One-Hundred Forty-Five Sermons Upon John 17, Sermon 28
SERMON XXVIII. Proveth, That the world was not from Eternity, but had its beginning in time; And reduceth that Conſideration into Practice.
JOH. 17.5.
Glorifie me with the glory I had before the world began.
WE come to the laſt particular obſervable in the Text, Before the world began.
Here is briefly laid down that poſition which the great and wiſe Philoſophers of the world did boldly gainſay, for it tels us, This great Ʋniverſe had a beginning, The world was not from Eternity; This Truth will tend much to particular Edification, for I ſhall not handle it in a meer ſpeculative and metaphyſicall way, as ſome Philoſophers doe, while they debate this Point.
Obſ. That the world was not from Eternity, but had its beginning in time; The Sun and Stars though ſuch glorious creatures, yet began to be in time, yea,Obſerv. That the world was not from Eternity. thoſe glorious Angels, which have no principle of corruption within them, they were alſo made in time, although it was the general opinion of moſt of the Ancients, that the Angels were made long before this viſible and corporeal world, but that is not ſo conſonant to Scripture.
For the proof of this Point we might alledge the firſt Chapter of Geneſis, Proved from Scripture.where there is not only a relation of the worlds Creation, but an exact deſcription of the manner how, and alſo all the effects of this Creation, ſo that that Chapter hath more divinity and philoſophy in it then all the books of the wiſeſt Heathens put together, and indeed whatſoever the Heathens have of Antiquity they have it from Moſes, though they have added thereunto many fooliſh Fables; I ſhall adde one pregnant Text to confirm this, Heb. 11.3. where the Apoſtle intending to commend faith in all the ſeveral effects of it, begins with this as the foundation, By faith we underſtand the worlds were made; There is much ſpoken by the Apoſtle in few words, 1. He ſaith, By faith we underſtand the world was made, for howſoever ſome Philoſophers held the world was not from Eternity, yet thoſe that did hold it was made, did groſly and fooliſhly miſtake about the manner of it, and though by true Philoſophy we may prove the world could not be from Eternity, yet the Word of God affirming this is the beſt Argument; Therefore faith is better then all reaſon and philoſophy in this matter: Again he ſaith, By faith we underſtand, foreign, ſo that you ſee Faith hath knowledge in it, and is not as the Papiſts would have it to be defined by Ignorance, He that beleeveth knoweth, Therefore ignorant people have no faith becauſe no knowledge▪ Hence it is … faith and knowledge are ſo often put for one another. 3. He ſaith, We understand the worlds, foreign in the plural number; Not that there are many worlds, but it's uſuall in Scripture to deſcribe the world in the plural number, becauſe of the many ages and revolutions that are in the world, one generation paſſing and another ſucceeding: 4. He ſaith were framed, This denoteth the excellent wiſedom of God ordering all things therein, called therefore foreign mundus. 5. The manner how, not as Artificers make a houſe by handy labour but by the Word of his mouth only. And laſtly, here is the matter of which, of things that did not appear, that is either of nothing, or elſe it's an alluſion to Gen. 1.2. where the earth is ſaid to be without form and void, darkneſſe covered it; Thus, here is a noble deſcription of the Original of the world.
This being fully confirmed let us open the Doctrine. And
1. Conſider, That the Chriſtian faith doth only clearly and fully inform us of the beginning of the world; It's an expreſſion the Scripture hath often, Before the foundations of the earth were laid; As for thoſe Philoſophers called Peripateticks, whoſe Maſter was Ariſtotle, they generally affirmed the world was from Eternity, indeed it's doubted what Ariſtotles minde was, but it's plain in his Topicks, he makes this Propoſition, whether the world be eternall, only a dialecticall Probleme, a Propoſition that might be diſputed either way, as having no certainty in it, and indeed how can it be otherwiſe, for that is a received Maxime with them, Ex nihilo nihil fit; This is the foundation of all their Philoſophy, and therefore grant this, then the world could not be made, but how ignorant were the great and learned men in the world of Gods power, that which the leaſt babe almoſt in Chriſtianity doth know; As for thoſe diſputes of ſome, who though they acknowledge de facto, that the world was created in time, yet queſtion whether it was poſſible that it might have been from the beginning; It's a needleſſe and unprofitable Queſtion, What cauſe then have we to bleſſe God for Scripture-light, when the great learning of the world, was wholly in darkneſſe in this reſpect.
2. Although Scripture be the ſureſt and choiceſt argument, yet there are many convictions from reaſon likewiſe, 2. From Reaſon.that may convince men that it had a beginning.
