One-Hundred Forty-Five Sermons Upon John 17, Sermon 45
SERMON XLV. The Application of the former Subject; Setting forth the Neceſſity of Faith and Repentance as to the Intereſting us in Chriſt; The Freeneſſe of Gods Love, The Qualifications of thoſe to whom Christs Death is made advantagious; And alſo their Priviledges above all others.
JOH. 17.9.
I pray not for the world.
THe controverſall part being diſpatched ſo farre as was convenient in this place, we now come to the practicall: We leade you out of the Camp that ye may gather honey; For you may ask To what purpoſe is all this D…ſputation? What matter is it whether Chriſt had a ſpeciall or an univerſal love in his Death? I acknowledge it is very good to keep within the bounds of Sobriety and Piety, and not to be ſo diſputative about the univerſality of Chriſts Death as to be ſollicitous whether we are in the number of thoſe for whom he died▪ for whether he died for all or for ſome, If we repent not and beleeve there will be little comfort or advantage for us either way.
Ʋſe 1 And therefore the firſt Ʋſe ſhall be of Inſtruction to demonſtrate the neceſſity of converſion and turning unto God from our ſinnes, for all men that pretend to any reaſon or piety howſoever they differ about Chriſts death, yet agree in this, that no man hath benefit by Chriſts death but ſuch who cleanſe themſelves from their iniquities, who renounce their former luſts that were like ſo many Lords, quot vitia tot Domini; And take Jeſus Chriſt for their Lord and King; There was ſcarce any Heretique ever ſo beſotted as to preach Chriſt ſo died for all that it's no matter whether ye repent or no; whether you forſake your ſins or no, Chriſt died to ſave you; No, they agree in this, though otherwiſe ſo different that no benefit of Chriſts death is actually applied to any man, till by Faith and Repentance he be a qualified Subject; ſo that the wicked man wallowing in his ſins hath cauſe to tremble and quake under this Truth, he may ſay Mihi nec ſeritur nec metitur; Here is nothing makes for me in all theſe Opinions: If I be Calviniſt, Arminian, or any other way, I cannot have any quietneſſe, or look for any comfort till I and my ſins are divided; Only that of Origens might give thee ſome eaſe, if it could be true that all men and devils ſhall be ſaved at laſt, after they have been a long while tormented in hell; But this is ſo directly contrary to Scripture that cals theſe torments everlaſting torments, a fire that cannot be quenched, a worm that cannot die; That if this be all thy hope thou maiſt roar out in horrour, and wiſh thou hadſt never been born, ſo that if wicked men would ſet judgement on work they would ſee nothing abides them but a fearfull expectation of the vengeance of God, all Opinions, all Doctrines ſhut them out; If there could one come and bid thee Go on merrily in thy ſins, be as prophane as thou haſt been, never think of cries and tears for thy ſins becauſe Chriſt hath died to ſave thee howſoever; This man indeed might make thee run into exceſſe of all riot, and to ſay, Let us eat and drink for to morrow we ſhall die, and ſo be ſaved; But the Scripture is ſo plain againſt this, that all may be perſwaded of it without any difficulty; Shall we ſin that grace may abound? ſaith Paul, God forbid; Rom. 6.1. And he makes the damnation juſt of thoſe men who gather ſuch conſequences: Think then with thy ſelf that in what ſence ſoever Chriſt died, yet thy ſinnes make a great gulf between thee and Heaven; God hath ſet a flaming Sword to keep thee out of Paradiſe; therefore cry out I have no hope as yet, Oh my condition hath no comfort, I cannot meet with any ſound Doctor that dares give me any comfort while I love and live in my ſinnes; Why then, wilt thou embrace thoſe luſts that are ſuch a preſent poiſon and ruine to thee? Hereafter thou wilt be perſwaded when too late; That ſinne hath been thy only Enemy when God ſhall bid thee Depart ye Curſed, then wilt thou bid thy curſed luſts Depart, but then it will be too late.
