One-Hundred Forty-Five Sermons Upon John 17, Sermon 127
SERMON CXXVII. Sheweth ſomething of the Nature, Manner, and Effects of Chriſts being in Beleevers.
JOH. 17.23.
I in them and thou in me.
CHriſt (you have heard) is in his people and they are in him; But how to underſtand this precious but ſublime doctrine rightly, that is the great difficulty; We have diſcovered the falſe and groſſe Imaginations about it, We now come to the poſitive and affirmative manifeſtation of it; Although it is to be acknowledged, that as concerning God we may eaſilier conceive what he is not, then what he is; So in reſpect of this inhabitation of Chriſt in beleevers, we may more eaſily remove falſe and erroneous waies then aſſert the true and proper manner of it; But the light of the Word and the experience of a godly man ſubordinate thereunto, will greatly conduce to make ſome profitable though not comprehenſive diſcoveries of it. And
How or in what manner Chriſt is in his people.1. In the general, Chriſt being in his people is after a ſpirituall, inviſible, and myſtical manner; It is in an inviſible manner, yea, in no waies corporally ſenſible; We cannot with the eye ſee him, the ear hear him, or the hand feel him, but all is inviſible; And this is the reaſon, why natural men who are carried away only as brute beaſts by ſenſible Objects are not affected with Chriſts being in his Children, for they ſay as the diſciple in another caſe, unleſſe we may put our fingers in Chriſts wounds, and feel his bones, we will not believe he is in us, but as God though he is omnipreſent and filleth all places, yet is not ſeen by the bodily eye, No man hath ſeen God at any time, Joh. 1.18. So though Chriſt fill his whole Church, and the Apoſtle expreſſeth it, Col. 3.11. he is all in all, yet this is after an inviſible and corporally indiſcernable mannes, ſo that though the Apoſtle who lived with Chriſt in a bodily manner, and was eye-witneſſe of all that he did and ſuffered, could ſay, 1 Joh. 1.1. That which we have ſeen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, yet beleevers cannot now ſay ſo; As it is inviſible ſo it is ſpirituall, and therefore above a carnal apprehenſion; This is one of thoſe things of God a natural man cannot perceive becauſe ſpiritually diſcerned; Go to any natural man though never ſo cultivated and adorned with rationality, yet can he no more underſtand or conceive of Chriſts being in the ſoul, then a worm can reach to the underſtanding and diſcourſe of Angels with one another, and the reaſon is becauſe there is no habitude or ſutable proportion between this truth and their capacities, So that as the Eye cannot ſee a Spirit becauſe of the diſſo…ancy between that Object and the viſive faculty, So neither can a naturall man though walking in the high ſtilts of all moral endowments ever reach unto any ſatisfactory knowledge in this Point, for this Truth cannot be found in Ariſtotles or Plat…s works, neither can fleſh and bloud reveal it, but by the Scripture as a guide, and the ſpirit of God as an efficient, we come to know what it is: Therefore it's often by Divine called myſticall, Chriſts Marriage with the ſoul is myſtical, Chriſts living and dwelling in us is myſtical, it being a great myſtery, and ſuch as the doctrine of Chriſt is, and therefore none but Chriſts Friends have this ſecret revealed and made known to them, Therefore when Chriſt is thus in the ſoul of a beleever, there are clear diſcoveries and manifeſtations of himſelf; Even as when the Sun ariſeth in our hemiſphere, the reſplendent beams thereof proclaim its preſence; This is excellently ſet down, Joh. 14.20, 21. At that day ye ſhall know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you, And ver. 21. I will love him and manifeſt my ſelf to him
In the ſecond place, Though Chriſt be in us inviſibly and ſpiritually, yet he is truly, and really, and operatively in us, So that we are not to look upon this as a fancy or deluſion, as ſome non-entity or meer notions of melancholy men; No, as Chriſt is a reall Chriſt, ſo he doth really live and dwell in us; if nothing were reall but what is corporeall, then our ſouls ſhould be no reall ſubſtances; Then the ſoul of a man would be thought to be a meer fancy and notion likewiſe: But as Chriſt is reall and the ſoul is reall ſo is Chriſts dwelling and living in it reall, yea, it is ſo reall that corporal things are ſaid to have no reality at all comparatively; Thus Chriſt Joh. 15.1. I am the true Vine, and Joh. 6.55, 56. My fleſh is meat indeed, and my bloud is drink indeed, He that eateth my fleſh and drinketh my bloud dwelleth in me and I in him; Now why doth Chriſt ſay, his body is meat indeed, he doth not mean corporally but oppoſitely to corporall food; The very food we eat is not meat comparatively to Chriſt, for our bodies feed on that, and yet periſh, they have not life alwaies abiding in them, but who ſo hath Chriſt in him, he can no more periſh then Chriſt himſelf; Chriſt is meat indeed, and life indeed; The godly then finde and know this life and dwelling of Chriſt to be a reall, ſolid thing, and therefore do though not corporally yet ſpiritually perceive it, and know it to be more reall then their bodily life and actions; It's not leſſe reall and true becauſe ſpirituall and myſtical; Therefore that which on Chriſts part maketh him to be in us, viz. his ſpirit, that is reall, and that which on our part receiveth Chriſt, and whereby he dwelleth in us, viz. faith, that is, alſo a lively grace; Therefore though we walk not by bodily ſence but by faith, yet the things of Faith have as reall and lively ſubſiſtence in the ſoul as bodily objects can affect the body.
