One-Hundred Forty-Five Sermons Upon John 17, Sermon 51
SERMON LI. Of the great Danger of Gods Peoples being in the world, chiefly from its tempting and ſeducing to Sinne.
JOH. 17.11.
But theſe are in the world.
OUR Saviours Argument (you heard) in the behalf of his Diſciples was partly from the ſtate and condition of Chriſt, who was now leaveing of them, and partly from the Apoſtles who were ſtill to continue in the world as ſheep without a Shepherd, and that amongſt Wolves: Therefore the danger they were in is made an Argument why Chriſts Praier ſhould be heard for them.
This troubleſome and dangerous eſtate of the Apoſtles is deſcribed in theſe words, But theſe are in the world,
Where Note,
1. The adverſative particle.
2. The condition it ſelf.
The adverſative particle is expreſſed in foreign, for whereas the Learned obſerve, that that particle foreign is uſed three waies in Scripture.
1. Which is moſt common as conjunctive.
2. As adverſative.
3. As argumentative.
Here we ſee it uſed in all theſe reſpects in one Verſe, And I am no more, &c. But theſe are in the world, for I go to the Father, ſo foreign ſhould be tranſlated here:
As for the Condition it ſelf, To be in the world is no more then to have our abode here amongſt men, who by nature are all ſet againſt God and his waies, and ſo daily conceiving and plotting miſchief againſt the Kingdom of Chriſt; So that to ſay They were in the world was to ſay, They were in the midſt of the Sea under the power of all windes and tempeſts, without any haven, wherein every moment they might expect utter deſtruction.
Obſ. That the godly mans life in this world is full of ſpiritual danger and outward trouble; For To be in the world, theſe two things are implied,Doct. The godly mans life is full of ſpiritual danger. To be in a place of wickedneſſe, where are daily temptations to ſinne, and in a place of miſery where are conſtant troubles and preſſures, and indeed the former is the greateſt evil, though we fear the latter more, Therefore our Saviour praieth v. 15. that the Father would keep them from the evil of the world; They muſt be in the world, but let not the evil thereof infect them, it being no leſſe a miracle to be kept from the ſinnes of the world while we live in it, then for thoſe three Worthies not to be burned while in the fiery Furnace; The Apoſtle John excellently deſcribeth the foul contagion of the world, 1 Ioh. 5.19. The whole world lieth in wickedneſſe, the whole world, None are exempted till called out of it by Grace; All the humane Grecian power, though ſo famous for wit and morall vertues is included herein, and then it lieth in wickedneſſe, this denoteth the habitual cuſtome of ſinne, as alſo the impotency even to help it ſelf: It lieth in wickedneſſe, there is alſo their contentedneſſe and delight, as the Swine lieth in her mud; And then in wickedneſſe foreign a troubleſome wickedneſſe, that makes trouble and vexation to thoſe that are not in the ſame exceſſe of wickedneſſe with them.
In the explaining of this concerning the danger of ſinne to a Godly man in this world, it will appear how difficult it is to them to paſſe by theſe Syrens, how hard it is to refuſe every temptation that ſtands like Solomons Whore tempting every paſſenger to come in; How many had eſcaped thoſe flames of hell, and had been now partakers of the Robes of Glory, had not this world been a Dalilah alwaies enticing them; Not only the prophane man but the profeſſour who ſeemed to give up his Name to Chriſt, even the world hath undone him as will appear, For
I. Of the contagion of ſin in the world.Firſt Conſider the infecting and contagious ſinfulneſſe in the world: How hardly can we breathe and live, but we muſt ſuck in this peſtilentiall air; As thoſe that live in an infected Peſthouſe, or ſuch as abide in a noiſome Hoſpitall, they cannot but have the ſmell and the diſeaſe of the place, ſo to live in this world which is wholly ſet on wickeneſſe, it's a wonder of wonders if we ſmell not of it, ſavour not of it: Therefore pure Religion Jam. 1.27. is ſaid to keep a man unſpotted from the world, Ʋnſpotted, that implieth what a noiſome dunghill or fllthy infecting place the world is; Oh then with what care and fear ſhould the people of God walk in this world; Every hour, every day, thou art in danger of getting ſome ſpots and defilements upon thee; Thou art not in Heaven or Paradiſe, but in a place where the devil hath his Throne▪ He ruleth in this world, and therefore pray and watch, depend upon Chriſt, little doſt thou think what mire thou maiſt fall in, if the arm of grace ſupport thee not; Did not our Saviour ſay to his very Diſciples that they ſhould take heed of ſurfetting and drunkenneſſe, that their hearts ſhould not be overcharged with the cares of this world, Luk. 21.34. Who would not have thought the Diſciples farre enough from this ſinne, yet they muſt take heed; If the green Tree may ſo eaſily take fire, what will not the dry do?