Ʋſe 2. of Inſtruction, To teach the godly what a ſad aggravation there is in every ſinne they commit, That it's againſt the ſpecial love of Chriſt in dying for thee; This bloudy circumſtance is in thy ſinnes which cannot be in the ſins either of wicked men or devils; Excellent is that Meditation of Euſebius Emiſſenus, Though (aith he) the devils ſhould be damned for many ſinnes and I but for one, yet that would exceed the devils Impiety, for the devils never ſinned againſt a God that became an Angel for them; They never ſinned againſt God that died and was crucified for them, but miſerable and wretched I (pro animâ meâ cur non liquefio cum haec cogito) have ſinned againſt a God made man for me, Againſt a God dying an ignominious death for me, Againſt a God leaving me ſuch an example of love and holineſſe; Indignior ſum Lucifero, indignior ſum daemonibus, I am more unworthy then the devils, more unworthy then Beelzebub; Oh that we could all both think and ſpeak ſo, that not only our tongues may utter it, but our hearts be inwardly affected, that we might as Bernard ſaid, linguam in ſanguine cordis tingere; Oh then let this ſpecial love of Chriſt to thee more then many thouſands wotk in thee more ſpecial love and thankfulneſſe then others have; Take heed of ſinne, for thy ſinnes have this ſpecial aggravation in them which wicked men have not; Chriſt hath ſhewed thee ſo great love that he himſelf could not ſhew a greater, and therefore who ſhall excuſe thee if thou ſinne for all this; Here is then no doctrine of carnal Security in this Point; Here is no door ſet open for Licentiouſneſſe, but as Chriſt ſaid from a Parable, She loved much, for much was forgiven her; The ſame ſhould be in all the godly, much hath been given and forgiven them, therefore they ought to love much, and this was ſet upon Pauls heart even Chriſts peculiar and ſpecial love, Gal. 2. Who loved me and gave himſelf for me.
Ʋſe 2 Ʋſe 2. Had Chriſt a peculiar and ſpecial love in his praier and death for ſome only, then here we ſee what is the Theſaurus Eccleſiae, not any Popiſh Indulgences or imagined heaps of ſuperfluous merits, but even the death of Chriſt, that and that only doth inrich, comfort, and make happy all the people of God: If therefore thou art one who canſt upon true grounds gather thou haſt a propriety in Chriſts death, thou art not to be afraid, neither living or dying what man or devils ſhall do unto thee, Rom 8. The Foundation of all juſtification, ſanctification, and glorification is upon this, Chriſt died, Who ſhall condemn? It is Chriſt that died; Therefore there cannot be any accuſation or condemnation becauſe Chriſt died; Therefore the main Queſtion is, What Evidences thou haſt for an Intereſt in Chriſts Death, for if that be once granted, unſpeakable and innumerable are the priviledges that belong to thee; Therefore encourage and ſtrengthen thy heart with the comfortable fruits of Chriſts Death; Let us conſider whether thou haſt the qualifications of ſuch to whom Chriſts death is made profitable and advantagious.
