The Scripture Directory for Church Officers and People, Exposition 1 · Verse 14
Verſe 14. If any mans work abide, which he hath built thereupon, he ſhall receive a reward.
THe Apoſtle (you heard) hath in a general manner, treated of the time and manner, how all the works of the builders in the Church ſhall be tryed, which (perſiſting in his Metaphor) he cals fire. He now comes to the application of this Allegory, and to ſhew the particular diſparity. And
1. He beginneth with the wiſe builder, and herein you have the good work ſuppoſed. And
2. The good reward promiſed.
The good work ſuppoſed is, If it abide. If it can endure the fire, and be not conſumed by it; for ſo all truth will. The good thing promiſed, is, He ſhall receive a reward. By the reward here promiſed, to underſtand only that honour and dignity he ſhall have in the Church, is to limit it too much; we may take it for all the honour and bleſſing God will beſtow on him here, and eternal life hereafter.
Now why it's called a Reward, and the improvement of that, hath been already conſidered; we ſhall therefore pitch on the matter ſuppoſed, If any mans work abide. Now this muſt be underſtood, ſuppoſing all the other conditions likewiſe required to ſalvation: For if a man preach truth never ſo truly; if duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page he be never ſo Orthodox, yet if his life be wicked, he ſhall looſe heaven for all that. Therefore thoſe who are Orthodox in their judgments, and do not walk exactly in their lives, are like thoſe poſts in the high-way (as Auſtin ſaid) that direct paſſengers to go the right way, but they themſelves ſtand ſtill. The meaning then of the Apoſtle, is, That on his Doctrines part, there ſhall be no impediment to his ſalvation. If his life, and if his aims and ends be gold likewiſe, as well as his Doctrine, he is ſure to have a glorious Reward.
Now though this be a neceſſary point, to ſhew that it's not enough for ſuch Officers to preach that which is truth, but they ought to have ſuch aims and ends, and ſuch an holy converſation alſo, as the Word requireth; elſe, they but make Crowns of glory for others, and they themſelves ſhall be caſt into eternal darkneſſe; yet becauſe it's not intended here, I wave it.
Again, when it's ſaid, If a mans work abide: By work, is meant Doctrine. That you may not ſuck that poiſon, which a Papiſt from hence inferreth, That there are ſome works ſo pure, that they can abide Gods tryal: David thought otherwiſe, when he ſaid, Enter not into judgment with thy ſervant, O Lord, &c. Pſal. 143.2. From the matter then ſuppoſed, If it abide. Obſerve,
Obſerv. Of the durable nature of Gods Truths.That Gods Truths are of a firm and durable Nature, notwithſtanding any tryal or oppoſition whatſoever.
Thus Chriſt Mat. 5.8. Heaven and Earth ſhall ſooner paſſe away, then one iota or title. Whatſoever is aſſerted or threatned, or promiſed, ſtands firmer then Mount Sion, like the earth, which cannot be removed. They who have endeavoured to overthrow Gods Truths, they are as abſurd, as if a man ſhould ſet his ſhoulder to remove a huge mountain. 1 Pet. 1.25. Gods truths are exalted for duration above all earthly pomp; All fleſh is graſſe, the graſſe withereth, the flower fadeth, but the Word of God endureth for ever. See then, the incorruptibility and immortality of Gods Truths, that as it's ſaid of God himſelf, I am the Lord, and I change not, Mal. 3.6. ſo theſe are Gods truths, they change not. All fleſh is graſſe. Whatſoever greatneſſe and power hath exalted it ſelf againſt Gods truth, hath vaniſhed into duſt, when truth hath ſtill prevailed.
To underſtand this, conſider,
Firſt,Truth two-fold, Increated and Created. That there a two-fold truth, Increated and Created. Increated, and that is God himſelf, who is the firſt eſſential and immediate truth. God is true, and every man a lyer. I am the truth (ſaid Chriſt) Joh. 14.6. And this is indeed the ground why Gods truths are ſo permanent, becauſe they are the Aſſertions or Teſtimony of the firſt Truth. So that as the Sunne, the Fountain of light, cannot be dark, ſo neither is it poſſible for God to lie or deceive.
Created truths of two ſorts.Now Created Truths, are of two ſorts. Natural Truths, ſuch as are in Philoſophy, and are implanted in mens minds, either as principles, or as neceſſary concluſions to be deduced from them: And theſe are of God, as appeareth Rom. 1. Which made one ſay, Omnis veritas eſt a ſpiritu ſancto. And theſe alſo are neceſſary and certain. And
Secondly, There are Divine Truths, ſuch as are revealed in Gods Word, moſt of which humane reaſon could not comprehend; but as Zacheus, of a low ſtature, got up into the tree to ſee Jeſus, ſo reaſon being too low, muſt aſcend up into the Scripture to behold theſe truths. Now theſe are more certain and durable then thoſe natural Truths, becauſe natural truths are founded upon the nature and eſſence, or properties of the creatures, but Divine Truths on Gods Word. It is true, all Truth is ſaid to be in indiviſibili, and ſo one Truth is not more true then another, but yet the foundation of this truth may be more firm in one then in another.
