One-Hundred Forty-Five Sermons Upon John 17, Sermon 52
SERMON LII. Of the Danger Gods People are in in the world, in reſpect of its hating and oppoſing of them; With Reaſons why the Lord makes the world ſuch a diſquieting place, Such a Valley of Tears unto his own People.
JOH. 17.11.
But theſe are in the world.
THe Condition of the Diſciples deſcribed by this, that they are ſaid to be in the world, makes them the fit Object of Chriſts Praier and Petition, ſuch are the Snares to ſinne and the outward troubles oppoſing, that were it not for this Praier of Chriſt ſtill putting forth its efficacy; None could arrive ſafe to the Haven.
We have handled the danger of being in this world, as it is tempting and ſeducing to ſinne.
Now let us conſider it as it is an hating and oppoſing world of thoſe that fear God, as it is an Egypt; Before we handled it as it was a Sodom; We conſidered the honey of it, now the ſting; The world fawning, now the world fighting; As it was a gliſtering Serpent, now as a roaring Lyon; So that the Subject we intend to purſue is, That the Godly are in this world as Daniel thrown amongſt Lyons, as Sheep among Wolves; As the Diſciples in the Ship, that were toſſed up and down ready to ſink every moment; This is ſo ſore a Temptation that our Saviour doth often forewarn them of it, that they may be forearmed, Joh. 15.18, 19. There he foretels their Portion to be hated of the world: Hatred is the higheſt degree of a mans enmity, it's circa speciem, not individua; It's not enough to deſtroy one Diſciple, one Godly man,The worlds great enmity againſt thoſe that are godly. but they would raſe the whole kinde out of the Earth; Expect no mercy from any wicked man, he hateth thee; and did not God reſtrain him, he would utterly undoe thee; That every godly man is not devoured by the wicked is as great a Miracle as that the waters ſhould ſtand ſtill and not overflow the Iſraelites; It's not for want of malice and a will, only God who chained up the devil their Maſter, that he could not hurt Job any further then he was permitted, doth alſo confine his Children and Inſtruments; Our Saviour gives the reaſon why they will hate them, for it might ſeem ſtrange why the Godly ſhould be ſo oppoſed, they wrong none, they defraud none, they injure none; Oh but ſaith our Saviour, You are none of the worlds, you are not of them; Would you drink, ſwear, run into the ſame exceſſe as they do, then it would love you and embrace you, Likewiſe Joh. 16.33. Our Saviour tels them again of this trouble from the world: And why again? Becauſe it's a very heavy burthen to bear; To live among Neighbours as among ſo many Serpents and Scorpions, among unreaſonable men, as Paul cals them, and he praieth to God to be delivered from them, 2 Theſ. 3.2. Unreaſonable men, that are carried by no Religion, no Conſcience, no reaſon, but their luſts and paſſions, Men that will hate you, becauſe they will hate you, abſurd men as it is in the Greek: You ſee Paul was afraid to fall into the hands of ſuch men, and David in many Pſalmes complaineth of this more then any thing; That there were men who had teeth like Lyons, and a tongue like a ſharp Razor, So true is that, Homo homini Lupus, & homo homini Daemon; Becauſe therefore this is ſuch a ſtrong Tempeſt ready to ſhake the talleſt Cedar, Our Saviour again and again bids them expect it, for it's a great-quieting of the heart to be able to ſay, This is no more then I looked for, I thank God I am one that the world hateth, I ſhould ſuſpect my ſelf if wicked men loved me, our Saviour therefore tels them, they ſhall have trouble foreign, that is, ſuch trouble as ſqueezeth and oppreſſeth, tribulation, a word that comes from a Thorn or Thiſtle that pricketh, or elſe from the Flail that beateth out the Corn; This you muſt look for, but then mark the cordial, Be of good comfort I have overcome the world, You are ſure of Victory before you begin to fight·
The ſeveral waies whereby a godly man fals into trouble in this world.To Conſider this more exactly Let us take notice of the ſeveral waies whereby a Godly man fals into trouble in this world, and it ariſeth from many Springs.