II. Of the temptations in the world by lawful comforts.Secondly, As there is the world infecting, ſo there is the world tempting and ſeducing even by lawful comforts; It infects by ſinne, it ſeduceth by lawfull good things, and herein is great danger to godly men, their Houſes, Wives, Children, their health, wealth, and whatſoever is a worldly good, Theſe are apt to inſnare and ſeduce our hearts, So that the love, care, and joy about theſe things ſhuts out that love to God, 1 Cor. 7. The Apoſtle tels us, that thoſe who marry muſt be as if they married not, thoſe that buy as if they bought not, and thoſe that uſe the world as not abuſing it; So that there is uſing of this world and abuſing it; uſing it, when we make all theſe comfortable things we enjoy inſtrumental to Gods glory and our good, but abuſing it when we do uſe them too much, So abuti the Latine word is uſed ſometimes, when the Waters overflow the Banks; But who can ſtand under this Truth? Who can endure this glorious Light? Is not the world a tempting world though not an afflicting? Thou doſt not communicate with the wickedneſſe and groſſe impieties the world lieth in, but thy heart is over-charged and ſurfetted with affections to lawful things, Thou over-loveſt, over-grieveſt, Thy trade is a ſnare to thee, Thy Wife, thy Children are ſnares to thee, they draw thee into this and that immoderate affection; One of the Ancients ſaw in a Viſion, that the world was full of Snares, Thus indeed it is, Thou canſt not be at home or abroad, Thou canſt not be in this or that condition but there is a Snare; Even as the Bird cannot light upon the ground but the Fowler hath ſet a ſnare for her every where; Oh then how well is it that not only we pray but Chriſt hath praied to keep us from the evil of all theſe things; To have riches and ſinne not, To have health and ſinne not, To have mercies and offend not; Know then that Egypt was not fuller of Frogs and Lice in every chamber, in every hole, then rhe world is of Temptation to ſinne: There is no mercy, no relation, no condition, but it will draw out a world of ſinne, if thou watch not, every Creature is a kinde of a devil, Chriſt warrants that expreſſion when he ſaid to Peter, Get thee behinde me Satan, Mat. 16.23. When he tempted him from his duty; Thou haſt cauſe ſometimes to ſay to the beſt comfort thou haſt in the world, Get thee behinde me Satan, Thou ſavoureſt not the things of God.
Thirdly,III. He is in danger from the deceitfulneſſe of all things in the world. A godly mans danger ariſeth from the deceitfulneſſe of the world with the things thereof: Thus Mat 13. it's called the deceivableneſſe of Riches: And 1 Cor. 7. the world is ſaid to have a faſhion, That as in the ſtage there are pleaſing geſtures and repreſentations, but they paſſe away immediately, and you think you ſee Kings and Queens, but there is no ſuch matter; Thus it is with the world it promiſeth thee peace, joy, comfort; Oh if thou haſt it thou art ready to think thy ſelf made, but it proveth a Sodoms apple, Ezechiels Roll, ſweet in the mouth but bitter in the belly; Now becauſe it hath ſuch a preſent ſweetneſſe to allure, whereas grace is for the preſent rather bitter, therefore are the godly in ſo great danger; There are ſweet baits every where but dangerous hooks; Judas thought his thirty peeces a ſweet morſell, but it proved wormwood and gall when it was devoured; Achan thought the wedge of Gold a ſweet bit, and Gehezi Naamans Talents, but alas it was gall though it had the colour of honey, ſo that it's very much, if the godly man eſcape undoing himſelf, Seeing there is ſo much deceivableneſſe every where; that which is real miſery ſeems a deſirable good; That which is full of bitterneſſe yet appeareth, as if altogether good, So true is that, Per fallacia mala itur and vera bona per fallacia bona itur and vera mala, By ſeeming evils we come to reall good, and by ſeeing God to real evil.
Fourthly, The Godly man is in danger becauſe of the ſutableneſſe of the worlds temptation with that corruption within;IV. From the ſutableneſſe of the worlds temptation to that corruption within. So that he hath a dangerous Enemy about the Wals, and a treacherous party within; The world and his heart are in a Confederacy againſt the good of his ſoul, ſo that thou canſt not eat or drink, or ſleep in ſafety becauſe of the adverſary without, and the Traitor within; If thou hadſt Argus his eyes they would be too little to look about thee in this matter, for an Angel who is free from any inward filth to be ſent into this world, and to be here doing the will of God, it's no danger, there is no fear that an Angel ſhould ſinne, becauſe though the world ſhould tempt in all the allurements of it, yet there is nothing within to receive thoſe ſparks, but now man carrieth about with him prepared matter of ſinne, he hath a body and law of ſinne within him, and therefore the world doth no ſooner knock at the door but this root of ſinne betraieth all, ſets open all, inſomuch that the godly man is hardly ſaved, becauſe there are ſo many Spies laid in wait to damn thy ſoul, as there were to kill; Now the Apoſtle John, 1 Joh. 2.16. when he had exhorted not to love the world or things in the world; He doth divide all the things of the world into three heads, and who is there that liveth in the world that is not in danger of being inſnared and overtaken by one of theſe.