3. Conſider how Chriſt is to be conceived in his people, and that the Scripture repreſents ſeveral waies.
1. Chriſt is in us by way of Ʋnion, How Chriſt is in his people more particularly.ſo as to be made one myſtical perſon with us: I ſhall not be large in diſcovering this, becauſe I have touched on it heretofore, only the firſt ſtep of Chriſts being in us is by uniting of himſelf to us, for we are by nature eſtranged from him, and lie as ſo many lumps of earth devoid and deſtitute of all ſpirituall life and motion till Chriſt unite himſelf to us, ſo that as it was Gods wonderfull power to call thoſe dry bones and unite them together; Thus it is alſo his admirable power to unite himſelf to a Beleever, Chriſt doth not ſtay till we firſt unite our ſelves to him, but he joyneth himſelf firſt to us, and this is the firſt ſtep of Chriſts ſaving grace in us.
2. Chriſt is in us, ſo that thereby we are made partakers of his perſon, not only the gifts of Chriſt and the graces of Chriſt, but Chriſt himſelf is in us, as Gal. 2.20. Christ liveth in me, and ſo Eph. 3.17. Chriſt dwels in our hearts, ſo that this King of glory doth not only bring his rich Ornaments and Hangings to beautifie the ſoul, but he himſelf alſo in his own perſon reſides there; Not indeed corporally as you heard, but ſpiritually, for though Chriſt be in heaven yet that is no hindrance to Faith; It's not diſtance of place that takes away from Faith no more then of time, but as future things are preſent to heaven, ſo are remote things locally preſent to it; Even as to the eye ſome Objects though many miles diſtant are preſent, Faith therefore receiveth the perſon of Chriſt, and it's not only the graces of Chriſt but Chriſt himſelf that dwels in the ſoul, but yet by faith it is true many Divines affirm the graces of Gods Spirit to be in us, but the Scripture doth expreſly relate even to the perſon of Chriſt and the Spirit as well as the graces flowing from them.
3. Chriſt is in his people by way of gracious operation as a powerfull efficient, which enableth to all thoſe holy and divine actions the godly perform, Joh. 15. Without me you can do nothing; As the branch without the Vine cannot bring forth any fruit; Did not Chriſt daily move and breathe upon the ſoul, it would alwaies work in a carnal and humane manner, Paul ſaith, He no longer liveth but Chriſt in him, Gal. 2.20. For Paul of himſelf, and in his own corruption would follow the boaſts of the fleſh, perſevere the deſires thereof, did not Chriſt quicken and ſanctifie him.
4. Chriſt is in us ſacramentally, that is in and by the right uſe of that Ordinance, he is in a peculiar manner preſent to the beleever; Therefore it's called the Communion of the body of Chriſt, 1 Cor. 10. and although Joh 6. the eating and drinking of Chriſts body and bloud be not there meant of the Sacrament but of Faith in the general. for it's made neceſſary to every man that would have Eternal life, yet by that expreſſion is ſeen the intimate incorporation of the godly with Chriſt, and in the right uſe of the Sacrament there is a more ſenſible viſible aſſurance of ſuch a preſence, whether Chriſts preſence Sacramentally be other then his preſence by a promiſe is not here to be diſputed; Certainly if the preſence differ not, yet the manner of confirming and aſſuring of it doth, otherwiſe Sacraments would be Seals of the promiſe in vain, and the promiſe it ſelf would be enough, and the enjoying of Chriſt in a promiſe would be enough without making uſe of the Sacrament, and ſo that be wholly needleſſe.
The fruits and effects of Chriſts being in us.I ſhall not enlarge on this Point further, But come we to the fruits and effects of Chriſts being in us; This is the great neceſſary thing to finde that Chriſt is in us, for either the devil and ſin live in us, we no longer live but ſin and Satan, or elſe Chriſt and his Spirit are in us, and it's good to obſerve what are the Evidences and demonſtrations of Chriſts being in us.