1. Seeing that the moſt holy and godly that are have many imperfections and divers ſins, therefore God he brings many troubles on them; God in the firſt place he troubleth them,1. Becauſe of their many ſinnes God brings many troubles on them. though his troublings be like the troubling of the Pool, it's in mercy, and that healing might be vouchſafed; Thus God troubled David, and made him encounter with grievous calamities becauſe of ſin; Thus whom God loveth he chaſteneth, Heb. 12.6. This is Gods judging of us that we might not be condemned with the world; And certainly it is this that ſo deeply wounds the Godly, that wicked mens tongues are but Gods Inſtruments of his diſpleaſure, as David when Shimei railed on him, The Lord hath bid him, ſaith he, 2 Sam. 13.
But beſides thoſe troubles which come mediately from God by Inſtruments there are immediate exerciſes which are more difficultly born then any outward troubles; Thus God troubled Job, when he complained, The arrows of the Almighty ſtuck faſt in him, Job 6.4. Thus David often complaineth, God doth hide his face from him, and he was troubled; Theſe are temptations the carnal man is ignorant of, he was never in theſe deeps where there is no trouble like this; If it were Plague, Famine Diſeaſes, the Soul could bear them, but a wounded Spirit who can bear, Prov. 28.14. So that herein the world is a place of trouble and miſery, that God many times exerciſeth his own people for their ſinnes, leaveth them in darkneſſe, yea, in an hell, that they are weary abroad and weary at home; Whereas when once arrived in heaven, there ſhall be no more night but bright day alwaies.
2. From Satan.2. The trouble of Gods people in this world ariſeth from Satan; He is their profeſſed Enemy, and ſo creates them all the miſery he can, that becauſe he cannot torment them in hell he will do what he can in this world; Thus Peter compareth him to a Roaring Lion, 2 Pet. 5.8. How can a man but be troubled to be in the danger of many Legions of theſe unclean Spirits, Eph. 6. We are ſaid to wreſtle with theſe Principalities and Powers in darkneſſe; This our Saviour meant in part when he told Peter, Luk. 22.13. That Satan had deſired to ſift them as Wheat; In ſifting there is a commotion and a great agitation; Thus the devil intended not the ſeparating of the Chaff from the Wheat, but to trouble and to confound them, that ſo they might the eaſier ſinne; Was not Paul exceedingly troubled when 2 Cor. 12. he complaineth of the bufferinge of Satan, againſt which he praied often, ſo that there is ſcarce any godly man but the devil doth immediatly cauſe trouble in his Soul by ſad temptations, heavy ſuggeſtions, he comes and takes the good Seed away as ſoon as it is ſown, his Temptations are like ſo many Egyptian Frogs, alwaies croaking and troubling the Believer that he cannot pray, cannot beleeve in a promiſe, cannot walk in faith and peace as he ought to do, The devil makes it a troubleſome world.
3. The godly mans trouble ariſeth from the wicked and prophane in the world, 3. Their trouble ariſeth from the wicked and prophane in the world.And this is the proper meaning of the Text, This is the world that hateth them, viz. the ungodly and wicked men, which are the greateſt part in the world; This therefore the godly muſt make account of, Think it no ſtrange thing to have wicked men malice thee, deride and trouble thee; David though a King yet Drunkards would make Songs of him, Pſa. 69.11. Chriſt though never any walked ſo holily and unblameably as he did, yet they ſlandered him and ſaid, He had …n Devil; Mat. 12. The whole Nation cried, Crucifie him, Crucifie him, and they would have Barrabas a Murderer ſpared before him; Now our Saviour tels us, that the Servant muſt not expect to be above his Maſter, Joh. 13 16 If they abuſed, derided, and reproached Chriſt, thinking he was not worthy to live; Doſt thou think to eſcape? Did ever any Wolf or Lyon love the Sheep? Can the Serpent but have enmity to a man? Will not Cain kill Abel? Iſhmael perſecute Iſaac? No, darkneſſe cannot agree with light, nor Chriſt with Belial, The Sheeps bloud is ſweeteſt, and they finde a kinde of ſweetneſſe in their ſcofts and malicious plots againſt thee; Let the godly then not give place to any diſcouragement for a moment, Let the world rage, revile, oppoſe, thus muſt thou enter into Glory; Wicked mens tongues are like thoſe Dogges tongues that licked Lazarus whole; Their reproaches, their malicious words will help to make thee more Godly, and make thee walk ſo watchfully that thou mayeſt put them to ſhame which thus ſpeak evil and diſgracefully of thee.
