A Discourse of Christian Religion, Part 1 · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
How Hope rises from Christ in us higher and higher, till we abound in Hope, and come more fully under the Power of it.
FIrst, viz. By a frequent serious Consideration of Christ in his Divine Person and Offices; what his end was in coming into the World, in taking our Nature upon him, and in dying for us in that Nature. We should ponder these things in our minds, and be intent upon them. We are exhorted to this in order to hope, Heb. 3. 1. and 6. verses comp. Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High-Priest of our Profession, Jesus Christ: To what end? That you may hold fast your confidence, and the rejoicing of your hope, firm unto the end, v. 6.
There are Two Effects of this serious and frequent Consideration of Christ. (1.) We shall know him better; what he is in himself. (2.) We shall better understand our own Interest in him, what he is to us; which will mightily raise our Hope.
1. We shall know what he is in himself; I say we shall know this better, the more frequently and seriously we consider of him. This was that which raised Paul's Hope, 2 Tim. 1. 12. I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded he is able to keep that which I have committed to him. They that know thy name, saith the Psalmist, Psal. 9. 10. will trust in thee. By reflecting often upon Christ in us, and conversing much with him, we see further and further into the Mystery of the Gospel; Christ opens himself more to us, shines in more clearly upon us; gives us a fuller discerning of the deep things of God, which lye at the bottom of the Covenant; we must dig deep to find them out. When we set our selves to it in good earnest, praying the Father to reveal his Son in us, Christ will further manifest himself unto us, Joh. 14. 21. That is not spoken of the first saving discovery of Christ in Conversion, but of a further Revelation of Christ to a Soul after Conversion. He that keeps my commandments, and loves me, to him will I further manifest my self. So v. 23. If a man love me, and keep my words, we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. It is not meant of his first coming to a Soul in Conversion, but of an after-Visit that God will give every Converted Soul who waits for him. His Spirit shall teach us all things, and bring all things to our remembrance. The Spirit seldom makes any Repetition of a Sermon in our Consciences, but it is with further light, clearing up matters to us, that which we did not so well understand before. When we act our Faith afresh upon any Gospel-Truth which we have formerly heard and believed, we grow more expert in the knowledge of that Truth; we discern that by an after-Act of Faith, which we could not discern by all former Actings of our Faith: And thus it pleases God to supply what is wanting in our Faith, and raise it up by degrees to an higher pitch, making us to grow and encrease in our knowledge of Christ, which makes Hope to grow and encrease in us: We abound more and more in Hope, the more we know of Christ.
2. Secondly, We shall better understand our own Interest in him, get a greater Assurance of that which strengthens our Hope exceedingly. Whilst we are under doubts about our Interest in Christ, questioning our state, our Hope is small, it runs very low: Our fears being greater than our Hopes, we are much dejected; there is not that holy boasting and glorying in God, as heretofore; the Soul is now under a Cloud, sits in darkness, sees little or no light. And it is a great Work of the Spirit of God, as a Comforter, to revive our Hopes. Faith may hold out in some Spiritual Reasonings and Arguings from a bare Promise, when Hope may fail as to any present comfortable Influence upon the Soul. Faith may keep some hold of the Promise, when Hope is ready to let go the things promised, or at least, to put them afar off from us. Tho it is not impossible, yet, saith a drooping Soul, it seems to me very improbable, that such an one as I should be saved. Here is Hope at a very low ebb, labouring under those Difficulties and seeming Improbabilities that shake us exceedingly: But God orders the matter so, that a weak Hope puts us upon labouring after a stronger Faith. When you find yonr Hopes sinking, then look to your Faith, for the fault lies there; raise that, and Hope will quickly recover it self. By often proving and examining our selves about our Interest in Christ, we come to know it more perfectly, to be assured of it. Want of Assurance doth come from the want of Light in the Understanding; hence that Phrase, Col. 2. 