And 1. They that have an Intereſt in Chriſts Death they are dead to ſin;The Qualifications of ſuch to whom Chriſts death is made ſavingly advantagious. Chriſts Death and ſinnes death go together; So the Apoſtle, As Chriſt died once, ſo ſhould we to ſinne and live to Righteouſneſſe, Rom. 6.10, 11. and Gal 5. He that is Chriſts hath crucified the fleſh with the luſts thereof; If Chriſt be crucified for thee, the luſts of ſinne are crucified in thee; For the end of Chriſts Death was not only ſalvation and happineſſe but to kill all the ſpiritual Enemies we have of this happineſſe, and ſinne is the main, for Death had no ſting, no, neither could hell be hell, or the devil a devil to thee, did not ſinne put power into all theſe; Be not then preſumptuous, but fear and examine thy ſelf; Thou ſpeakeſt much of Chriſts Death, This is in thy month, I truſt in Chriſt that died for me; But is Chriſts Death the death of thy ſinnes? Canſt thou ſee thoſe luſts which like Pharaoh and the Egyptians did once rule over and oppreſſe thee, now drowned in the Red Sea of Chriſts bloud. This is neceſſary if thou wilt have any comfort becauſe Chriſt is dead, ſee whether thou art dead to ſinne or no: Art thou as a dead man who in reſpect of all pleaſures and delights findes no Inclination, thus it ought to be with thee: The Scripture ſpeaks often concerning this, that the godly are dead to ſinne, ſinne hath not that dominion and power once it had; Oh but how many as the Scripture diſtinguiſheth are dead in ſinne not to ſinne; Though they have mountains of ſinnes lie upon them, Though the vengeance of God belong to them all the day long; That whether they are eating, drinking, or ſleeping, they are an accurſed people by the Law, which is Gods own Sentence and doom, yet for all that they are not afraid, neither do they tremble; Oh then examine thy ſelf faithfully in this, If Chriſt died for me how comes this ſinne to live in me, for Chriſt like Sampſon when he died wrought the death of his Enemies; When he died, it was that thoſe lively active luſts ſhould die alſo.
2. If thou haſt an Interest in Chriſts Death thou art not only dead to ſinne but to the world, God forbid that I ſhould glory (ſaith Paul) but in the Croſſe of Chriſt, whereby the world is crucified to me and I to the world, Gal. 6.14. Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth, for ye are dead, Col. 3.2, 3. Therefore not onelyonly groſſe prophaneſſe doth exclude from a propriety in Chriſts Death, but an immoderate frame of heart to theſe lawful things below; Indeed if thy overflowing affections to theſe things be a burthen to thee, and matter of daily conflict, then it's plain theſe immoderate affections are not in a quiet pacifical dominion over thee, and ſo they are the evil thou wouldſt not do; And then theſe can never hurt non ſenſus but conſenſus nocet: But if they do withall delight ſo poſſeſſe thy heart that they quite dead thee to God and heaven, Thou ſindeſt no relliſh in heavenly things comparatively to the earthly; Thou canſt ſay contrary to David, when thy Wine and Oyle encreaſeth thou haſt more joy then thoſe that truſt in God, Pſal. 4. Then art thou to fear Chriſts Death, and his Praier doth not as yet belong to thee. Hence it is that the efficacy of Chriſts death is much diſcovered in the godly by this twofold Death it works on them, a death to ſinne, and a death to the world; Even his Reſurrection manifeſts it ſelf in quickning of us to all holineſſe, and ſeeking of thoſe things that are above; Let us then ſee by the effects that Chriſts Death belongs to thee.
3. They that have an Intereſt in Chriſts Death they make that an example of all patience and humble Reſignation, 1 Pet. 2.21, 24. Chriſts Death is not onelyonly efficacious and meritorious but exemplary alſo, So that if the Lord afflict us it is no more then what hath been done to his only Sonne already; Though he were a Sonne, yet he learned Obedience (ſaith the Scripture) by thoſe ſufferings; Heb. 5 6. Now then behold Chriſt in all his ſufferings, when he was reviled reviled not again, when he ſuffered threatned not; What threatnings might not Chriſt have denounced againſt the Jews becauſe they killed him who was the Prince of glory, and ſo dear to his Father, but he is like a Lamb that opens not his mouth before the ſhearer or the killer: Oh then how ſhould this ſhame us for our unruly paſſions, for our impatient workings and commotions of ſoul; Oh ſilence thy Soul, ſaying, Did Chriſt bear his afflictions no otherwiſe? Did Chriſt refuſe the bitter cup that was given him to drink? Did he not ſay, Not my will, but thy will be done.