In the next place, conſider that Gods Truths in his word, Scripture truths reduced to four heads.may be reduced to four heads:
1. Aſſertory Truths, ſuch as aſſert any matter of Faith, or matter of fact.
2. Truths of Propheſying and Prediction; and ſuch do not abide alwaies, becauſe they are compleated in the accompliſhment of them.
3. Truths of Promiſe or Promiſſory, and thoſe have not only Gods word, but ſome of them Gods Oath alſo, and they are founded in Chriſt, in whom they are yea and amen, 2 Cor. 1.
4. There are Comminatory truths or threatnings: now here is this difference between the two latter, ſince Promiſſory truths are not made good, unleſſe a man believe: It's of ſaith that the Promiſe might be ſure, Rom. 4.16. but the threatnings of God are ſure, and wi…l be true, though the prophane perſon do not believe them, though he think the contrary. Now the Miniſters work, which he muſt build, is upon one of thoſe foundations, Aſſertory, Promiſſory, or Comminatory Truths, and this will abide, though the flames burn never ſo violently.
Thirdly, This good building of truth, doth not only abide the fire,Truth willing to be tryed. but deſireth the fire; it's willing to come to the Touchſtone. The thief hateth the light becauſe his deeds are evil. Hereſie and falſe Doctrine doth not love the Touchſtone, no more then the Owle the Sunne. Hence it is, that being provoked to go to the Scriptures, they accuſe the Scriptures of inſufficiency and imperfction. It's a ſaying of Lindan a great Papiſt, living in the firſt time of the Reformation, That it had been better, if they had never yeilded to the Proteſtants to prove things by Scripture, but kept only to tradition. Whenſoever any erroneus perſons begin to diſparage, or to dethrone the Scripture, not to adore the fulneſſe and ſufficiency of it, as a Rule, ſuſpect that man; he is like the Elephant, which becauſe he cannot endure to ſee himſelf in the water, is ſaid to diſturbe and bemuddy it. So that the truths of God do not ſhun the fiery tryal.
Fourthly, The Truths of God, built by a ſpiritual builder, do not only abide the fiery tryal, but they grow more illuſtrious and glorious thereby. They grow more illuſtrious by the fiery Tryal.All the hereſies and Perſecutions that ever have been, were like the waters to the Ark, they lifted it higher to Heaven. The truth about grace had not been ſo clear, had not Pelagius maintained free-will. The Divine Nature of Chriſt had not been ſo fully evidenced out of Scripture, had not the Arrians oppoſed it. Juſtification by Faith in Chr…ſt, had not been ſo ſtrongly and powerfully proved, had not Juſtification by works been obtruded in Popery. So that it doth not only abide the fire, but it's grown more admirable thereby. Many doubts are removed; and as the winds, ſhaking of ſome trees, make the root the faſter, ſo the difference and diſputes about Religion, though they do hurt to ſome, yet to ſound and ſolid men, they have made them more eſtabliſhed. Nil tam certum, quam quod è dubio certum Which made an Antient ſay excellent well, P…us debeo Thomae dubitanti, quam Petro credenti: For by his doubting, Chriſts Reſurrection was more confirmed unto us.
Fifthly, Not only the Truths of God in their Nature, The effects of truth alſo upon the heart, will abide this tryal.but alſo in the proper and genuine effects upon the Hearers, they alſo abide, and will endure the tryal. Now the Truths of God revealed in the Scripture, among other Effects, have theſe notable ones.
Firſt, To aſſure and perſwade the heart of the certainty of them. Hence faith is called aſſurance; and, full aſſurance. Heb. 10.22 And The ſubſtance of things Heb. 11.1. So that where Gods Truth hath been fully received, there it eſtabliſheth the heart. It's not carried away with every wind of Doctrine. There are few that we can ſay of, that they have received the truth, not as the word of man, but as the word of God, 1 Theſ. 2.13. Many are ſo fickle, ſo inconſtant, ſo unſetled, that they are ready every day to have a new Faith; this is, becauſe the Word is not received as Gods Word, but as a mans Opinion.