2. The full assurance of understanding. When we have intire satisfaction in our Judgment and Understandings, that things are so and so, we know that Christ is in us of a truth. We had need make good proof of this, for all depends upon it: It is a Truth Saints are apt to question, when a good Work is begun in them, which they and others take to be Conversion, and which indeed is so, yet the Devil labours to persuade them otherwise; puts in many Exceptions: Tho he knows he cannot overthrow their state, yet such is his Malice, he would rob them of the comfort of it, and hide it from them if he can. He seeks to blind the minds of men, to keep out the Light of the Gospel from shining in upon us; and when it doth shine in, he raises all the Mists and Fogs he can to obscure it; he would fain turn day into night, and draw a Cloud over that Day-star that is risen in our hearts; and therefore we had need have recourse to Christ within us. We should often have recourse to Christ within us, look well upon him, and consider him; comparing Christ in our hearts, with Christ in the Word; for we may take a false Christ into our hearts, an Idol instead of the true Christ; as the Galatians, chap. 1. 6. They had another Gospel quite different from what Paul preached to them: There was no such Christ, no such Gospel as they fancied to themselves: They had a wrong notion of things; thought they must join something to Christ, did not stick to say, Unless they were circumcised, they could not be saved; Christ himself could not save them without Circumcision. We should examine our selves about this, Whether our sole dependance be upon Christ, or whether we join any thing with him in Justification, piecing up a Righteousness partly from Christ, and partly from our selves. I am not against Works of Holiness and Gospel-Obedience; but if we do not warily and wisely distinguish between Faith as Justifying, and Faith as it orders and governs the Life according to the Rule of Gospel-Obedience, we shall run into endless Disputes, and never understand one another. Therefore, I say, let us consider whether or no we rely upon Christ and his Righteousness for our Justification in the sight of God. We should examine the Principle by which we are carried out to holiness of life afterward. We may know this by searching our hearts, and putting close Questions to our selves, Whether our whole Trust and Confidence be reposed in him alone? Whether we desire to be found in him, not having on our own righteousness? If we are clear in this, and can say from the bottom of our hearts, None but Christ, None but Christ, is the stay and prop of our Souls; we have nothing else to trust in, or rely upon; then all our Hope of Eternal Life must needs flow from him, and be grounded upon him only. Here we fix, and are immoveable from the Hope of the Gospel all our days.
Secondly, By imploring the help of the Spirit to shew us those things of Christ which we read and hear from the Word. Without this, all our Reasonings and Considerations of Gospel Mysteries will come to little; we shall not have one right thought of him; We are not sufficient of our selves, as of our selves, to think a good thought, 2 Cor. 3. 5. As of our selves, i. e. not by our own Wit, Parts, and Learning; He speaks this chiefly of Ministers. And if They stand in need of help from God to guide their Thoughts and Meditations of Christ, certainly private Christians do. The Spirit shall teach you all things, Joh. 14. 26. He will guide you into all truth, John 16. 13. He shall receive of mine, and shew it unto you, v. 15. And therefore when you set your selves to think of any Gospel-Truth, be sure you look up to God to enlighten you, and to give you good Understanding of that Truth as it is in Jesus; or else all your Reading, Hearing, Studying, Discourse, and Thinking, will come to nothing.
The Help of the Spirit lies in Two Things: (1.) In Teaching. (2.) In Testifying.
1. In Teaching. The Teaching of the Spirit, and the Testimony of the Spirit, are Two Things: We are Taught, that we may Believe; but we are sealed after we believe, Ephes. 1. 13. For the Spirit bears witness, not only to the Truth of the Word, but to the Truth of a Work of Grace in our hearts; and that must be wrought, before the Spirit can witness to it; and therefore Sealing comes after Anointing, and is distinguished from it, 2 Cor. 1. 21, 22. He that anoints us is God, who also hath sealed us, and given us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. Who also hath sealed us; he speaks of it as a distinct thing, as a further work of God upon the Soul; first Anointing, then also Sealing, giving us the Earnest: There seems to be some difference between these Two Phrases, Sealing, and giving Earnest; who also hath Sealed us, and given us the Earnest of his Spirit in our hearts. Sealing implies bare Assurance; but the Earnest so assures us, as to put part of the Inheritance into our hand: An Earnest is something in hand; but Sealing is a demonstrative Evidence of the Truth and Certainty of a Thing to the Understanding only; 'tis all Intellectual.
I shall first shew you, How we are led to the Knowledge of Christ in us, by the Teaching of the Spirit; and then shew, How we are confirmed in that Knowledg, by the Testimony of the Spirit; and both in order to the raising and strengthning our Hope.
