One-Hundred Forty-Five Sermons Upon John 17, Sermon 62
SERMON LXII. Sheweth how prone men are to know Christ after the fleſh, and wherein it appears.
JOH. 17.12.
While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy Name.
A Second Obſervation may be gathered from the circumſtance of time and place, in theſe words, while I was with them in the world.
This (you heard) was in reſpect of his corporall viſible preſence, otherwiſe he would be in a ſpiritual inviſible manner alwaies with them, his preſence is not changed but the manner of his preſence, From whence this Doctrine floweth.
Doct. That there is no corporal or viſible improvement of Chriſt but ſpiritual only.That now there is no corporal or viſible improvement of Chriſt but ſpiritual only; We are apt now with Thomas to ask for the wounds and prints of the nails; We are not now to expect any viſible or corporal refreſhments by him, but what we have, must be in a way of faith. Heb. 11.1. Faith is the Evidence of things not not ſeen, This the Apoſtle preſſeth, 2 Cor. 5.16. Though we have known Chriſt after the fleſh▪ yet henceforth know we him no more; Whatſoever corporal helps and comforts, whatſoever viſible ſupports once they had, yet now they attend not to any ſuch things any more; Chriſt himſelf is not now known after the fleſh, but after the ſpirit.
To open this Conſider,
1. That there was a time when the Apoſtles and Beleevers had not only a ſpiritual enjoyment of Chriſt by Faith but alſo a viſible and corporal one, viz. in that time when Chriſt was familiarly converſant with them in the fleſh, Then they ſaw Chriſt face to face, and rejoyced in him as one friend with another: Now this in it ſelf could not be but unſpeakable comfort with our own eyes to ſee Chriſt, with our own ears to hear him ſpeak, and with our own hand… to handle that Word of Life, as 1 Joh. 1.1. Luk. 10 24. Our Saviour himſelf cals them bleſſed, even becauſe they lived in that age wherein they might corporally ſee him, Many Kings and Prophets have deſired to ſee and hear the things you do, Prophets though they had immediate Revelations and Viſions from God, and ſo were called Seers, yet they deſired to ſee Chriſt in his bodily preſence; And Kings though they had the temporal glory of the world to behold, yet they deſired to ſee Chriſt in the fleſh; No wonder then if it were one of the three things Auſtin ſo deſired, that he might have lived in thoſe times when Chriſt was here upon the Earth; Do but judge within your ſelves, Would you not go many miles if it were certain Chriſt were in ſuch a place teaching and working Miracles; Now the Diſciples by Chriſts viſible preſence had many advantages, when they were in any outward ſtreights he provided for them, though he ſent them without any money upon his work, yet they confeſſed they lacked nothing all that while; When they were diſcouraged with their wicked Adverſaries he comforted their hearts; When they were in any temporal danger, as when the Ship was toſſed with Tempeſts he ſaved them, and which is above all, he was a viſible Doctor and Teacher unto them, ſo that there was nothing in Religion they doubted of, but he could infallibly direct them in; It's that which the Papiſts ſo much pleade for, that there muſt be a viſible infallible Head in the Church, who is to decide matter of faith, otherwiſe there cannot be any certainty, but one will pretend to the Truth as well as another: Now the Apoſtles had ſuch a viſible Head of the Church to direct them, though we have none now, but the Spirit of God by the Word doth direct and guide ſuch as walk humbly: Oh what a Treaſure was this, That an Apoſtle could not have one doubt upon his heart, any ſcruple in his Conſcience, any doubt about any Text in the Old Teſtament, but he had an infallible Prophet to go to who could teach him all things! Thus there was a time of outward viſible enjoying of Chriſt.