4. The Godly mans trouble in this world ariſeth not only from profeſſed wicked men and open enemies, 4. And ſometimes from the godly themſelves.but many times even from thoſe who really or apparently look towards the ſame Heaven with them: And this is the worſt trouble that can come from men, Some are only Friends in ſhew, and it's no wonder if they at laſt appear without their vizor; David makes ſad complaint of his familiar friend, with whom he took ſweet counſell, that this man ſhould riſe againſt him, Pſa. 41.9. and Paul alſo complaineth of the perill he was in by falſe Brethren, 1 Cor. 11.26. So that this is no new thing even for thoſe who profeſſe the ſame Chriſtian way, and that in a moſt intimate manner, yet to become Enemies and Adverſaries to thoſe that truly fear God, was not Chriſt betrayed by Judas one of his own Company, that had left all, to become his Diſciple, yea, not only from apparent and ſeeming Friends, but even from thoſe who doe truly look towards Heaven, yet there is many times great trouble created by them: Was there not a Paroxyſme between Paul and Barnabas? Did not the Corinthians go to Law and wrong one another? Doth not the Apoſtle James tell them of their envyings and their devourings of one another, Iam. 13.16. Why doth our Saviour above all things pray in this Chapter for the Diſciples Ʋnity, That they might be one, but becauſe of the proneneſſe that is even in Gods Children, to fall out with one another, as Iacobs Children did; Hence we ſee Beleever againſt Beleever, Chriſtian againſt Chriſtian, purſuing one another even to death; It was Cyprians Complaint of old, Madet orbis Chriſtianus mutuo ſanguine, & quod cum privati fecerint homicidium dicitur, eum publice geritur virtus vocatur: Oh what a ſad thing is it not to ſee Sheep and Wolf, but Sheep and Sheep devouring one another; Doth not experience convince of this? Are not many godly mens Enemies of the ſame houſe, of the ſame Religion, of the ſame Chriſtian Faith with him? Oh this is hard to bear, if it were a prophane and wicked Inſtrument of the devil, I could bear it, but it is ſuch an one with whom I have praied often, humbled my ſelf often; They acknowledge the ſame principles of godlineſſe, the ſame experiences upon their ſouls, yet are like Lyons.