1. The Spirit shews us Christ within, formed in our hearts; then teaches us to argue from Christ within us. Consider that Scripture, Rom. 8. from 10. to 17. and see what work Paul makes of it; how he argues from Christ within; If Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life, because of righteousness. If the Spirit be in you, then you are assured of the resurrection of the body. If the Spirit of Christ be in you, then you are led by the Spirit, then you know that you are the children of God; and if children, then heirs, joint-heirs with Christ, that we may be glorified together. So you see he argues up to a lively Hope of Glory; as if he had said, All this doth naturally follow from Christ being in you: He that hath the Son, hath life, 1 Joh. 5. 12. Believers may have Christ, and may have life in him and by him, and yet not know that they have it. These things have I written to you, (v. 13.) that believe in the Name of the Son of God, that you may know that ye have eternal life. John wrote this Epistle purposely to satisfie weak Believers, that whatsoever they thought of themselves, they had Eternal Life, and he would have them know as much. Put then the Trial of your state upon this very point, Whether you have Christ, and in him Eternal Life: Do you make good the former, and we who are Ministers of the Gospel, may, by the Blessing of God undertake to prove the latter, to your great Comfort and Satisfaction. These things have I written to you that believe, that you may know you have eternal life. Then Believers themselves stand in need of such Writings, and Sermons as may help to open the Mysteries of Christ to them; and to this end is a Gospel-Ministry appointed to make manifest a savour of his knowledg in every place, 2 Cor. 2. 14, 15. We are a sweet savour of Christ unto God, in them that perish under our ministry, saith he. We must seek to please God in our Preaching, and not men, whatever the issue be. Men have no savour, don't savour such Sermons and Gospel-Discourses that do lead them into the Mysteries of the Gospel; they are for a more Rational way of Preaching; they love Moral Preaching; but this Mystical, Mysterious Preaching of Christ, and Faith in him, and Union to him, this they count foolishness; they don't savour it; but, saith he, we are a sweet savour of Christ to God, even in them that perish.
2. The Spirit doth not only teach us to know Christ in us, but confirms us in that knowledge, by an after-Testimony, bearing witness with our spirits, that so it is. This fixes and settles our minds in a firm persuasion of the Truth. Had we no other witness but our own Spirits, we should vary and fluctuate in our minds about these great Points of the Gospel; we should be of one mind to day, and of another to morrow. Reason is not always consistent with it self; varies in its apprehensions of things, argues pro and con, according to the different appearance of things, the different Impressions that contrary Reasonings make upon our unstable minds; I say, all these things make Reason very uncertain. Fancy and Imagination are very uncertain and variable, and do strongly influence mens understandings: It is hard to know whether Sense or Reason do lead us; but the Testimony of the Spirit of God is a more uniform Testimony, doth never vary from it self, always passes the same Judgment about the same point: It is not yea and nay; it doth not say and unsay, but stands to the first judgment; it is purposely given to testifie of Christ, and of the infallible consequents of our Faith in him; which must needs beget Hope. The oftner we appeal to this witness, and hear the Testimony of the Spirit in our hearts concerning Christ, the more are we confirmed in our Faith and Hope. They who are full of the Holy Ghost, they are full of Faith and Hope. When we have found out Christ within us, we should appeal to the Spirit of God, Whether it be not so indeed? Whether Christ be not in us of a Truth? None knows the Son, but the Father; and it is by his Spirit he reveals him in us. Ask the Spirit then, Whether this be the Christ of God, which your Faith hath taken hold of, and brought into your Soul, to Live, Rule, and Reign there. Did we live in more Communion with the Holy Ghost, we could not be so much estranged from the Life of Christ, we should not be so unacquainted with Christ. No man can say, That Jesus is the Lord, but by the Spirit. Say what you will of Christ, you understand not what you say, till the Spirit reveal him in you. There is no thinking, talking, no meditating on Christ in our own Light and Strength, if the Holy Ghost doth not help us. Believers have a sense of this, that God hath taught them, and shined into their hearts; it is in his Light they see Light, and have a true Spiritual Discerning of the Mystery of God in Christ. You know in the first days of the Gospel, the Spirit bore witness unto the Divine Person of Christ, That he came from God, and was God; for the world could believe neither, John 15. 26, 27. comp. with Acts 5. 32. It was the great business of the Spirit, I say, to testifie to the world, That Christ was sent of God, and that he was very God. This the Holy Ghost did by many signs, and wonderful effects of the Divine Power of Christ, wrought through Faith in his Name. And so ever since, the same Spirit breathing in the Consciences of Believers, doth testifie of Christ in them, with that Evidence and Power, that they cannot withstand, they are convinced and satisfied, That Salvation is only by him; and that relying upon him, their Souls are secured to all Eternity. This begets Peace in their (before affrightned) Consciences.