1. In whomſoever Chriſt is, he is made a New Creature, old things are paſt away; It's high blaſphemy to ſay Chriſt is in conſtant habitual wicked men, no 2 Cor. 5.17. If any be in Chriſt he is a new Creature; Now whoſoever is in Chriſt, Chriſt is alſo in him, for they are mutual and reciprocall, if therefore thou liveſt in ignorance and prophaneſſe, conclude aſſuredly that Chriſt is not in thee; It was the devil that entred into the Swine, and hurried them headlong into the Sea; Thus ſtill the devil doth hurry many wicked men violently into Eternall perdition, and therefore our Saviour chargeth the Phariſees Joh. 6. That they were of their Father the devil, becauſe they did his works; Thus if Chriſt be in thee thou wilt do the works of Chriſt, ſhew forth the patience, the meekneſſe, the zeal of Chriſt, if Chriſt be in thee …ou wilt have a Chriſt-like operation, and therefore the godly are ſaid to put on Chriſt, Gal. 3.27. As a garment which covers the whole body, ſo that no nakedneſſe appeareth; Thus Chriſt onelyonly ought to be ſeen in us, not our own infirmities and corruptions, nothing of our ſelves but Chriſt.
2. Where Chriſt is, there he is all in all, he is inſtead of all to that believer, Gal. 3.28. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, &c. but Chriſt is all in all, Two things are affirmed, He is in all; Every believer though never ſo weak and infirm hath Chriſt as well as the nobleſt, as the ſoul is in every finger and toe as well as in the head, which ſhould be a great conſolation to a weak believer, for though thou haſt not as good gifts and parts, as good grace and holineſſe, yet thou haſt as good a Chriſt as the chiefeſt pillars in Religion have, but then he addeth, that as Chriſt is in all, ſo he is all: What all is Chriſt? He is all priviledges as appeareth by the Context, he is Jew and Greek, he is male and female, that is Chriſt is inſtead of all priviledges and prerogatives, hence 1 Cor. 1. he is ſaid to be made of God to us, wiſedom, righteouſneſſe and redemption, and we are ſaid to be compleat in him; So that whereſoever Chriſt is there he is all to that ſoul, He is wiſedome to it, righteouſneſſe to it, all ſpiritual priviledges, yea, and all temporall comforts likewiſe, He is husband, wife, friend, riches, health; Thus he is all things to the ſoul eminently and virtually again he is all things meritoriouſly, there being no benefit a beleever can ſtand in need of but he hath purchaſed it by his death, he is alſo all things efficiently becauſe he ſubdueth every ſin, he quickeneth to every grace, ſo that a beleever can never ſay, I am in ſuch a condition, in ſuch a temptation, that Chriſt himſelf cannot help me.
3. Where Chriſt is in a man, there alſo his Spirit is putting it ſelf forth in the ſeverall operations thereof, an illuminating ſpirit, a guiding leading ſpirit, a ſanctifying and ſealing ſpirit, So that men do abſurdly boaſt of their Intereſt in Chriſt, who yet finde none of theſe efficacious works of Gods Spirit within them: The Apoſtle John ſpeaketh notably to this, 1 Joh. 4.13. Hereby know we that we d…ell in him and he in us, becauſe he hath given us of his ſpirit; So that as the beams of the Sun diſcover the Sun, ſo do the ſpirituall effects of the holy ſpirit manifeſt Chriſt to be in us.
Ʋſe of Examination, Try your ſelves in this main Point, as the Apoſtle ſaith, 1 Cor. 13.5. Know ye not that Jeſus Chriſt is in you except ye be Reprobates; If you take the word as ſignifying one of an unſound minde, it argueth, that man is very unſound and unskilfull, who findes not Chriſt in him; As they ſought for a proof of Chriſts being in Paul, So do thou of his being in thee; If Chriſt be in thee why is there ſo much of the devil, of ſin, and the world? if Chriſt be in thee, how come his Enemies alſo to be in thee? But you will ſay, May not Chriſt be in a Beleever, and yet he not feel it or be ſenſible of it! yea, think the clean contrary, that Chriſt hath left him, I anſwer, it is often ſo, and thus Chriſt may not manifeſt himſelf to be in us, ſometimes for triall ſake, to give us experience of our own need without him, as Chriſt ſlept in the …ip, and ſuffered the windes and ſtorms to ariſe, that they might call more earneſtly upon him, ſometimes we through our corruptions and ſins do provoke him to withdraw his powerful operations; We entertain his enemies, and then he hideth himſelf from us, eſpecially our unbeleef hinders the lively operations of Chriſt in us, for as Chriſt dwels in our hearts, ſo he worketh in our hearts by faith.