But 2. This outward viſible enjoying of Chriſt was not of any advantage at all, if there had not been alſo a ſpiritual beleeving on him; It was not the ſeeing, the hearing, the living with him made a man happy, but the ſpiritual receiving of him as a Mediatour; Did not Iudas live with him in this kinde, was not he as a familiar Friend with him, yet for all that he was a Sonne of Perdition? Hence our Saviour upon all occaſions took them off from attending to ſuch viſible advantages, as Luke 11.27. when they cried out, Bleſſed is the womb that bare Chriſt, and the paps that gave him ſuck: He corrected this, and ſaid, Bleſſed are they that hear the Word of God and do it; So that the very Mother of Chriſt was more bleſſed in conceiving Chriſt in her heart by Faith, then conceiving him in her womb, So Mar. 3.35. when they told him his Mother and Brethren were to ſeek him, he anſwered, Whoſoever doth the will of God, the ſame is my Mother and Brother; So that now all ſuch corporall conſiderations are to vaniſh, and ſpirituall Arguments are to take place; Even as when Chriſt left his Diſciples bodily, then the Spirit of God came powerfully upon them. If then we would duely improve Chriſt as a Mediatour, we are to be a ſpirituall people, our hearts, deſires, and aims muſt be wholly ſpirituall; But this is too great a leſſon for any natural man, he cannot make any uſe of Chriſt, but after a fleſhly carnal manner one way or other; The life of Faith is as much above them as reaſon is above a Beaſt; The natural man cannot receive them becauſe spiritually diſcerned, 1 Cor. 2.14. Therefore wicked men are called ſenſuall, and are compared to brute beaſts, which are wholly carried out by ſence.
We will inſtance in ſome particulars by which it's apparent that we are prone to know Chriſt after a corporal manner:Wherein mens proneneſſe appears to know Chriſt after the fleſh.
As 1. All thoſe doctrinal Opinions in Popery about viſible Images and Crucifixes to repreſent God and Chriſt, what are theſe but even to deſire Chriſt to be here bodily with us ſtill: And becauſe this cannot be, therefore we have a Crucifix, we keep ſome bodily repreſentation of him; This the Papiſts commend as of ſpecial uſe to ſtir up devotion; Hence ſome of them make the ſame kinde of worſhip to be given to a Crucifix as to Chriſt himſelf; Thus Chriſt is wholly neglected ſpiritually, he is not propounded as a Mediatour to Faith, but as a pleaſing picture to the ſence; And thus alſo though God be a Spirit, and he would not appear to the Iſraelites in any ſimilitude, that they might not make any Image of him, yet how prone were they to make ſimilitudes of God, and is this only among Papiſts? Are not the common people ſo ignorant and ſuperſtitious as to be doting upon ſuch viſible Objects, Even as little Children love to play with Babies.
2. Our proneneſſe to know Chriſt after a corporal manner is ſeen in the Doctrine of Tranſubſtantiation, where the Papiſts hold the Bread and Wine to be really turned into the body and bloud of Chriſt, that it's no longer bread or Wine but Chriſts body and bloud; Therefore they look not up to Chriſt in heaven by Faith, but to Chriſt in the Sacrament, as if his corporal being there were all in all; Inſomuch that all the affection and devotion they put forth in a Sacrament is wholly viſible and carnal; They worſhip it as if the body of Chriſt were there; They ſet it up to be ſeen that all may bodily fall down and worſhip; Thus all is done in a corporal manner, and whereas of old it was ſurſum corda, now it is deorſum corda; None are more devoid of ſpirituall Underſtanding then thoſe that are thus buſied in a viſible carnal way of Religion.
3. The corrupt Opinions about Sacramenes as if they did conveigh Grace and Chriſt by the very work done; This is alſo to know Chriſt after a carnall manner▪ for it's not the Ordinances but the Spirit of God in and by them, that doth us any good, Joh. 6. The fleſh profiteth little, but the Spirit, yet this hath been the univerſal diſeaſe of Gods Church in all Ages: In the Old Teſtament there they reſted upon the Sacrifices, upon the Temple, upon their external Rites; Oh how often do the Prophets labour to convince them of this errour! Hence Paul ſpeaks of a Jew in the fleſh, and in the Letter, and a Iew in the Spirit, Rom 2. and all the Jewiſh rites are called carnal Ordinances, and beggarly; They bring no real good to them that are exerciſed therein without the Spirit, and may we not ſay, that almoſt all Chriſtianity is but a religious carnality, a reſting and relying upon Ordinances ſo farre as they are bodily and viſibly performed; When the Apoſtle 1 Pet. 3. had ſaid, Baptiſm ſerveth to prevent all miſtakes, he addeth, Not the waſhing of the body but the anſwer of a good conſcience; When a man upon good examination of himſelf can ſay, O Lord, thou knoweſt that I do in truth and uprightneſs keep to thoſe duties I am ſolemnly by Baptiſm engaged unto; Thus for the Lords Supper, is not it the very receiving of it judged the very ſaving of men? Do not commonly people take it as if in the very bread and wine there were ſome Sacrifical vertue, as when they take Phyſick they judge ſome Phyſical inherent vertue in that to help them; Oh what Ieremy hath his head full enough of water to bewail this carnall, groſſe, and ignorant Chriſtianity that is in the world, which judgeth the very Sacraments, or any bodily worſhip in praiers or ſinging of Pſalmes, though they be but as Parrats in theſe things, to be great evidences for heaven; But as the body without the ſoul is dead and a lothſome Carkaſſe, thus is all thy Religion, worſhip, and Ordinances a dead lothſome thing in the preſence of God without the Spirit; This the Apoſtle cals ſerving of God in the oldneſſe of the letter, not the newneſſe of the Spirit, Rom. 7.6. And in this ſence we may ſay the Letter killeth and damneth, but the Spirit giveth life; Oh then be afraid thou art not one of thoſe that ſplit their ſouls at this Rock; This is the common poiſon that devoureth moſt; Even as the Scripture ſpeaks contemptibly of the Egyptian Army, Iſa. 31.3. They are fleſh and not spirit; The ſame may be ſaid of all that Religion and devotion which moſt put confidence in: But yet take heed of another extream errour that crieth down the Ordinances, and under pretence of a ſpirituall high attainment, which they think they have, wholly lay aſide theſe viſible Ordinances and performances which Chriſt hath appointed in his Church till the end of the world.