If you ask, how doth the Holy Ghost bring over the Mind of a man, to be so fully persuaded of the truth of that which Flesh and Blood cannot reveal unto him?
I Answer; The Holy Ghost doth this as a Spirit of Power, Luk. 24. 49. Christ is said to Teach us as one having Authority: There is Power and Authority, as well as Teaching, Reasoning and Objective light. I say, the Spirit acts as a Spirit of Power, impressing a sense of God's Love so upon our Hearts, that we cannot but count upon it, rejoyce in it, feeling it shed abroad into our Hearts. The Testimony of the Spirit, is a convincing, undeniable Evidence, able to persuade of the truth of that he bears witness to, against all surmises of Flesh and Blood. Were not the Spirit of Christ, a Spirit of Power, it would be impossible he should ever establish such a a Doctrine, so contrary to all the sentiments of Nature, and to all rational Inferences men can make from any principles of Reason. The Spirit comes as a Spirit of Power, will have the Heart open, will bring over Man to assent, though it be to what his Understanding cannot reach; and this the Spirit of God doth, by particular Application of the Blood of Christ to us by Name; so revealing Christ in us, that we cannot but feel the Virtue of his Blood in our Conscience, cannot but know him, and own him as our Jesus. In all Hope there is a peculiar Application of Promises to our selves; He that believes, hath eternal Life, John 3. 36. Is not only persuaded there is such a thing, but that he hath it already begun in him, and shall be further let into it ere long; We shall be like him, 1 John 3. 2. We shall be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life, Tit. 3. 7. For the hope which is laid up for you, Col. 1. 5. There is a particular Application to our selves, of those things we Hope for. It is impossible for a man to Hope, and be no way concerned in his Hope; it is impossible to leave himself quite out of his Hope.
If Christ in you, be your hope of Glory; Then look upon him as the only sure bottom and foundation of all your Hopes, you will prize him the more: We naturally love and esteem that which gives us hope of any goood coming towards us. The Reason why Christ is so little regarded, so lightly set by, is because men are afraid they shall be losers by him: Go and sell all, and follow me; this is an hard saying to such as understand not the gain of Godliness, the excellency of Christ, that he is able to do more for them, than all the World can. Paul was so persuaded, Rom. 8. 37. Nothing could separate him from the Love of God in Christ Jesus; Neither life nor death, nor all evils that it was possible for men and devils to bring upon him: In all these things, saith he, we are more than conquerors. As if he had said, we are so far from being losers, that we are great gainers, come off with advantage. Thanks be to God, who hath given us the victory, 1 Cor. 15. 57. Thanks be to God who also causes us to triumph in Christ, 2 Cor. 2. 14. Thus he overcomes the world, who believes Jesus is the Son of God, 1 John 5. 4, 5. Quenches all the fiery darts of the wicked one, Eph. 6. 16. Overcomes by the blood of the Lamb, Rev. 12. 11.
But after all this, If any should Object and say, We cannot rejoyce in this Hope of Glory by Christ; we cannot bring our hearts under the Power of this Hope, as you have been persuading us to do.
I Answer; You cannot, but God can; God by his Spirit of Power, can do this in you, and upon you. We have a cloud of Witnesses to this, in all those Saints in former Ages, who have gone Triumphing to Heaven in a Joyful Hope and Expectation of Eternal Glory; and you will find it so in your selves, when the Spirit of God comes upon you, as a Spirit of Power. Let me tell you, The impressions of the Spirit, are strange things, till you come under them; then you feel the powerful effects of them in your own Souls; will see that done which you thought could never have been done; find that made easy to you, which you thought was impossible. And thus it will be when you are begotten again to a lively Hope. Many Professors have a dead Hope of Eternal Life and Glory, which make no impression upon them; but a lively Hope, hath lively Effects that will be felt.