5. No condition and relation free from trouble.5. God hath made the world a troubleſome world in all Conditions, in all Relations, ſo that none can finde this place any other then a Valley of Tears; The Apoſtle 1 Cor. 7. ſheweth the condition of Married Perſons, that they ſhall have trouble in the Fleſh; The Married Condition hath it's trouble, the ſingle hath its Trouble: There is trouble in Husbands, Wives, Children, in all Callings, The Husbandmans, The Citizens, God will not let us have a Paradiſe in this world, leſt we do as the Reubenites that deſired to ſit down in a Countrey fruitful for Cattell, and cared not to enter into Canaan; It was Baſils Opinion that the Earth before Mans Fall brought forth no Thorns or Thiſtles, and that the Roſe did grow without pricks; But here is no ſuch Bleſſedneſſe now; Out of the ſame Fountain comes bitter and ſweet, From the ſame Root grow Figges and Thiſtles, Grapes and Thorns: There is no Mercy or outward Comfort but hath its Inſufficiency, and there are as many drops of Gall as there are of Honey; Which made Job ſay, That man who is born of a Woman is full of Trouble, even as the Sparks fly upward, Job 14. It's as naturall as for the fire to aſcend, ſo that as it would be a miraculous and wonderfull thing to ſee the Fire deſcend downward, no leſſe would it be to ſee a man without ſome Trouble or other: We reade of one Polycrates that never had any Adverſity in his Life time, and he endeavoured to put himſelf upon ſome Loſſe, but could not, for once he threw a Ring of a vaſt price into the Sea, intending to loſe it, yet afterwards it was found in a Fiſhes Belly, and he had it again; But though he had no trouble for a long ſeaſon, yet at laſt he was taken by an Enemy and put to Death with moſt exquiſite torments; Though wicked men have the good things of this life, yet theſe good things are not meerly and univerſally good; They have a Sting as well as Honey; They have Trouble as well as Comfort: The Godlieſt men have acknowledged that their daies have been few and evil in this world: Oh then expect not a Summer alwaies in this world; God hath ſubjected all theſe created Comforts to changes after a Glorious day to have a dark Night; Thou ſhalt have this Condition, this Relation, this Comfort thou deſireſt, but thou ſhalt alſo have the burthen, and the trouble of it which thou doſt not deſire, Onus tranſit cum honore.
6. A mans trouble ariſeth from himſelf.Laſtly, A mans Trouble doth ariſe from his own ſelf; If there were no devil, no wicked men to trouble, yet ſuch is the Unbelief and the Diſcontents that are apt to riſe in a Godly man, that he would be a Trouble, an Enemy, yea, a Devil to himſelf: Doth not David often ſpeak of the frettings and heating that his heart was in, and who put him into it: What made his Soul like a Foaming Sea? Was it not his own diffidence, his own froward heart; Auſtin cried once, Libera me Domine, a meipſo tanquam maximo hoſte, which holds true, not onelyonly in a ſinfull way but in a troubling way: Oh how many times doth a Chriſtian raiſe up his own Fears, his own Jealouſies, and his own Doubts; So that as the Linnen breedeth the Moth that corrupteth and deſtroyeth it, as the Tree the worm that eats it; Thus from a mans own heart ariſe ſuch troubleſome Thoughts, and Cares, and Fears, that he may be called a Mager Miſſabib, Fear round about him: We ſee then in how many particulars God is pleaſed to make this World a troubleſome Place to us while we live and continue in it, and alſo a very dangerous place; That we ſhould as much fear to be in it as in Sodom, when Fire and Brimſtone was ready to fall down from Heaven to conſume it,
Let us in the next place Conſider the Grounds and Reaſons Why the world is thus made by God a diſquieting and troubleſome place to the Godly; That they are but as Pilgrims and Strangers in it, and therefore are little eſteemed by it.
Reaſons. 1 And firſt, That our Hearts may not be immoderately and inordinately cleaving to this world; We ſee there are many ſtrict Commands againſt the Love of it: Now if we are ſo ready to love it though ſo troubleſome, what if it were nothing but content; If (ſaith Auſtin) though it be Mundus amarus a bitter world thou loveſt to eat and to feed of it, what if it were dulcis a ſweet world; If it be Mundus periturus a periſhing world, and thou art ſo doting upon it, what if it were Eternus everlaſting: If we can handle it with delight though full of pricks, what if ſmooth and plain; Certainly every Godly man ſhould wean himſelf from theſe Breaſts, Seeing God hath rubbed them with ſo much bitterneſſe and affliction; When therefore thou meeteſt with Croſſes, with Troubles, with the Deceitfulneſſe and Inconſtancy of worldly Comforts, ſay, This is to inſtruct and teach me, that I am not to expect an Heaven here; The world is an Enemy thou muſt not love it, though commanded to love our Enemies: Here may be an over-loving an over-deſiring: Here the Rule is much more true then in Phyſicks, Appetitus non eſt Regula Concoctionis, Thou muſt hunger after theſe Earthly things no more then thou canſt concoct or improve for Gods Glory and thy own particular good; And let the Godly know, Their greateſt danger lieth in theſe inordinate Affections more then in groſſe ſinnes; Theſe Cares will grow up with Duties when open prophaneſſe makes a man wholly to deſpiſe them.
