One-Hundred Forty-Five Sermons Upon John 17, Sermon 74
SERMON LXXIV. Of the Scripture.
JOHN 17.12.
But the Sonne of Perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
A Second Doctrine from the reaſon alleadged in the Text, That the Scripture might be fulfilled, ſhall be,
That whatſoever the Scripture ſaith, is ſure to be made good. Our Saviour ſaith, Matth. 5. It's ſurer then the heaven and earth,Obſerv. That whatſoever the Scripture ſaith, is ſure to be made good. and that every tittle of it is more enduring then the Heavens themſelves. It's of great conſequence to eſtabliſh you in this point: For if the Scripture be true, and will be made good in every particular, then the godly may lift up their heads with joy, and the wicked bow down with fear and trembling.
To open this, Conſider the expreſſion, That the Scripture may be fulfilled; The word of God is called the Scripture, which is as much as the written Word. The word of God in reſpect of the accidental communicating of it, may be divided into that which is Traditum or Scriptum; that which was immediately delivered either by God himſelf, or inſpired into the Prophets, to be communicated to the Church, or elſe that which was commanded to be written, and ſo to be a perpetual ſtanding Rule, according to which the Church ſhould walk in page missing ſoever ſhall come to paſſe: And herein it will infallibly prove true; for as we read of many predictions of old, they were accompliſhed at that time, and in that manner, as God had fore-told; ſo we may juſtly conclude for the future, that it will be in the like manner. Whatſoever God hath fore-told by the Scripture concerning a day of Judgement, and the everlaſting torments of the damned, that there ſhall be a Reſurrection of the body, and that every one ſhall give an account for what hath been done here; Expect it, and believe it, as ſurely as if it were already done; Oh what a deal of ſecurity and boldneſs is there in ſinners, becauſe they believe not this! Did they think they heard the ſound of the Trump of the laſt day ringing in their ears, Ariſe, and come to judgement? What holy fear and trembling would poſſeſs them? whereas becauſe they live for the preſent in jollity, and ſo many years the world and all things have continued as they were, therefore they think there will never be any change; ſuch were thoſe mockers Peter ſpeaks of, 2 Pet. 3. ſaying, Where is the day of his coming? Know then that all thoſe places of Scripture which ſpeak of ſuch a dreadfull time will one day be fulfilled, never think that thoſe Texts will fall to the ground; thy luſts will prove a lie, thy pleaſures a lie to thee, but Gods word will abide for ever.
Thirdly, We have the promiſing part of the Scripture. The Land of Canaan did not more richly flow with milk and honey, then the Scriptures abound with all kinde of promiſes both for this life, and that to come. This heaven is full of ſuch glorious ſtarres. The Apoſtle 2 Pet. 1.4. cals them precious promiſes; precious both in reſpect of the things promiſed, and alſo of the certainty and truth of them. There is the grand promiſe of all the Charter of the Covenant of Grace, I will be their God, and they ſhall be my people: and this is ſubdivided into many particulars; ſo that there is not a good thing to be deſired, nor an evil thing to be avoided, but we have a promiſe for it; and certainly, if the word and promiſe of a great man in place and power be able to refreſh the heart of an indigent man, how much more muſt the promiſe of the Almighty and holy God revive thoſe that depend on it? All the children of God are with Iſaac called the children of the promiſe, Gal. 4.28. ſo that they are the children of the promiſe efficiently, as it was the meer promiſe of God, that gave them a ſupernatural being, all humane power being as impotent for that purpoſe, as Sarahs womb was to conceive; and further, They are the children of the promiſe (as I may ſay) objectively, becauſe they live on that, and are nouriſhed by it; and as they ſay in naturals, ſo it is true in ſpirituals, Ex eiſdem conſtamus è quibus nutrimur, The procreating and conſerving cauſes are of the ſame nature; hence we may read of the godly looking up to Gods promiſe in all their difficulties, Pſal. 77.8. and when God ſtirreth up himſelf to do good to his people, it's becauſe he remembers his holy promiſe. Inſomuch that heaven and ſalvation it ſelf, is called, The hope of the promiſe, Act. 26.6. Though therefore the people of God have not all the good things they deſire in preſent poſſeſſion, yet they have them in promiſe, and Gods truth is bond and ſecurity enough. A man that hath not his eſtate at command, yet if he have it in ſure bonds and good ſecurity, looks upon himſelf as a rich man: Oh then the unbelief and vile doubtings of thy heart! Are all the promiſes of God of no repute with thee? Are they of no credit? Should they not as much aſſure thee as if every thing were accompliſhed already? Hence as the Scripture when it ſpeaketh of a future thing, uſeth the preſent tenſe, to ſhew the certainty of it, as the learned inſtance in many places; ſo ſhould the faith of a godly man turn the future tenſe into the preſent, and what God ſaith he will do, to take as done already.
Laſtly, There is the comminatory or threatning part. Here is Mount Ebal, as well as Mount Gerizim. The Scripture hath it's ſting as well as honey. In this Ark there is the Rod as well as Manna; Chriſt hath not only a Scepter of grace, but a Rod of iron; and thoſe threatnings are farre above the terrors of the moſt cruell men that ever lived; for it's not onelyonly a threatning of bodily miſeries, but of hell, of eternal wrath and vengeance on the ſoul, as well as the body, which no earthly man can do. Therefore whatſoever the word of God hath ſaid againſt an evil man, let him look for it, as if he were already under that doom. Is not Judas here called a ſon of perdition, yea is he not ſaid to be periſhed in the preſent tenſe, becauſe of the certainty of it? Doth not the Scripture ſay, He that believeth not, is condemned even already? Joh. 3.8. As when God at firſt threatned Adam, In the day thou eateſt thereof thou ſhalt die; This was made good, though Adam did not actually die at that time, becauſe he was put into a ſtate of death, and every moment that ſentence might be inflicted on him. Thus it is with every wicked man, whatſoever curſe, whatſoever vengeance is denounced againſt thee, this night, this day, this moment it may be fulfilled on thee.
The ground why the Scripture muſt be fulfilled, is plain,Grounds why. Becauſe it is Gods word, and therefore it is immortal like himſelf, it will ſtand as he ſtands, for what ſhould hinder it? There was no defect of knowledge or wiſdom in God, nor of power and ſtrength, and therefore the word being out of his mouth, who can contradict it?
Ʋſe of Encouragement to the godly. Ʋſe.The Scripture hath as many promiſes for thee, as thou canſt deſire. It's full of glad tidings to thee that feareſt God. There is not a Chapter but it ſpeaks ſome good or other to thee. Oh do not think theſe things are ſpoken in vain, and not to be good, to be true! What ſhall the holy Spirit of God become falſe to deceive and delude thee? Farre be ſuch blaſphemous thoughts from thee; Go then and rejoyce, ſay, I have enough, I have all things, the Scripture abounds with all conſolations, and not one drop of this precious wine ſhall be loſt or ſpilt to the ground; but on the contrary it ſpeaks woe and trembling to wicked men: Oh how well were it for you, if the Scripture were a book of fables and lies! Then thou mightſt eat, and drink, and riſe up to play and ſport, but at the laſt thou wilt finde every word of it to be true: Why then can thy bold heart endure any longer? Is there not terrour enough in the Scripture to break it in peeces, though it were of iron. Thou wilt finde at laſt God only true, but man, and the world, and thy own heart a liar.