As in the firſt place, If it had been from Eternity ſo many thouſands and thouſands years would have been paſt, that we ſhould have had ſome reliques at leaſt of ſome things done ſo long ago; whereas it's obſerved by the learned that even in all the heathen Antiquities, though they brag much yet they record nothing, that was done before the Floud; The utmoſt of their antiquity reacheth but to perſons and things that were done ſince the Floud, and therefore Moſes his Hiſtory hath the moſt antiquity in it, Now if the world had been ſo many millions of years before, how comes there to be ſuch a deep ſilence of all things done formerly, as for that of the Aegyptians who ſpeak of things done an hundred thouſand years agoe; Beſides the fabulouſneſſe of that people, it's thought they accounted a year, but for a monethmonth, becauſe the courſe of the Sun was not perfectly underſtood.
2. This may convince the world had a beginning, becauſe it could not make it ſelf, and God was not a naturall Agent neceſſitated to make it; For upon theſe two ſuppoſed grounds it might be thought, that the world had no beginning, and as for making it ſelf that's plain, it could not, no more then an houſe, or a muſical Inſtrument, or a Book; Hence it is that the Apoſtle Rom. 1. makes theſe creatures the Looking glaſſe to repreſent the wiſedom and power of God, and certainly the world had it made it ſelf, would have given a more glorious being to all the parts thereof, ſo that it's plain it was limited in its nature and parts, as the authour thereof pleaſed, and in the next place, God was not neceſſitated to make it; As the fire cannot but burn, as the Bee neceſſarily makes it's curious honeycomb, ſo that although ſome have ſaid, that as ſoon as the Sunne is, ſo neceſſarily and immediatly the Sun beams will be alſo, ſo as ſoon as God is, there muſt neceſſarily be a world, yet we muſt not conceive a leſſe perfection in God then is in man, who is a free Agent, and works his effects of art, when he pleaſeth; The Artificer is not neceſſitated to make a houſe, or a garment, then certainly much more muſt be allowed to God himſelf, who doth in heaven and in earth what he pleaſeth, and this ſhould ſatisfie thoſe curious Queſtions why God made the world no ſooner, what he did in that long imaginary time before the world was, the freedom of God and his abſolute Soveraignty, with his infinite wiſedom, may eaſily ſtop ſuch mouths.
3. To be from Eternity is the property of God, God only is eternal, and therefore no finite limited thing can thus be without a beginning; The world is finite in its number, it's but one world, whereas God might create more worlds as well as one; It's finite in nature, It's finite in its parts, It's finite in its uſe, and it's finite in duration; Hence all the Nations of the world comparatively to God are laid to be but as a drop, and as a little light duſt, Iſa. 40 15. Seeing therefore the world is not infinite, but is every way limited, it cannot be eternal; and this is the reaſon why we Chriſtians ſhould lift our hearts above the world, which had a beginning unto God, who is God from everlaſting to everlaſting.
4. The world was not without beginning, but made in time, becauſe it's corruptible; It's ſubject to a diſſolution, Now what is without a beginning is without an end; If it had a beginn…ng it's ſubject to an end, though God indeed may perpetuate it, as we ſee he doth Angels and Men; Now that the world is ſubject to deſtruction ſome have proved it from this, becauſe there is a decay in nature; They ſay the very Sun and heavens have not that power and influence they had formerly, but I finde learned men utterly diſavowing ſuch a Poſition, and they maintain that nature is ſtill the ſame, and is as conſtant and powerful in operation as ever. Therefore from the Scripture we ſee clearly the corruptibility of it, Rom. 8. The whole Creation is ſaid to be ſubject unto vanity and corruption, ſo that it groaneth for a freedome, and 2 Pet. 3. We have there a large deſcription of the Funerals of the whole world, The heavens ſhall paſſe away with a noiſe, and the Elements with a burning heat, &c. Indeed the learned do diſpute whether the world in all the choice parts of it ſhall ſuffer an utter abolition, or only a perfective alteration; But whatſoever it be, a wonderful change ſhall be made of it, and therefore the Apoſtle from this amazing diſſolution, inferreth, Seeing theſe things ſhall be, what manner of perſons ought we to be; foreign not foreign, even to admiration; So that the conſideration of the worlds beginning, and ſo by conſequence its end is not a cold bitten Subject, You may not ſit, and run, or ſleep, or wander in your hearts, but excellent practical Uſes may be made thereof, and ſo we proceed to them, As
Ʋſe 1 1. Did God make the world and that not from Eternity, but in time, about almoſt ſix thouſand years agoe, and no longer? Then here we ſee he made it not becauſe he needed it, becauſe he wanted it, for if it had been neceſſary to God, it would have been from Eternity, but now ſeeing there is ſuch a vaſt diſtance between Eternity and the beginning of the world: It's plain that he made it not for his uſe but mans uſe; It was his goodneſſe communicating himſelf to the creature, not any want of it: God then had been happy ſufficient, and bleſſed, though he never had created any world, for by what reaſon he ſtaid ſo long and did not make the world, he might have ſtaied alwaies; So that this ſerveth to magnifie the glorious nature of God, that all the world with all the creatures therein make not at all to his happineſſe; They adde not to him; All the obedience of Angels and men doth not profit God, This ſhould teach us great humility even under our beſt and rareſt duties: Think with thy ſelf if God had never created me, if he had never given me any being, he would have been glorious howſoever, What then is my drop to this Ocean?
