One-Hundred Forty-Five Sermons Upon John 17, Sermon 104
SERMON CIV. That in ſome particulars the poor weak Christian hath more reſpect from Chriſt then the ſtrong one.
JOH. 17.20.
But for thoſe alſo that ſhall beleeve in me through their Word.
THe Doctrine obſerved was, That Chriſt in his Mediatory Office ſtood equally affected to the weakeſt beleever as well as the moſt eminent; In many things we demonſtrated an equality.
Before I come to ſhew the differentiall particulars, let me adde, That in ſome particulars the poor weak Chriſtian hath more love and affection from Chriſt then a ſtrong one; So that the weaker they are, the more they conclude of more grace and power to be ſhewed to them.
1. Chriſt commonly ſheweth more pity and compaſſion to ſuch as are objects of greater want and indigency; Therefore you heard, the ſmoaking flax he would not quench; As the Shepherd doth gently leade thoſe Cattel that are great with young, and as Ariſtotle obſerveth, that in nature Parents are ſtill carried with their greateſt affection to the childe that is youngeſt, becauſe that is moſt expoſed to want; Thus alſo doth Chriſt reſpect thoſe that are the meaneſt, the loweſt, that have leaſt of comfort and leaſt of grace; Alas ſuch are the greateſt objects of pity; Do not therefore think that thy infirmities make God angry with thee if humbled for them, no, they provoke pity and compaſſion; As the Pſalmiſt ſpeaks, Pſa. 103. concerning Gods afflictions, that he remembers what man is, he doth not deal with him as if he were braſſe and iron, but as duſt and graſſe, So doth Chriſt, he knoweth thy weakneſſes, thy temptations, and therefore he will mercifully conſider of thee; The Apoſtle giveth this reaſon, 1 Pet. 2.7. why the husband ſhould give honour to his wife, becauſe ſhe is the weaker veſſell, and certainly Chriſt takes this way with every Soul married to him, the weaker it is the more compaſſionate is his condeſcention to it.
2. His protection and preſervation of it is more peculiar and emphaticall; The weaker and more infirm thou art, the greater is Gods power and grace manifeſted in thee; Thus Paul ſaid, the power of God was perfected in his infirmities, and when he was weak, then he was ſtrong, 2 Chro. 22.10. This is Chriſts uſuall way to magnifie his power and ſtrength moſt in thoſe that are the weakeſt of beleevers, and therefore it is that many times he leaveth thoſe that are ſtrong and eminent to their own ſelves, that ſo feeling their own infirmities they may be the fitter objects to glorifie Chriſts power; Hence when Peter was in his failing and decaying condition, then Chriſt praieth, that his faith may not fail; God that owneth himſelf to be the judge of the Widows, and the Father of the Fatherleſſe, becauſe they are moſt expoſed to neceſſities, will much more ſhew this in a ſpiritual way to ſuch as have not the hopes or the encouragements as other godly men have.
3. He doth commonly vouchſafe more inward comforts and evidences of his love to ſuch, giveth them more chearfulneſſe and joy; Even as you ſee in nature, a Childe is not exerciſed with thoſe cares and troubles that do moleſt when they come to years, but minde their ſport and play; Thus to new Converts God many times, revealeth much comfort and joy; They may have more then than ever afterwards in their life time; Then is the time of the Souls marriage to Chriſt, and no wonder if a Feaſt be provided for them, and their water be turned into wine.
4. God doth in a ſingular manner keep them from thoſe exerciſes and temptations which many times he lets fall on thoſe that are more eminent, Joh. 26. when Peter was young he went whither he would, but when he was old then he ſhould be bound, Where there is ſpiritual ſtrength God puts a proportionable burthen; So that Chriſt in the diſpenſing of his exerciſes hath a reſpect alwaies to the meaſure of their graces, he will not lay a Giants burthen upon a Childes back, yea, ſuch is the wiſedom of Chriſt herein, that he doth prepare and fit his people by degrees for afflictions, as the timber lieth in water to he ſeaſoned by degrees for ſervice; There is a great difference in Gods providence to his own people, ſome are more tempted then others inwardly in their ſouls, Some again have far more outward troubles then others, and in all theſe ſtill regard is had to the ſtrength of his people; Chriſt being the head hath a reſpect to every member, and ſo knoweth what is the fitteſt exerciſe for it; Be not then inordinately caſt down with fears, fears about thy infirmities and weakneſſes, for if thou art weaker then others, thy burthen ſhall be lighter, and the leſſe thou haſt of thy ſelf, the more of Chriſts power will be in thee.