It may be you will further Object, and say, It is true, there are some who have this Hope, and this Joy; But may not all this be a Delusion upon false Grounds?
All I shall say in Answer, is this: I wish you would make the same Objections against your Worldly Hopes, as you do against this Christian Hope; I am sure you have more cause. How prone are men to Object against the Hope of the Gospel? And how willing are men to be flattering themselves with all Worldly Hopes! they follow them, are mightily pleased with them, they all run well, and are well founded. But this Hope of Glory by Jesus Christ, that is an ignote thing, they know not what to make of it. Look to it, Those who are willing to nourish vain Hopes now, will have Hope little enough ere long; they will be Punished with Everlasting Despair in Hell. But alas! with what confidence and security do Men Hope in the Creature! but with what trepidation and doubtfulness do some Trembling Souls Hope in Christ! Methinks their Reason might instruct their Faith, to argue otherwise from Gospel Principles, the consequence of which, Sanctifi'd Reason may discern, and ought to attend unto: You find a Thousand Instances in every Age of such whose Worldly Hopes have disappointed them, and made them ashamed: But never since the World began, could there be one Instance produced of any Believer, whose Hope in Christ hath made him ashamed: It is strange that we should rejoyce so much under that Hope, which seldom or never answers our expectation; and be so much cast down and dispirited under those Hopes of Glory that never fail: I wish you would but ask your selves the Reason of this: It is a sign we are rather Carnal than Spiritual, and savour more the things of this Earth, than the things of Heaven. It is a shame to think how little Influence this Hope of Glory hath upon us. We usually count our selves the better for our Hopes; but it seems the Hope of Glory adds little to us; we lay it by, as that which speaks of something to come, a great while hence, in another world, we know not when; we cannot get our minds to attend to it, and look for the accomplishment of it. And thus we bereave our selves of much good, by suffering our Hope to languish, as it will do, if we don't take comfort in it, and daily solace our selves with the thoughts of it. To think of our Hopes, is enough to revive us at any time, especially when we count them sure and certain.
I know not whence it is, but you may observe many Christians to be more in the Exercise of Faith and Love, than of Hope. We reverence the Word, and dare not disbelieve that, when we are under little or no Hope of what is promised to us in the Word. A little Fear drowns our Hope: We believe the Truth of the Promises, but in modesty suspend the application of them to our selves; as if it were a piece of Humility to Believe much, and Hope but little. God is good, and gracious, and faithful, saith the drooping Soul; here is Faith: But I am unworthy, I am less than the least of all his mercies, unfit to receive any thing at his hand: Thus by sinking our Hope, we do insensibly weaken our Faith; for a weak Faith doth always follow a languid Hope; the Promises will grow out of credit with us, when in an affected Despondency we humour our selves too much, in refusing our own Mercies. It would make our hearts ake, if God should take us at our word, and say, Because you will not have this or that Mercy, you shall not have it; because you will not have life by applying this and that Promise to your selves, I reverse it, call it in, declare, you shall never have that Mercy; I say, it would make our hearts ake, if God should take us at our word, when in a froward, sullen fit of Despondency. It is a slight to his rich Grace, to be so shy of it, to take but little, when much is offered. Express then the greatness of your Faith, by the greatness of your Hope. As God hath abounded, yea, superabounded in his Grace towards you, so do you abound more and more in your Hope in him. Faith is but a Notion, a mere empty Speculation, when the good things of the Promise are not brought down to our selves, by a lively Hope; that we may taste and see how gracious the Lord is: We never suck the sweet of a Promise till then. Therefore judge of your Faith by your Hope, and judge of your Hope by your Faith; Whether it be well grounded upon the Word; if it be, it can never rise too high; otherwise Hope is an aspiring Passion, and usually flies too high, when it is not fixed upon a right Object; the Soul is overset by it. How are some men intoxicated and drunk with their vain hopes? There is no fear of any such excess in true Christian Hope. No man was ever questioned by God for having too much Grace; we may all complain of too little: More Grace, is the constant Desire of every holy Soul; as there is a Propensity in God to give it; To him that hath, more shall be given: God loves to accumulate his Favours, to load us with his Benefits; he gives liberally, that he may draw out our Hope to follow him for more and more still. Let us then abound in Hope, holding fast our Confidence firm unto the End.