Ʋſe 2 2. Did God give the world a beginning, whatſoever excellency, uſefulneſſe, and lovelineſſe there is therein, Did it come wholly from God? then how might this raiſe us up to be with God, and ſet our hearts upon him that hath all this perfection eminently in him; Oh how unreaſonable is it that we ſhould delight in the world and not in God the Authour of the world, if there be ſo much excellency in the creatures, what in the Creator? Therefore when the Pſalmiſt ſpeaks of all the Creatures in the world, he cals upon them to bleſſe God; How fooliſh and vain did the wiſe men of the world become in their imaginations, when they robbed God of his divine glory, and gave it to the Sunne and Stars, and ſuch Idolatry do we commit in our affections, when we place them principally upon the creature and not on God himſelf: Oh check thy ſelf, and ſay, Who gave this delight, this comfort, this uſefulneſſe to the creature, did not God? What delight then muſt be in the fountain or Ocean, if there be ſo much in a ſtream.
Ʋſe 3 3. Did God create and make the world? then it's blaſphemy and impudency to quarrell and repine at the things which are in the world; This hath been a great Objection with many, If God made the world, why are there any evil or troubleſome things in it? How cometh it to be ſuch a miſerable wicked world? This made the Manichees hold there were two eternal principles, The one good, from which cometh all good things; The other bad, from which comes all the ſinnes and miſeries that are in the world, but you muſt know that the word world is uſed divers waies in Scripture, by which this Objection may be anſwered, Sometimes for the Fabrick of the Univerſe with all the parts thereof, Sometimes for the wickedneſſe that is, in the world, and for wicked men, becauſe they are the greater part of the world: Now if we ſpeak of the world in the latter ſence, God did not make it ſo, Man wilfully ſinning made it a wicked world, ſo that the wickedneſſe of the world is not of God, but by man, as alſo death and hell is of man, God onelyonly inflicts them as juſt puniſhments upon ungodly offenders: And thus likewiſe all the miſeries, pains and diſeaſes that are in the world are by ſinne; The Ground was not curſed to bring forth nothing but briars and thorns till man had ſinned; So that the Principles of evil were the Apoſtate Angels and Apoſtate man: Otherwiſe take we the world in an innocent ſence, for the Fabrick of it, with the Creatures therein, So it is wholly good and of God: Therefore Gen. 1. God is ſaid to look over all that he had made, and they were very good: Every daies work was good, when they were put altogether, then they were very good, ſo that we are not to judge of every particular thing in the world by it ſelf, but in its Harmony and Union, and ſo the world is like a curious peice of Arras or Tapeſtry, admirably ſhewing the wiſedom of the Creator: Baſil thought that before Adam fell the Roſe did grow without any pricks, and that there was no enmity between the creatures: The Wolf and the Sheep, the Lion and the Lamb, and the Leopard and the Kid did dwell together, &c. But whether this be ſo or no is yet diſputed: Take heed of ſaying The world might have been better, and this thing or that might have been made more compleatly, this is to reproach God the Maker of it: As that wretched Alphonſus King of Spain, who ſaid, That had he been at the Creation of the world, he would have ordered it better then now it is.