5. Though they be weak in many things, yet Chriſt makes them remarkably ſtrong in ſome other things; This is notable to conſider, that even ſuch who have been weak, yet in ſome paſſages have ſhewed more ſtrength and couragious actings of grace then others very glorious: Did not all the Apoſtles though the firſt fruits as it were of Gods Spirit for fear fly from Chriſt? When Mary followed him to the Croſſe; yea, Joſeph of Arimathea which came to Chriſt by night for fear, did afterwards publikely own Chriſt, and that when he was crucified, when were the greateſt diſcouragements; Hence the Apoſtle Rom. 11. exhorts in honour to prefer one another, becauſe there is no Chriſtian ſo weak but even the ſtrongeſt may be inferior to him in ſome reſpect, Comfort then thy ſelf in this that though weak, yet thou haſt ſometimes been ſo enabled to do thoſe things which yet others have failed in.
6. To thoſe that are weak God hath made glorious promiſes for the encreaſe of their grace; Thus the Prophet Iſaiah, He that is weak ſhall renew his strength like an Eagle, and ſhall not be faint, Iſa. 40.31. and thus they are ſaid to be bleſſed that hunger and thirſt after Righteouſneſſe becauſe they ſhall be ſatisfied, Mat. 5. and by the Prophet Zechary, He that is feeble ſhall be like David, and David like an Angel of God, Zech. 12.8. So that the meaneſt Chriſtian may lift up his head with joy, for though thou art infirm, yet a glorious promiſe of ſtrength is made unto thee.
Laſtly, God ſanctifieth theſe weakneſſes and infirmities unto them, So that they get more good by their weak grace then many times others do by their ſtrong; It's better to be a babe in grace, fearing to fall, then a preſumptuous man like Peter to think we ſhall alwaies ſtand; God ſuffers even ſtrong ones ſometimes to be overcome by Philiſtims, that ſo they may fly out of themſelves to the grace of God, and depend upon his power, Now the Sanctification of their weakneſſe of graces lieth in this.
1. They are hereby more bumble and ſelf-emptied; They remember thoſe duties, He that ſtands, let him take heed he doth not fall, and be not high-minded but fear: Humility and ſelf-emptineſſe is a comely poſture for a Chriſtian, now none are more ſo, then ſuch who are ſenſible of their weakneſſe.
2. Hereby Chriſt is advanced and exalted in his power, as the weak Childe laieth faſt hold on his Fathers arm; Thus the power and might of Chriſt is to none ſo welcome as thoſe that finde and feel themſelves falling, when the Diſciples are ready to ſink, then they cry our, Maſter help we periſh
3. They walk more thankefully to God, when the Iſraelites were in a barren wilderneſſe, having no food or water but what God did wonderfully provide for them, then if ever they would be ſt…rred up to thankfulneſ…; Thus when a childe of God wonders that under ſo many temptations and infirmities he did not this day or that day fall and break his peace with God, he will be provoked to glorifie God and admire his grace; The hungry Soul will be thankfull for every morſell of bread, and thus will the humble lowly Chriſtian apprehenſive of its own imbecilities glorifie God for every moments preſervation.
There is ſome difference between beleevers in reſpect of Chriſts Death.In the next place Let us Conſider, That there is ſome difference between Beleevers in reſpect of the fruits of Chriſts Death as well as there is an equality:
As in the firſt place, Though Juſtification be alike, yet their Sanctification is not, one is made more holy then another; That as one Starre differs from another in glory, ſo one Chriſtian from another in grace; Hence ſome are called babes, others ſtrong men, Some are called carnal comparatively, others spiritual, Some are ſaid to be perfect not abſolutely but reſpectively; It's true, all the people of God are truly ſanctified, one is ſanctified as well as another, aequè but not aequalitèr, only the meaſure and degree is very different; Not that he who hath more may advance his power, and attribute glory to himſelf; No, What haſt thou that thou haſt not received? Not only the eſſence of grace but every degree thereof is from the grace of God; Therefore he that praied, help my unbelief, Mar. 9.24 argued that he could not have one degree of faith by his own power, only Chriſt muſt beſtow it on him.