Reaſons. 2 Secondly, The Lord makes the world thus full of Enmity to us that we might remember what our Condition is, that we are but Pilgrims and Strangers, and therefore are not to ſettle our abode here, Heb. 11. They that ſay ſuch things declare they look for a better City: Oh how apt are we to make the world our home; To deſire we might abide here alwaies, To think of no other Happineſſe or Bleſſedneſſe but what is in the Creatures, but God by the Troubles therein doth convince us, that there muſt be a better Condition then this; We have no abiding place in this world, we are here to day, to morrow we may be gone, and therefore we ſhould be Diligent in Watching and Praying, and preparing for our Maſters Coming: Oh what a Bridle would it be to our carnal Affections to remember we are but Sojourners and Strangers here: To look upon thy Eſtate and Inheritance no otherwiſe then a Traveller doth upon the Goods in an Inne.
Reaſons. 3 Thirdly, The Lord makes this world full of Enmity and Hatred againſt us, That we might not ſymbolize with it or contract any of the guilt and pollution of it upon our Souls: It is a Mercy that Wicked men are Scorpions and Serpents, That they are Wolves and Lyons, hereby thou art chaſed and affrighted from their Company and Society; whereas if they were loving and pleaſing thou wouldeſt be often with them, and ſo ſit in the Chair of the Scorner, and come into the Aſſemblies of wicked men: Is it not a Mercy to be kept from a Peſt-houſe, or a Place where Infectious Diſeaſes are; Thus God hath put ſuch an Enmity and Contrariety between the Godly and the Wicked: There is ſuch a great Gulf and vaſt diſtance that Solomon ſaith, The wicked is an abomination to the Righteous, and the Righteous to the wicked, Prov. 29.27. The Godly man can no more endure the wicked mans waies then the Wicked can abide a Godly mans waies; Therefore bleſſe and praiſe God for this Enmity and oppoſition, and make good and profitable uſe of it.
Reaſons. 4 Laſtly, The Lord doth it, That Heaven and the Enjoyment of him to all Eternity may be more prized and better eſteemed by us; We muſt with Lot even be violently pulled out of this Sodom; Oh our ſinnefull and our unworthy Hearts, that we ſhould ſo delight to be toſſed and hurried up and down in the Ocean, and be afraid to come to the Haven; That Death ſhould be ſo unwelcome when it is the Paſſage to incomprehenſible and immortall Glory; What have not all thy Pains, Afflictions, and Grievances yet made thee long and thirſt for Heaven? Doſt thou not think, Here I am ſighing, crying, diſeaſed, diſtreſſed, when the Glorious Saints in Heaven are rejoycing.
Ʋſe of Inſtruction To the people of God, Not to be dejected, but rather to be exceeding glad, as our Saviour commands, when the wicked world oppoſeth them for their Godlineſſe and Uprightneſſe; For mark our Saviours Expreſſion herein, Matth. 5.20. It muſt be for Chriſts Sake, and Righteouſneſſe Sake, not for any wickedneſſe or ungodlineſſe of thy own: Doe not take the juſt reward of thy ſinnes to be the glorious Conſequents of holineſſe, But if it be becauſe thou feareſt God, thou owneſt God and his way, thou ſtandeſt up for his Truth and Godlineſſe, then leap and dance for Joy that God hath put ſo much honour upon thee; Say with David, I will be more vile ſtill, The Starres are never the leſſe glorious though they have given them ugly Names, of the Bear, and the like: So neither are the godly leſſe Glorious though the world labours to beſmear them with dirt, a Jewell is a Jewell though ſoiled with dirt.