Ʋſe 4 4. Is God the Maker of the world? then it follows alſo he is the Preſerver and governour of the world: This muſt neceſſarily follow, for the ſame power is required to preſerve and govern as is to create; And as it is groſſe Athieſm to own any other Maker of the world but God, ſo alſo any other Governour or Ruler: Hence it is that God is ſo often, called the Judge of the world, that he is ſaid to Reign, that the hearts of Kings even the chiefeſt powers in the world are in his hand, he can order them as he pleaſeth; That it is not as men think, as they will or purpoſe, but as the Judge of the world; Faith in this Point while we live in this world is neceſſary; The Lord reigneth, let the world rejoyce, Pſa. 97.1. ſaid David: And again, The Lord reigneth, let the world tremble, Pſa. 99.1. There is matter of joy and matter of trembling becauſe God governeth; Matter of joy to the godly, for he is a Supreme Ruler, who is their God, whoſe eye runneth up and down in their behalf, who keeps up the world for their ſake, who takes care of every godly man ſo fully as if there were no creature elſe but he: And it's alſo of terrour to wicked men, for God rules all, who is an holy, juſt, and righteous God, ſo that they muſt not think alwaies to hold up their heads; They muſt not think God will be mocked, but he will do righteouſly in the world; For want of faith in this Point, we ſee David, Jeremiah, and Habakkuk, ſtaggering exceedingly, ready to commend the waies of wickedneſſe, becauſe they ſeem more proſperous in the world.
Ʋſe 5 5. Is God the Authour of the world? Then let us make that uſe of this world for which God created it; As he had his holy and wiſe ends, ſo do thou aim at them:
Now Gods ends in creating the world were ſuch as theſe,
1. To demonſtrate his own glory, Thus Pſa. 19. The heavens ſhew forth the glory of God, They diſcover his wiſedom, his power, his goodneſſe, and ſo there is not any one creature, though never ſo little but we are to admire the Creator in it; As a Chamber hung round about with Looking-glaſſes, repreſents the face upon every turn, Thus all the world doth the mercy and the bounty of God; Though that be viſible, yet it diſcovers an inviſible God and his inviſible properties.
2. God made this world ſo richly furniſhed for mans uſe; And therefore man is to be enlarged in the conſideration of this matter; Think with thy ſelf how comes there to be ſuch a glorious Sun to wait on thee every day; How comes the earth every Spring to be ſo richly cloathed for thy advantage; Is not all this of Gods appointing? He made a Summer and winter, he hath given the appointed works of the harveſt, ſo that the world is nothing but Gods ſtorehouſe, and great Granary that he hath given to man; This is ſo great a matter that the Pſalmiſt cried out, Lord, what is man that thou art ſo mindeful of him? Pſa. 144.3. Thus Paul ſpeaking of God the Creator of the world, Act. 17. amplifieth it in this, That he giveth us richly to enjoy all things.
3. God made this world not for a d…elling place for thee, Thou art not to abide here for ever; He made the world as the Wilderneſſe to the Iſraelites, They were to be Pilgrims in it, and to ſeek after Canaan: As Adam by his fault continued not in Paradiſe, ſo neither by reaſon of death was he long in the world; Therefore the Apoſtle ſaith, We have here no abiding City, Heb. 12. Oh then that we could remember to what end God made this world, not to place our hopes and utmoſt deſires here, but to look upon this as the way, and heaven as our journeys end; But oh how much faith and heavenly mindedneſſe is required of every one to perform this!
Ʋſe 6 Ʋſe 6. Did God lay the Foundations of the world, and that in time, how greatly then are the people of God to be affected with his love in electing of them? for God choſe them before the Foundations of the world, he loved them before the world was; This ſheweth the freeneſſe of Gods love, This manifeſts his abſolute tender bowels to his Children; Alas his love to thee was not from yeſterday, or ſo many years, but from Eternity: Doubt not then of the efficacy of this love in all the effects of it, He that hath choſen thee from Eternity, will call thee, will juſtifie thee, will glorifie thee, not that theſe are done from Eternity, only God purpoſed to do them in time: David would remember the kindeneſſes of the Lord that were of old, but how old is this goodneſſe of God in chooſing thee to eternal glory?
Ʋſe 7 Laſtly, Did God create the world out of nothing, and that in ſix daies, ſuch glorious Heavens and all other parts, from a dark Chaos and Abyſſe? then this may teach us to depend on God in all publike ſtraights of the Church, or all thy Perſonal Temptations; What a fooliſh thing was it in the people of Iſrael to ſay, Can God provide a Table in the Wilderneſſe? Cannot he that made this great world of nothing doe a leſſe matter? This ſhould be ſeriouſly thought of by thee when thou art dejected and overwhelmed, ſaying, How can this be, and how can that be? Say, O Lord, what low, unworthy thoughts have I of thee? Didſt not thou create a world? and ſhall I ſay, How ſhall God help me in this diſtreſſe? and for this reaſon is it that in the Pſalms and Prophets Gods creating the world is often brought in as an argument to ſupport the Children of God under all miſeries, Fear not, God made the world.