2. As ſanctifying grace is very differently given to beleevers, ſo thoſe common gifts which are for ſervice, Chriſt giveth them in much variety, Eph. 4. That all theſe gifts are the fruit of Chriſts death is plain, and therefore the Spirit of God is given by Chriſt to his Church upon his Aſcenſion, Now 1 Cor. 12. The Apoſtle doth there excellently ſhew, that though there be diverſity of operations, yet there is ſtill but one ſpirit, and the Scripture much delights in the ſimilitude of a body, where there is diverſity of members with their peculiar operations, and it's hard for beleevers to be content with theſe various Adminiſtrations: Every member would be an Eye, Though Chriſt died equally for all, yet he did not give gifts and offices alike to all; This variety of gifts is repreſented by the Kings Daughter, whoſe cloathing was of needle work, and it ſhould not tend to envy or diviſion, but to mutuall profiting and helping of one another.
3 The means of grace are likewiſe differently adminiſtred, For although Chriſt died alike for all beleevers, yet the means of bringing them home are not alike, Some live under more powerfull means then others, Some have not the Spurs and encouragement that others have to that which is holy; Again, ſome live in clearer and more evidencing times of Gods grace then others, all thoſe that lived before Chriſts time are ſaid to be in the dark in compariſon of the Light that did ariſe by Chriſt; Many Kings and Righteous perſons deſired to ſee what the Apoſtles did, but could not; But though all have not the like means, yet there is not any one godly man, though in never ſuch remote and dark corners, but the converting grace of God will finde him out, and therefore that is not a ſufficient reaſon which ſome, pleading for Chriſts death univerſall for all, when urged by this argument, That if Chriſt died for all, why then have not all the means of grace? why is not the Goſpel preached to every one, if Chriſt died for every one? They anſwer thus, That even thoſe who hold Chriſt died for all beleevers, yet grant that all beleevers have not the ſame means of grace, to ſome the Kingdom of heaven draweth nigh more manifeſtly and evidently then to others; But this as I finde is inſufficient, becauſe though the means of grace to one beleever may be more then another in reſpect of meaſure and degrees of Light, yet not of efficacy; That little means they have is bleſſed by God to be as effectuall as the moſt eminent and glorious means, whereas by their opinion Chriſt is ſuppoſed to die for ſuch, who yet never were ſanctified by any means, whether more or leſſe they did enjoy.
4. Their temptatious either inward or outward are greatly different; Every godly man hath no… the buffetings of Satan as Paul, had neither are all Martyrs; Obadiah could live quietly in Ahabs Court, when at the ſame time Eliah was purſued to death, Rev. 10. The devil ſhall caſt ſome of you into priſon; But ſome only, yet in theſe different adminiſtrations all beleevers may take the ſame eſſential comfort, and look to the ſame ſubſtantiall happineſſe, you muſt know alſo that none may nouriſh themſelves in their weakneſſes, for thoſe that grow and are more ſtrong, they have many priviledges which the weak attain not to.
As 1. The growing Chriſtian ſhall grow more, he that hath, it ſhall be ſtill added to him.
2. The ſtrong Chriſtian doth in Gods ordinary way attain to more ſolid aſſurance and perſwaſion of Gods love, Therefore 1 Pet. 1. by adding one grace to another, they make their calling and election ſure.
3. God makes peculiar promiſes to ſuch that do overcome, and that do continue ſtedfaſt, Rev. 2. They ſhall have the white ſtone, they ſhall be made pillars in the Church of God.
4. They are more ſerviceable to God, The more grace, the more improvement for God; Others they bleſſe God for them, Many are reformed and comforted thereby.
Laſtly, Their glory ſhall be greater in heaven; Though ſome make the condition of all Saints alike in heaven, yet it is more conſonant to Scripture to affirm degrees of glory as there have been degrees of grace.
Ʋſe of Inſtruction, That the loweſt Chriſtian in Chriſts School is not to be diſcouraged, Though never ſo blinde and blockiſh as thou art, yet remember Chriſt is a Mediatour for ſuch as are given to him, and though ſome exceed others in grace, yet all have the ſame Chriſt; As though ſome men have better eyes then others, yet all have the ſame Sun, the poor as well as the rich, the diſeaſed as well as the ſound.