Gospel Reconciliation, Chapter 54
CHAP. 54
ƲES. 4. If God and Chriſt ſpeak in the word how, dreadful ought it to be to the Neglectors, Diſobayers, and Contemners of the word?
IF God and Chriſt do ſpeak in the miniſtry of his word; Then O! what a dreadful point is this to al the neglecters, diſobeyers, and contemners of the, miniſtry of the word? Thou neglecteſt the word; O! what doſt thou do when thou neglecteſt the word? thou turneſt thy backe upon Jeſus Chriſt, and wilt not hear him: and therefore I ſuppoſe you know the place; He that turns away his ear from hearing the law, his prayers ſhal be abominable: what doſt thou turn away thine ear from hearing the word? God profeſſes that he wil turn away his ear from hearing thy prayers, and thy prayers ſhal be abominable, for thou turneſt away thine eare from hearing of Chriſt ſpeake to thy ſoul. For it is in Chriſts ſtead (ſaith the Appoſtle) There wil be a time when thou wouldſt fain have the eare of God to hear thee. As you would have God to hear you then: ſo do you hear him now; marke that text in the 1. Prov. 24. againſt thoſe that turn away their eare from hearing God ſpeak. Becauſe I have called and ye refuſed; I have ſtreetched out my hand, and no man regarded; but ye have ſet at naught al my councels, and you would have none of my reproofe: howſoever you thought it was but the word of ſuch and ſuch a man: yet you have ſet at naught al my councels, and you would have none of my reproofe; your hearts fretted, and vext that ſuch a man reproved you: no, it is my reproofe, (ſaith God, and mark what a doom follows in the 26. vers. you you ſhal cal (Saith God) and I wil not hear. There was a time friend when I cald to you by ſuch a ſermon, and you know that I ſpak to your hearts, and you turnd a deaf ear to me; you ſhal cal your hearts out and I wil not hear you, and there wil come a time that you ſhal cal to Gods miniſters to pray for you. What? would you have God to hear his miniſters for you, and wil not you hear his miniſters from God? It was a ſpeech of Ambroſe to Theodoſius the Emperor, ſaith he, wil not you hear me? ſeeing you deſire that I ſhould be heard for you? you deſire ſaith he, that I ſhould be heard for you, and therefore be you willing to heare me: now that was the ſpeech to Theodoſious after he hade fallen to a great ſin, comming to reprove him for his ſin; what (ſaith he) wil not you hear me? you would be willing that I ſhould be heard for you; therefore be you willing to hear me: ſo ſay I to al men that live in any way of ſin; Hear Gods miniſters now, for a day wil come, when you wil be glad that God ſhould hear his miniſters for you; O! hear us when we come in the name of God; we would not have you to heare us if we ſpeake our owne fancies; This concerns thoſe that neglect the word.
Now a word or two to thoſe that diſobey the word; they wil ſet their judgments againſt the judgments of the miniſters, & let him ſay what he wil, it is but his opinion. Do you know what you ſay? this rebellion is againſt God & againſt Chriſt: as if there were this language in your hearts; Chriſt ſaith, I wil have this done; thy luſts ſay they wil have this done: O! this wil be charged upon thee one day; that the voice of the divel was more ſtrong with thee than the voice of Chriſt: but ſpecially it is to contemne the word, to ſet at naught Gods councels; to go away & contemn the word. Doſt thou know what thou doſt? let me apply but theſe two ſcriptures to thee, thou that Deſpiſeſt and Scorneſt the word, that canſt go to company, and there talke of what thou doſt heare in a contemnning manner; conſider but of theſe two texts; I pray, firſt Conſider of the text out of which the Point is Raiſed of Gods Speaking to thee, thou doſt deſpiſe, and doſt thou ſo? Conſiſider what the text in Iſa. 39.23. Saith, when thou getteſt into company, and there art warme with wine, Oh! then thou lifteſt up the voice, and laugheſt; againſt whom haſt thou lift up thy voice? thou thinkeſt it is againſt Hezekiah; No, it is againſt the Holy one of Iſrael; thou thinkeſt it is againſt ſuch a man that preacheth ſuch a day; no, it is againſt the Holy God, and Jeſus Chriſt, and this is upon thy ſcore written in Heaven; here is one that hath reproached the Holy one, and Jeſus Chriſt, In Luke 10.16. He that heareth you, heareth me, &c. That is true (not only of the deſciples, that were there for the preſent upon the earth) but of al the faithful miniſters to the end of the world, for Chriſt ſaith, when he ſends them out, I wil be with you to the end of the world. They were dead more than a thouſand years agoe, and Chriſt yet had promiſed to be with them, that is, thoſe that ſhould ſucceed them; he would be with them to the end of the world. And this Text concerns every faithful miniſter as wel as the diſciples of Chriſt; al that time you deſpiſe Jeſus Chriſt, and God his Father, when you deſpiſe the miniſtery of his word; for the Lords ſake take heed what you do; when you have to deal with the word, you have to deal with an edge tool; it is that, that wil either ſave you, or deſtroy you for ever. You that have been guilty of neglecting the word, the Lord ſtrike and humble your hearts, and for a Cordial for time to come I wil apply but one ſcripture further to you, and that is that, in Heb. 12.25. What is that? that in the faithful miniſtery of the word, God and Chriſt ſpeaks unto people. Then take this exhortation; So that yee refuſe not him that ſpeaketh. If they eſcaped not who refuſed him that ſpak on Earth, much more ſhal not we eſcape if we turne away him that ſpeaketh from Heaven. The Miniſtery of the goſpel, and the Miniſtery of the Law are compared, One ſpeaking from Earth, the other from Heaven; though the truth is, they were both from Heaven. But now in the Miniſtery of the Goſpel, God hath ſent his own Son to you. In the latter daies, he hath ſpoken by his Son ſaith the Apoſtle in 1. Heb. the begining; God who at ſundery times ſpak in times paſt to the Fathers by the Prophets, hath in theſe laſt times ſpoken to us by his Son &c. In former times God ſpake by his Prophets; there was the voice of God (but it is not ſo cleer that there was the voice of God, though it is true Chriſt did ſpeak then by the prophets) but in compariſon Chriſt is not ſaid to ſpeak by them) But now in theſe daies, God hath ſpoken by his Son, and God hath reſerved the Miniſtery of his Grace, and his eternal counſels concerning the Children of men; God hath reſerved this for his Son; and not only his Son perſonally, but his Son in the Miniſtery of his word. Now you wil ſay, If Chriſt did preach (as you ſay he doth) there would be more power. We find that when Chriſt did preach that the Phariſes derided him; in the original it is; they blew their noſes at him, and marke! they that were covetous they derided him, they even derided Jeſus Chriſt himſelf. A worldly heart that is growen rich; that hath gotten from a low eſtate to a far greater; he wil deride the moſt excellent preaching in the world. Take heed that you do not deſpiſe the Miniſtery, for certainly the voice of Chriſt wil prevaile one day. If it doth not prevaile here in the word; it ſhal prevail one day when Chriſt ſhal ſay depart from me yee curſed; though thou doſt not obey the preſent voice of Chriſt, yet thou ſhalt obey the other voice at that day. I muſt wind up this point with a word of Exhortation.