4. Then men would have Chriſt after a viſible manner when they pretend Revelations and Miracles; For what is this but to leave the Word and the promiſes as if that were not ſufficient, God indeed hath condeſcended to ſupport ſence, as when he vouchſafed Miracles in the Infancy of the Church, yea, the Sacraments he hath appointed are a kinde of relief to our ſence, he conſidered our weakneſſe in appointing ſuch viſible Signs, but when we are not contented with Gods Inſtitutions but deſired ſuch ſenſible ſupports, which he will not afford, This proceeds from a carnal diſpoſition in us, This is the cauſe in Popery why they tell us of ſuch miraculous apparitions, they will tell you of Crucifixes bleeding, of Chriſts viſible appearing, of ſuch great wonders done upon the Invocation of ſuch and ſuch Saints, and all this is to humour the carnal part of a man, for ſpiritual things are ſupernatural and very hard and difficult to fleſh and bloud.
5. This is to know Chriſt after a corporal manner, when we profeſſe his Truth, and acknowledge his waies only for earthly advantages, as he ſaid, Fac me Epiſcopum Romanum & ere Chriſtianus; Thus they did of whom Paul made mention with weeping, that they were enemies to the Croſſe of Chriſt, that their God was their belly, that they minded earthly things, Phil. 3.19. Such Diſciples were thoſe that followed Chriſt becauſe of the Loaves; Now the Lord Chriſt he cals to ſuch duties that are oppoſite to fleſh and bloud, that are againſt the incilination of our nature; To pull out the right eye, To deny our ſelves, To take up the Croſs, We are not to be of thoſe that love Chriſts Crown of gold but not his Crown of Thorns: How greatly did Mahumetan Religion prevail, by ſuch Doctrines as were pleaſing to the corrupt inclinations and ſinful pleaſures of men, and becauſe Chriſts Doctrine was accompanied with ſo much difficulty.
Laſtly, There is in the godly ſometimes an inordinate deſire after Chriſt in a ſenſible manner, and that is when they cannot reſt upon the promiſes, beleeve on Gods Word barely unleſſe they have alſo evident and ſenſible Conſolations: Bare acts of depending faith and conſtant waitings on God in the way of his promiſe argue thee to be more ſpiritual in thy Chriſtian warfare.
Ʋſe of Inſtruction, how much it becometh all Chriſtians to be a ſpirituall people, for all things in Chriſt are ſpiritual, and all benefits to be received by him are in a ſpiritual manner; How comes Chriſts Death, Chriſts Reſurrection effectual to thee, but in a ſpirituall manner; You cannot now do ſo much as the Woman in the Hiſtory, touch the hem of his garment: You cannot with Thomas put your fingers in the print of nails, No, here is the Eye of Faith required to behold Chriſt, Chriſt bid the Woman touch him not, for he was not yet aſcended, but we may ſay, Becauſe he is aſcended do not thou have carnal imaginations about him; It is for want of a ſpiritual heart that ſo many titular Chriſtians have no real vertue or efficacy from him; He is not an Head, he is not a Vine, he is not Wiſedom, Righteouſneſſe, and all things to thee becauſe thou art not a ſpiritual Subject to entertain him.