The ſecond notable Effect, is, To regenerate and make us new creatures: And this is alſo an incorruptible effect, no ſinne, or Devil, or the temptations of the world ſhall be able to obliterate that heavenly Image or Picture, the Word of God hath drawn upon ſuch a mans ſoul. Thus 1 Pet. 1.23, 24. Being born not of corruptible, but the incorruptible ſeed, which is ſaid to abide, though all fleſh and the flower thereof doth periſh. It's true indeed, Davids grace, and Peters grace, in the fiery tryal of ſinne, ſeemed to be quite extinct; but they were as the trees in winter, which have life in the root, though no ſignes of life appear by fruit, or leaves. If therefore you ſee any, who ſeemed to have been regenerated by the Word, totally Apoſtatize and fall off, take the Scriptures ſaying up, They went from us, becauſe they were not of us, Joh. 2.19. No true Starres can indeed fall from Heaven, meteor's may. Thus not only the truths we preach, but even you that are Hearers, ought to be our work, and an abiding work. The Apoſtle cals the Corinthians, his Epiſtle, to be ſeen and read of all men, 2 Cor. 3.2. You are to be as walking Sermon…; and no temptations▪ or perſecuſecutions, yea, The gates of Hell are not to prevail over you, Mat. 16.18. The forgetfull or unprofitable Hearer, doth as much as lies in him, to make the truths of God, of no more durable operation then humane figments.
Object.Now to this Doctrine, there is an obvious and palpable Objection: How can we ſay, that the true and Orthodox building in Chriſts Church, will abide all ſtormes? Do we not read frequently, that in the Church truth hath been condemned, errour owned? All thoſe Martyrs, that loſt their lives for the truths of God, were they not condemned as heretiques? Hath not errour alwaies found more upholders then the truth? Was not the Lord Chriſt condemned, and that by a Council of the Prieſts and Elders of Jeruſalem? Was not the whole world turned Arrian? And in our forefathers daies, was not the Aegyptian darkneſſe of Popery, covering the whole world? Was not the Maſſe, Tranſubſtantiation and Image worſhip, ſet up as the principal truths of God? And are there not men that write, the time will come, when the Word, Trinity, Co-eſſential, or Conſubſtantial, ſhall be as much hated as Maſſe and Tranſubſtantiation?
To this Objection, we Anſwer: That thoſe matters of fact cannot be denyed, and yet the Doctrine is true; for, thoſe oppreſſions and overwhelmings of the truth, were but for a while. The truth of God did abide the fire, even then, and afterwards prevailed more then ever. The Sunne for a while, may be in an Eclipſe, and hidden by black cloudes, but at laſt it's light doth prevail. We do not ſay, that in every place, and at every time, truth alwaies is extolled, and errour condemned, but in time it will be. It's with the truths of Chriſt, as it was with Chriſt himſelf; he ſeemed to be overcome by his adverſaries, he was dead and buried, yet he had a glorious Reſurrection and Aſcenſion. So that as God would not ſuffer his holy one to ſee corruption, ſo neither will he let his holy Truths. But as in Chriſt, his bones (by Gods providence) were not to be broken, the ſeat of ſtrength, ſo neither can the bones of Truth be. The Apoſtle ſaith, The Day ſhall declare it; that is, the time appointed by God.
2. This abiding or decaying, muſt not be judged by carnall reaſon, but by the eye of Faith It's enough that to the godly and Believers, though but a few, truth is acknowledged, though the greater part of the world vote for an errour. Chriſt himſelf was not owned for the Meſſiah, but by a very few that had the eye of Faith; the greater part denyed him. To every mans eye, the Sunnne is leſſe then the whole world, but to art it is farre bigger. That therefore is ſaid to abide the fire, which indeed, and to the eye of Faith doth ſo. Wiſdom is juſtified of her Children, Mat. 11.19.
3. We told you, Though the day of Judgement was not principally intended, yet we could not wholly exclude it neither. And then the truth and ſound principles of faith will abide, when errours ſhall call for the mountains and hils to cover them.
Ʋſe 1. Of Exhortation to us Miniſters. Seeing we are builders, How behove…lli… it to build ſuch ſound ſolid matter, that will abide? Oh that this Text were written in the heart of every one that undertakes to maintain or preach any thing in Religion! It is a Babel or Jeruſalem thou buildeſt, and God will diſcover ſo at laſt. But
Secondly, Of Inſtruction, what you hearers ſhould be, ſuch in whom the truths we preach ſhould live and abide: How can we ſay, All fleſh is graſſe, but the Word of God abideth for ever in your hearts? Nay rather, the Word and all preaching withereth as the graſſe; and the works of ſinne and the world abide for ever with you. Well, know this, that whatſoever we preach out of Gods word, it is of everlaſting abode, it will go to the grave with you, it will go to Hell, or to Heaven with you. Do you forget it never ſo much, that will not forget you? The Word will judge and condemn you; And how can that be, but becauſe it will be alive, and come forth at that great day againſt thee?