4. He that hath advantage by Chriſts Death looks upon the bitterneſſe and uglineſſe of ſinne as being ſo foul that nothing but the bloud of Chriſt could waſh it away: The very thoughts of Chriſts Death preſently makes him ſay, Oh the curſed and foul nature of all ſinne; Neither men nor Angels could take away the ſpot of it but only Chriſts Death; Wicked men therefore they are ſaid to trample under feet the bloud of Chriſt. Heb. 10. Becauſe they have not thoſe right precious thoughts about it as they ought to have; Though the bloud of Chriſt ſpeaks better things then that of Abel, yet it doth in ſome reſpects ſpeak more terrible things, becauſe by that we ſee how infinitely God is diſpleaſed with ſinne, how unſatisfied his juſtice was till ſuch an atonement was made; So that if we look into hell, if we behold all the torments and miſeries there, it doth not ſo fully repreſent the foul guilt of ſinne as Chriſt crucified on the Croſſe, ſweating drops of bloud, and crying out, My God, My God, why haſt thou forſaken me?
5. They that ſhall have advantage by Chriſts Death they are infinitely affected with that love of God and Chriſt therein; As you ſee in Paul, That love of Chriſt giving himſelf for us ſinners and enemies, to be reconciled thereby to God; Oh how mightily did it conſtrain Paul 2 Cor. 5.14. The love of Christ conſtraineth us, holds us in an extaſie, working on us, as the Spirit did on the Prophets in their illuminations and propheſies; And why ſo? Becauſe we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead; To conſider from what a dying damning eſtate Chriſts Death doth free us, muſt needs be like fire burning and inflaming a man all over; If we had not been deſperately dead, dead every way, dead in ſin, dead in guilt, dead in reſpect of all earthly hope, Chriſt would not have died for us; Oh then the unſpeakable affections and enlargements which the Death of Chriſt works in thoſe that have a propriety therein.
6. They that have a propriety in Chriſts Death will reſign all they have up unto Chriſt, and now live no longer to themſelves or to worldly motives, but unto Chriſt; Rom. 6.10, 11. 1 Pet 2.24. ſo 1 Cor. 6.20. the Apoſtle urgeth becauſe we are bought with a price, therefore we are none of our own, and we ſhould glorifie God in ſoul and body; He then that can claim a Title to Chriſts Death looks not upon his body, his eſtate, his health, his parts, the faculties and affections of his ſoul, as his own, his love is not, his anger is not; Oh how rare then are they who may urge this Argument, Chriſt died, Chriſt was crucified for me, for unleſſe thou art a redeemed man and that from thy ſelf, and all creatures in the world, to live wholly to Chriſt, and to reſigne all up to him, here is little hope for thee; Obſerve then theſe qualifications, and if upon true ſearch they can be found in thee, then proceed to make an application of all thoſe glorious priviledges that come by Chriſts death; Fear not, let not the devil or thy own guilty heart keep thee off from taſting, yea, eating abundantly of this honey: Hearken what Chriſt ſpeaks to his Church concerning priviledges and gracious favours, Cant. 5.1. Eat O Friends, drink, …ea drink abundantly;
And 1.The priviledges that come by Chriſts Death to thoſe that have intereſt therein. Thoſe that can pleade Chriſts Death may alſo pleade his Reſurrection, Interceſſion, and whatſoever glorious actions of his are done for his people; If Chriſt died for thee, he roſe again for thee, he interceded in heaven for thee; When thou ſaieſt he is an Advocate to pleade thy cauſe, Rom 8. It's Chriſt that died who is riſen again, ſo that the Death of Chriſt is the foundation of all his other gracious acts: Hence it is that the remiſſion of our ſins is attributed to the ſhedding of his bloud: The atonement of our iniquities is given unto his death, becauſe in it he did manifeſt the greateſt obedience unto the will of God, and the loweſt humiliation of himſelf for us, Phil. 2. If then thou haſt a propriety in the death of Chriſt, Chriſt hath done the utmoſt for thee even to die for thee; You ſee that put him upon the greateſt ſtruglings and agonies, if he would have refuſed in any thing it would have been in this; This was the bittereſt cup he was to drink of: Oh then the glorious priviledge of him who hath a propriety in the death of Chriſt, he is thereby intereſted in all the Offices, all the actions of Chriſt in all that Chriſt is or can doe for us.