1. There is the luſt of the fleſh, that is, all thoſe things that draw out the pleaſure and delights of a man immoderately; Thus the young man he findes the Word a very whirlpool; Beware of too much pleaſure as eating of too much honey, it will quickly turn to a Surfer.
2. There is the luſt of the eyes, Expoſitors ſay this is Covetouſneſſe, for ſo aceording to the Scripture an earthly heart is deſcribed, becauſe whatſoever profitable thing it ſeeth, it's ready to deſire it; Another mans land, another mans houſe another mans goods, ſo that the eye like hell is never ſatisfied, and thus the world is a dangerous Whirlpool to the old man, who as in his body he is every day growing nearer to the earth, ſo his ſoul alſo groweth more earthly, deſiring it moſt of all when he ſhall have the leaſt need of it
3. There is the pride of life, and that is all thoſe things that draw out ambition, pride, and deſire of great things in this world; To have power, greatneſſe, and preheminency above others, this is the middle age ſinne, ſo that the Apoſtle doth lay down three main capitall Springs of all the evil in the world, and makes them like three predicaments, to which all other things may be reduced: Now do but conſider what a Sympathy and fitneſſe there is between theſe Objects and mans corrupt heart, and it muſt needs be that every man will inevitably ſink in theſe Waters unleſſe Grace doe keep him up.
V. Becauſe of the clogging diſpoſition all things in the world work in erſpect of heavenly things.Fifthly, A godly mans danger in this world to ſinne, is becauſe of the clogging and dulling dispoſition all things in the world work in reſpect of heavenly things: The earth is the moſt heavy Element, and therefore a ſtone the product thereof fals down ſpeediy; Thus men of the world they are the moſt ſenceleſſe, heavy and ſtupid men about heavenly things that are; They incline with all might to theſe things below: This is the reaſon why the Scripture ſo often ſaith, a man cannot ſerve God and the world, Friendſhip of the one is Enmity to the other; As a ſtone cannot aſcend upwards, Jam. 44. So that though a godly man be never ſo powerful in grace, yet the world doth cool him, dull him, and indiſpoſe him: It cauſeth duſt in his eyes, and lead in his heart, To pray, to hear with worldly thoughts is to ſwim with a Millſtone about a mans neck; Hence Mat. 13. the cares of this world are ſaid to choak the Corn that came up ſo hopefully: As the Lark doth not ſing ſweetly till ſhe is got aloof from the earth towards the heavens, ſo neither can the ſoul full of earthly and worldly thoughts, May not then the godly cry out, O Lord I would fain meditate with delight on thee but this world will not let me: I would gladly ſerve thee without dulneſſe and diſtraction, but this world will not let me; Oh that while we are in our callings, in our worldly buſineſſes, we would think of what danger we were in: Korah and Dathan were ſwallowed up in the Earth bodily, take heed thy ſoul be not ſpiritually that is a more grievous judgement.
VI. In reſpect of the diſcouragements the world puts upon godly men.Sixthly, A godly mans danger i… in reſpect of the diſcouragements and diſheartenings the world puts upon godlineſſe, that is, man muſt be endowed with great might from above, that can deſpiſe all the reproaches and ſhame the Word of God meets with; Therefore a great encouragement is put upon the Confeſſion of Chriſt before a crooked and wicked generation. Mat. 10.35. To be godly in the world, To own the ſtrict and powerful waies of God in the world is to laugh amongſt Lyons, to dance among Serpents, to contemn all dangers; The Scripture tels us often that the world cannot but hate the Diſciples of Chriſt, for they are as Light and Darkneſſe together; Now then where there is continuall oppoſition for thee to be ſtedfaſt is a great matter: Oh how many have ſuffered ſhipwrack becauſe of the ſhame and reproach of the world; In mundo nihil noſtrâ refert niſi ut quam primum de oe exeamus: Now theſe diſcouragers in Heavens way are not only the profane and wicked ſort of men, but many times their deareſt Friends, their Parents, their Husbands, their Wives: What will you be wiſer then others? Will not you doe as moſt doe? Will you be a by-word where you live? Thus there is no time when Chriſt is to be born as it were, but there is ſome Herod or other to kill him: Inſomuch that many Children had been ſaved but that their worldly Parents h…ndred them; Many Wives, but their worldly Husbands like Pharaoh to the Iſraelites, would not let them go out of Egypt to ſerve God; This made our Saviour ſay, He that loveth Father or Mother more then me is not worthy of me, Matt. 10.37. This made him ſay, That he came to ſet Father againſt Sonne, and Mother againſt Daughter, and to make thoſe of his own Houſhold a mans Enemies, verſ. 36. Becauſe where Chriſt is obeyed there will be greater oppoſition to the contrary: Oh then Conſider, the Word of God convinceth, the Miniſtry urgeth, Conſcience preſſeth, but I have this or that worldly Friend, and he daſheth all, But if thy worldly Friends cannot hinder thee in the main for Godlineſſe, yet they hinder thee in the degree and fervency of it; Thou art not ſo forward, ſo active as thou ſhouldſt be; This is to endanger thy Salvation, for the lukewarm God will ſpue out of his mouth, Revel. 3.16. Oh take heed of ſaying, I dare not be more forward, I ſhall diſpleaſe my Parents in doing thus, thou cauſt not pleaſe God at all; If thou wilt be Godly, be Godly as God, and his Word would have thee, Doe not be ſtinted by carnall, worldly Friends: How many think they can never have Wealth and Riches enough, yet think they may quickly have too much of Godlineſſe, and that this ſtrictneſſe will marre all, Sed modus diligendi Deum eſt ſine modo.
Seventhly, A Godly mans Danger in this world is becauſe the worldly Snares that are be improved to the utmoſt by the Devil, 7. Becauſe the worldly ſnares are improved to the utmoſt by the devil.whoſe the world is, and in which he reigneth, 2 Corinth. 4.4. He is called the God of this world that blindeth the eyes of men: And he is ſaid to have men captive in his Snares, 2 Timoth. 2.22. So that though God made the world, and it's his good Creature, yet as it is a wicked world, as it is immundus mundus; So i…'s the Devils Seat, and ſo ſome expound the foreign, the whole world lieth in wickedneſſe, and in danger to be the Devils; If there were meer ſnares and baits to ſinne, it would not be ſo dangerous, but when they are Snares of the Devils ſetting, Baits of his making that is ſo cunning and ſubtle a Serpent, ſliding into a mans heart every way; This makes the caſe more deſperate: You ſee the Devil could tempt Eve to ſinne when there was no Corruption or Luſt within, though ſhe was pure and upright, how much rather when he hath to do with men corrupted and depraved inwardly; This is ſo great a matter that Epheſ. 6.5. it is ſaid, We wreſtle not with Fleſh and Bloud but with Principalities and Powers in High places; As if the Temptations of the world were nothing to thoſe of Satan; And therefore he is called the Tempter, 1 Theſſal. 3.5. Oh then the danger of a Godly man▪ the world tempts, his own fleſh tempts, the Devils tempt; May not this make every one in this world to look upon himſelf as Jonah in the Whales Belly, To cry out as zealouſly and as fervently to be delivered as he did.
Laſtly,8. A godly mans danger appears by the Examples of Scripture. The Danger of a Godly mans being in this world appeareth by Examples recorded in Scripture; Thoſe who have ſeemed to be putting one Leg into Heaven, have yet been pulled back by the world; When men had eſcaped the groſſe pollutions of the world, yet the cares and love of the world did wholly undoe them: The third kinde of Hearers that began ſo hopefully did miſcarry becauſe of the world; Judas that wrought Miracles, and could ſay with the reſt, That he had left all to follow Chriſt, was undone by the world; If you ask Paul what made his dear Demas that had been ſo long his Companion in the Goſpel to forſake him, and to leave him, the reaſon was becauſe he did cleave to this preſent world, 2 Tim. 4.10.
Ʋſe of Inſtruction, why there are ſo many duties to pray, to watch, to be working out our Salvation with Fear and Trembling; Why is all this? We are ſtill in an evil World, Every Day, Every moment we may undoe our ſelves; We are not out of Egypt yet in Canaan, We cannot ſee all our Enemies drowned in the Red Sea: Alas! It is not thy Praier, thy Faſting, had not Chriſt praied could keep thee from the evil of the World; Thou couldeſt no more live the Life of Grace in this wicked world then they ſay Birds can live near the Lake Aſphaltites, that by its Sulphureous Smell kils them while they fly over it: Doe not think to ſay all the Jebuſites and Wilde Beaſts are deſtroied, I may now bid my Soul take its eaſe: Oh let the fearfull Fals of ſo many Godly in the Scripture be Pillars of Salt to thee who knoweth ere thou goeſt out of this World what a Judas thou mayeſt prove, what an Hell thou mayeſt make thy ſelf, For though the Godly are kept by Gods power that they ſhall perſevere, yet they may get many Fals, tumble in the mire, ſeem the Devils Swine rather then Chriſts Sheep for a while, and all is becauſe they doe not labour to keep their Garments leſt their nakedneſſe appear, They meet with ſearching Tempeſts therefore let them keep their garments cloſe to them.