 1. From their own low condition.from the low, weak and impotent condition they of themſelves were in. Now the more the diſeaſe is found out to be deſperate and incurable, the greater is the art and skill of the Phyſician. Thus Pſal. 136. 23. Who remembred us in our low eſtate. The blackeſt Eclipſe makes the Sunnes light, when recovering, more glorious. The lower and weaker in thy ſelf, the more is God thereby acknowledged. So Pſal. 34. 6. This poor man cryed, and the Lord heard him. This aggravateth the mercy of God, that though a very Lazar, yet God would not deſpiſe him. So Pſal. 142. 3. When my Spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou kneweſt my path. Nothing is more ordinary then ſuch paſſages in the Pſalmes to aggravate the goodneſſe of God towards the godly from the lowneſſe, and the impotency they were in: Oh if God had not come in at that time, I had utterly periſhed! How many low conditions have many of Gods people been in, ſometimes in reſpect of their outward, ſometimes in reſpect of their inward? yet God hath delivered them from thoſe whales bellies. Your affections to praiſe God, will be very cold and dull, till you poſſeſſe your ſoules with this thought. Oh how low was it with me! Little did others know how it fared with me, One ſtep further would have caſt me into utter horrour, and then when I could bear no longer, God ſupported me. Many Pſalmes may the chilren of God make (as it were) I was in ſuch a ſad temptation, but God reſcued me, For his mercy endureth for ever; I was in ſuch an outward ſtreight, and the Lord made a way to eſcape, For his mercy endureth for ever. Thus the thoughts of thy low condition will greatly advance the help of God vouchſafed to thee.
Secondly, The people of God doe aggravate the mercy of God, not onelyonly 2. From their own ſinfulneſsfrom the greatneſſe of the danger they were in, but alſo their ſinfulneſſe, their unworthineſſe, that ever God ſhould caſt an eye of pity on them; and this they doe whether in temporal or ſpiritual mercies. And truly this is an excellent way to enlarge the heart in bleſſing of God; when we ſhall conſider, how unworthy we are, we that deſerved curſing, to meet with bleſſing. See this humble frame in David, 1 Chron. 17. 16. when Nathan came to declare the good purpoſe of God towards him, in raiſing up him and his poſterity to glory; ſee how humbly, and in a ſelf-emptied manner he addreſſed himſelf to God, Who am I, and what is my houſe, that thou haſt brought me hitherto? As if he ſhould ſay, Oh Lord, what am I, and my family, the meaneſt, and moſt unworthy, and wilt thou doe this to me? Yea, as if this were a ſmall thing, thou haſt ſpoken of thy ſervants houſe, for a great while to come, and haſt regarded me after the eſtate of a man of high degree: What can David ſpeake more? Yea as it is 1 Sam. 7. he ſaith, Is this the manner of men, O Lord God? implying, that onelyonly God vouchſafeth mercy to ſuch as are unworthy. As then he, who would build high muſt lay a deep foundation: So he that would exalt God on high, muſt lay himſelfe low. And if it be thus for temporal mercies, we are not worthy of a crumme of bread; and though with Dives, we ſhould begg for a drop of water, it might be denied us: Then how much more in ſpiritual mercies, if God beſtow them upon us, Shall not our affections be greatly kindled in bleſſing of God? Take that fountain of all mercies, the giving of the Lord Chriſt to believers, to worke out their ſalvation, by being made a curſe for them. How diligent is the Scripture to put an account (as it were) upon every paſſage therein? That it ſhould be as impoſſible for a believer to thinke of this love of the Father to us, and not be raviſhed with it, as for a man to carry hot coales in his boſome, and they not burn him. For the Scripture aggravateth it from the perſon who died for us, even the onelyonly begotten Sonne of God, John 3. 16. For God ſo loved the world, that he gave his onelyonly begotten Sonne. He ſo loved it; if God would have denied any thing to mankinde, it would have been this, who would not think that he ſhould rather ſuffer all men to be damned, then to give up his Sonne to death? And yet what aſtoniſhing love is here? Dared a poor ſinner of himſelf ever thought to have begged ſuch a thing at Gods hand? Rom. 8. 32. He ſpared not his owne Sonne. Certainly thy heart may be amazed, more than the Queene of Shebaes, in ſeeing of Solomon's glory, in meditating on this, God to give his own Sonne, his onelyonly begotten Sonne, his Sonne out of his boſome; all which are aggravating circumſtances. If all the parts of the body, if all the haires of thy head, were turned into tongues, could they ſpeak enough of this goodneſſe of God? As God ſaid to Abraham, Now I know thou loveſt me, becauſe thou haſt not withholden thy onelyonly ſonne from me. How much more may we conclude from Gods giving his Sonne to us? As the Scripture aggravateth it thus from the quality of the perſon, ſo alſo from the quality of thoſe, for whom Chriſt was thus given, and that is for enemies and adverſaries. And here is an aggravating circumſtance to enflame thy heart, Rom. 5. 6. When we were without ſtrength, when we were enemies. To die for righteous men, to die for godly men, would not have been ſuch an aggravation; but for ſinners and enemies, this is wonderfull. Here then is another coale from the Altar, to warme thy heart with, when thou wouldeſt bleſſe God for Chriſt againe. The Scripture to aggravate this mercy, doth conſider to what end he is given for us, that is, To die for us, to die an ignominious death, to be made accurſed for us, to bear the puniſhment of our ſinnes upon himſelfe. This alſo doth deeply ſinke into the heart. This is like oyle to the Chariot wheeles of the ſoul. This is like the Spirit in Ezekiel's wheele: Thy heart cannot be quiet, but it will exceedingly dilate it ſelf in bleſſing of God for him. That whereas he who would be our Saviour, muſt purchaſe our ſalvation at ſo deare a rate; yet he doth willingly make his ſoul an offering for our ſinnes. Laſtly, The Scripture aggravateth this comparatively, That Chriſt did not take upon him the nature of Angels, Heb. 2. 16. He did not ſo love them; he died not for thoſe Apoſtate Angels, who yet were more glorious creatures than man; and if redeemed, would have brought God more glory; but it was for ſinfull, wretched, and weak man. But this mercy of God in Chriſt, can never be comprehended in the depth, breadth and length thereof; it being like Ezekiel's waters, that will aſcend higher and higher, even till it covers our head. We may inſtance in a ſecond ſpiritual mercy, viz. of Converſion, or Effectual Calling us out of the damned world. Oh the ſoul can never be affected with this! How much doth it delight to ſpeak of his owne vileneſſe and unworthineſſe once, that ſo the riches of Gods grace in calling of us, may be the more exalted? We ſee it in Paul, 1 Tim. 1. 13, 15. how willing he is to ſpeak what a blasphemous perſecutour he had once been, even the greateſt and chiefeſt of ſinners; and therefore in him the grace of God was manifeſted, even for the ages to come. To this purpoſe alſo 1 Corinth. 15. 8, 9, 10. he ſpeaketh, debaſing himſelf, That he was not meet to be called an Apoſtle, becauſe he perſecuted the Church of God. This diſcriminating and differing grace of God, whereby God chooſeth thee a poor contemptible worme, and paſſeth by others; many in the ſame Towne, in the ſame family, of the ſame profeſſion, yet converting grace layeth hold on thee, and not on another. As our Saviour ſaid, There were many widowes at that time, beſides ſhe of Sarepta, yet the Prophet was ſent to her alone. This comparative worke of grace, paſſing by others, and taking thee, when if God would have regarded Externals, or Internals, there were richer, there were more learned, there were leſſe vicious, muſt for ever enlarge the ſoule, yea ſo aſtoniſh her, that ſhe will cry out, What ſhall I ſay to theſe things?
A third Aggravation of Gods mercy, that the people of God take notice 3. From the times and ſeaſons of Gods mercies.of, is, From the time, and ſeaſon that God doth it. In the fullneſſe of time God ſent his Sonne. And the Wiſeman ſaith, God doth every thing beautifull in its ſeaſon. To have mercy out of its due time, is to give bread inſtead of ſtones. It is like good Phyſick, but not adminiſtred in its proper ſeaſon. Now the obſerving Chriſtian, who loveth to ſeek out the workes of God towards him, and ſtudieth all Gods diſpenſations towards him, doth in this reſpect finde out infinite matter of praiſing of God; that the Lord ſhould put off to helpe ſo long, that he ſhould let Lazarus die, and be buried; all this is to make the ſoule affected with the ſeaſonable timing of a mercy. To have a mercy in its ſeaſon, maketh it a double mercy. OnelyOnly you muſt remember that Gods ſeaſons and fit opportunities are not alwayes well diſcerned by us. We are ready to thinke it had beene better, if Gods help had come ſooner, if he had not deferred ſo long; but this is, as if the patient ſhould take upon him to direct the Phyſician, when is the fitteſt time for the adminiſtration of his medicinal helpe.
Fourthly, The people of God aggravate their mercies, By comparing them with others miſeries. I have health, how many are in paines and 4. Fromothers miſeries.exquiſite torments? I have ſufficiency and fullneſſe, how many Lazar's are there that would be glad of the crummes that fall from my Table? As thoſe Lepers that were ready to be famiſhed, but unexpectedly met with full proviſion in the Syrian's Camps, ſaid, We doe not well, (2 King. 7. 9.) let us informe the Kings houſhold. For alas they were ready to eat their own children through the famine, while theſe had all plenty. In the ſame manner mayeſt thou reflect with thy ſelf, How many are there even of the deare ſervants of God, that are naked, hungry, perſecuted, and deſtitute of all hope? There is ſcarce any ſo afflicted, or in a low condition, but he may look upon others, who are more miſerable than he. This therefore will greatly ſharpen thy affections to bleſſe God. When thou ſhalt compare thy mercies with others miſeries, eſpecially if you doe conſider it in ſpirituals. How many thouſands ſit in Paganiſme, and know nothing of Chriſt? How many lye roaring in hell for the ſame ſinnes, or leſſe ſinnes (it may be) that thou haſt committed? Thus if thou ſet thy ſelf to aggravate the mercy of God from every conſideration, thou wilt finde the circumſtances will increaſe upon thee, as the widows oyl did; and thou wilt ſee thou haſt more cauſe to bleſſe Ood, then ever thou didſt apprehend at firſt. If I ſay, thou didſt this, thou wouldſt no more complaine of the coldneſſe and chilneſſe that is upon thy heart. Nothing doth ſo much dull the heart, as reſting in generals, bleſſing God in generals, Take every mercy as thou wouldſt ſome Watch or curious worke of Art, and view every piece, every part: or as thoſe that hehold ſome admirable Image, they are intentive to every part thereof, to obſerve the beauty, life and proportion thereof. Oh it is this, and this onelyonly will draw out thy ſoul, and make thee have rivers of water flowing from thee! It is this that will make thee ſay with Elihu, Job 32. 18. I am full of matter, the Spirit within me conſtraineth me, my belly is as wine which hath no vent, it is ready to burſt like new bottles. Thus five words of praiſe coming from an heart aggravating Gods mercy, are more effectual then five hundred in a formal general way.