2. He that hath Intereſt in Chriſts Death hath a propriety in all the benefits of his Mediatorſhip, Juſtification, Sanctification, Glorification▪ Rom. 8. The Apoſtle hangs all theſe admirable benefit ultimately upon Chriſts Death, Who ſhall condemn? it's Chriſt that died; So that Chriſt is that dead Lion wherein as Sampſon we may finde ſo much honey not only for our ſelves but for the refreſhment of all others; This Argument cannot be denied at the Throne of grace, It's ſtronger then ſin and devils; O Lord I am one for whom Chriſt died, Can Juſtice, can the Law, can the devil condemn? Here was an atonement, and Chriſts doing it once was enough; The Apoſtle ſaith Heb. 10.14. By one offering of himſelf he perfected for ever all them that are ſanctified; The Apoſtle puts much in this one offering, and that he did it once, ſhewing thereby that if Chriſt had been crucified a thouſand times over, yet he could not have more perfected the ſalvation of the godly then he did by that once offering; Say then when thou praieſt for pardon, for ſanctification, for the favour of God; O Lord I ask not for ſuch great things as thou haſt done already, I do not beg a Chriſt to die for me, I do not ask a Chriſt to be crucified for me, yet this thou haſt done, and therefore where the greater is granted the leſſe will not be refuſed.
3. Where we can prove an intereſt in Chriſts death there we may be ſure no other good thing in heaven or earth ſhall be denied unto us; And what can a godly man deſire more; If thou ſhouldſt ſit down to think and think again, canſt thou go beyond this? Lord give me all things that are good for me; Now the Apoſtle urgeth this, Rom. 8. If he hath delivered up Chriſt for us, how ſhall he not with him give us all things elſe, all things, There is nothing in heaven and earth, but thou maiſt have from God as well as Chriſt, and truly the argument is undeniable, if God will give us his onelyonly Sonne to die that ignominious death for us, what gift can there be like to this? God himſelf hath not a greater gift to beſtow upon us, There is nothing in heaven or earth can be paralleld to him, if therefore thou haſt Chriſt, thou haſt enough, whatſoever thou wanteſt it is not becauſe God doth not love thee, or becauſe his merciful thoughts are not towards thee, but becauſe many good things are not abſolutely good in themſelves, and ſo not wholly neceſſary for thee, if thou couldſt be no more without riches, and honours then thou canſt be without Chriſt, thou wert ſure to have all theſe things in abundance; The Apoſtle himſelf who made this Concluſion, yet he tels of the manifold perplexities and afflictions he was many times in: He tels us, that if the godly had hope in this life only they were of all men moſt miſerable; Though he had Chriſt, and ſo might have all things, thereby, yet thus he ſpeaks; No wonder then if the people of God do or ſhould rejoice under miſeries and troubles they have this cordial to revive them.
4. He that hath a propriety in Chriſts death may from this ſpecial love to him rather then others, have an aſſured perſwaſion of his immovable ſtate in grace here, till he be removed to glory hereafter; For how can it be thought that Chriſt will loſe that childe of his for whoſe ſake he endured all that miſery and agony as he did, after he hath ſuffered thus many things ſhall it be in vain; No (ſaith Paul) from the conſideration of Chriſts death, Rom. 8. Who ſhall ſeparate us? Shall tribulation, anguiſh, ſhall things preſent or things to come.
Laſtly, They that are planted with Chriſt in his Death they have this priviledge to rejoyce in all tribulations, and eſpecially to be above the fear of death; For Chriſts death took away ſinne the ſting of death; See how Chriſt triumphs and giveth every godly man leave to rejoyce, 1 Cor. 15. O death where is thy ſting? O grave where is thy Victory? For that death could have no power over Chriſt, but he brake the bands of it aſunder, therefore it is that the members of Chriſt enjoy the ſame priviledge; Therefore under all temptations and fears run to the death of Chriſt, It was the death of all afflictions and death it ſelf, all the nature of ſuch things is turned by Chriſts death, they are mercies, they are inlets to glory: