A Discourse of Christian Religion, Part 7
THE NECESSITY OF Preaching CHRIST.
I COR. I. 23, 24.
But we preach Christ crucified, &c.
THE design of the Apostle here, is to vindicate the Doctrine of our Salvation by Christ, from all those Aspersions that were cast upon it both by the Jews and Gentiles; the Gospel then was as much cry'd down by some, as it was cry'd up by others. The Apostle tells you who were for it, and who were against it; he divides all men into two ranks, viz. The Called, and Uncalled; the Converted, and Unconverted; he tells you, that they who were effectually Called and Converted, were for the Gospel, but the Uncalled and Unconverted, were against it; and as it was then, so it is now. Hence note,
Obs. That all unregenerate Persons, whether Jews or Gentiles, will have a fling at the Gospel; 'tis contrary to them, and they are as contrary to it; they can't reach the Mystery of it, and therefore do slight and contemn it; but all who are effectually called, and savingly enlightned, do highly prize it; they see much of the Power and Wisdom of God, in that excellent contrivance of Man's Salvation by Christ; they desire to know nothing but Christ, and him Crucified. Let us have a care we do not darken the evidence of our Conversion, by a Spirit of opposition to the Gospel, in the main fundamental points of it.
I shall do little else in this Exercise, but open the terms of the text, observing some things by the way. But we preach Christ crucified, &c. He shews the matter and manner of his Preaching in this Chapter, what he Preached, and how.
1. The matter of his Preaching, or what he Preached, viz. The Gospel, v. 17. The Cross, v. 18. Or Christ Crucified, v. 23.
2. The manner of his Preaching, v. 17. Not with Wisdom of words. So 1 Cor. 2. 4. vide.
VntoUnto the Jews a stumbling-block; they were offended at Christ's low, mean, humble state in the flesh; they did not look for any great matter from such a one; Can any good thing come out of Nazareth▪ When the Apostles Preached the Mystery of Christ's Incarnation, how he was Born of a Virgin, what Miracles he did, how he was Crucified, how he rose from the Dead, ascended up to Heaven, and should come again to judg the World, the Jews were offended, did not believe these things to be true, Rom. 9. 33. Luke 2. 34. They saw nothing but weakness in the Doctrine of the Gospel, therefore the Jews require a Sign, v. 32. Signs and Wonders were to evidence the power of those who wrought them. Moses confirmed his Doctrine by many Signs and Wonders; so must you, say the Jews to Christ and his Apostles, if you would have us to follow you. The Jews were used to Signs and Wonders from the beginning, as appears in the Old Testament; so they were instructed in the Wilderness, Deut. 32. 10. and convinced of the power of God, Psal. 77. 14. ad finem. This made them so desirous of Signs under the New Testament: Hence that Complaint, Psal. 74. 9. We see not our Signs, we would fain see Signs, as Mat. 12. 38. Master, we would see a Sign from thee. So Mat. 16. 1. Luke 11. 16. Joh. 2. 18. Zacharias erred in this, Luke 1. 18. The Jews are sharply reproved by Christ for this, Mat. 16. 4. The Signs and Miracles by which the Gospel was already confirmed, should have satisfied them; the Jews did not require a Sign, as Abraham, Gideon, and Hezekiah did, for the strengthning of their Faith; but out of Curiosity, and contempt of Christ and the Gospel, resolving never to be satisfied, they must have Sign after Sign, they thought it absurd to trust in a Crucified Christ, to expect life from death; that he who did not save himself, should be able to save them: Unbelief, you see wants not its seeming reasons to fortify it self against the Gospel. Besides, they saw that such a Profession of Faith in Christ, exposed them to Sufferings, which made them the more against it, Gal. 5. 11.
And unto the Greeks foolishness. By Greeks here we understand all Gentiles, who received all their Wisdom and Learning from the Greeks; or Jews and Gentiles are contradistinguished thus: One had the Written Law, the other had not, Rom. 2. 12, 13, 14.
The Greeks would have the Mysteries of the Gospel made out by Reason, else they reject them as foolishness; they count that foolishness, which transcends their Wisdom; they thought the Gospel an idle Fancy, a very simple absurd Doctrine; they required Philosophical reasons, which as men, they might comprehend; proving Christ in a Logical way to be, what the Scripture says he is. Moses magna dicit, sed nihil probat, say Galen, Pliny, and Julian. They wanted Logical Demonstrations of Scripture Mysteries, from the true natural Causes of them, which cannot be; for then they would not be Mysteries, if Flesh and Blood could understand them, Mat. 16. 17.
Thus you see both Jew and Gentile, all sorts of men unregenerate, have something to say against the Gospel, they set themselves studiously to object against it: All Unbelievers stand it out with God; hence foreign is rendred both Disobedient, and Unbelieving, as Acts 26. 19. Acts 14. 2. foreign. and Eph. 2. 2. foreign.
But unto them that are called, &c. v. 24. i. e. Effectually called to believe; 'tis by our actual believing, that we answer to an effectual Call, by which we are called to the Obedience of Faith; and when we believe, we obey God's Call, Rom. 1. 5, 6. Such are called according to his purpose, Rom. 8. 28. You see the different opinion the Converted and Unconverted have of Christ; highly to prize Christ is a sign of true Conversion; and to under-value him, to speak slightly of him, or his Doctrine, is a sign of the contrary; Paul here opposes the Judgment of those who are Called, whether Jews or Greeks, to the Judgment of the Uncalled concerning Christ: Would you know what Christ is, consult with Believers; they know him; he is precious to them; never regard what the blind World says of him, but hear what the Saints say, what Believers say who know him best. I confess 'tis a shame, and a reproach not to be excused, that Christians do not magnifie Christ more. I remember I have read of one, who professed he knew not which was the greater wonder, that Believers love Christ no more, or that Unbelievers do hate him so much; no doubt the former is far the greater wonder, that they who know him so well, should love him no better, than that they who know him not at all, should hate him so much; their blindness and ignorance runs them into that gross mistake; but what can cold lukewarm Believers plead, who have so much light, and yet so little love!
Both Jews and Greeks, i. e. All sorts of Believers, of what Countrey, Condition, or outward state soever, they all agree in this, viz. That Christ is the Power of God, and the Wisdom of God; 'tis common to all Saints, and proper to them only as Saints and Believers, to have a high opinion of Christ.
Christ the power of God. God shewed his power in Creating the World by Christ as God, John 1. 3. and by Redeeming it by Christ as God-man.
Christ in his Divine Nature is the God of Power, a mighty one, Isa. 9. 6. A rock, Isa. 32. 2. A Lyon, for his strength, Rev. 5. 5. So Angels are called Principalities and Powers, for their strength, Col. 1. 16. As they are called Intelligences for their Wisdom, which is very great, a Sam. 14. 17. To discern good and bad. They are continually prying into the Doctrine of the Gospel 1 Pet. 1. 12. Exod. 37. 9. They look to the Mercy-seat, a Type of Christ.
We are now shewing how Christ the Mediator is the power of God, by whom great things have been done.
1. God by Christ satisfies his Justice, and yet saves the Sinner, he reconciles Justice and Mercy together, Psal. 85. 10, 11. They both act to the height towards a Sinner: The Salvation of a Sinner is the greatest instance of Justice and Mercy as ever was; what is purchased, is also freely given; he is our righteousness, giving us right to eternal Life, as well as our ransom, saving us from eternal Death, Jer. 23. 6. 1 Cor. 1. 30. He is made unto us Righteousness as well as Redemption, 2 Cor. 5. 21.
2. Christ bore the wrath of God, without sinking or fainting under it, Isa. 53. 4.
3. Christ hath overcome the devil, death, and the world, Heb 2. 14. Hos. 13. 14. John 16. 33. He is stronger than the strong man, Luke 11. 21. 22.
4. Christ preserves his Church against all the most potent Enemies thereof, Mat. 16. 18.
5. Christ maintains a little Grace in his Children, amidst many strong corruptions and lusts; Grace is but a little grain, and yet it lives and thrives, 'tis an abiding seed, 1 John 3. 5. under continual influences from Christ.
In the next place, I shall speak of power and wisdom; not as they relate to the Person of Christ, but to his Doctrine, or to Christ Preached; we Preach Christ Crucified: The Doctrine of Christ Crucifi'd is a powerful Doctrine, able to save those who believe it, Rom. 1. 16. 1 Cor. 1. 18. Heb. 4. 12. This Doctrine is called the Wisdom of God in a Mystery, 1 Cor. 2. 7. 'tis the revelation of a Mystery, Rom. 16. 25. There are many Mysteries in this Doctrine, The manifold wisdom of God, Ephes. 3. 10. This way of saving sinners by Christ Crucified, is called The wisdom of God; because he doth thereby manifest his deep and unsearchable wisdom; they who are spiritually enlightened, do count it so, they desire to know nothing else, 1 Cor. 2. 2. The Gospel contains the Glorious method of a Sinner's Salvation by Christ, who is therefore called the Wisdom of God, Prov. 8. 12. In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, Col. 2. 3. The Doctrine of the Gospel appears to be a powerful Doctrine, because it is so effectually a means for the Conversion of sinners, who are so much against Conversion; certainly there is Wisdom and Power in it, else it could never bring such a strange thing as that to pass.
Obj. The learned men of the world▪ see not any Wisdom in the Gospel; the Greeks seek after Wisdom, but cannot find it there, and therefore they count it foolishness. They seek after Wisdom; And why not? Must we not speak reason in the Pulpit?
Answ. We speak wisdom among them that are perfect, 1 Cor. 2. 6. i. e. That have a true solid judgment of Spiritual things. But if you mean by reason, that which falls under our understanding, and is comprehensible by us as men; I say, we speak Mysteries above reason, which we propound only to your Faith; the Doctrine of the Gospel is worthy of all acceptation, 1 Tim. 1. 15. Let not man oppose his wit to the Wisdom of God. We speak Wisdom, but not the Wisdom of this world, but the Wisdom of God, in a Mystery, hidden Wisdom: When our frail reason can do nothing in discerning this wisdom, the Spirit comes and demonstrates the Truth to us with power, by an invincible internal perswasion, 1 Cor. 2. 5. Men may think by their Wit, Learning and prompt Parts, to run down the Doctrine of the Gospel: But let them remember, that Christ is the Power and Wisdom of God. They who do not rely only upon Christ Crucisied for Justification unto life, do despise the Gospel, and count it foolishness; they are ashamed of the Gospel, Rom. 1. 16. Paul was not; let us follow his Example, and labour to promote it, praying daily for the propagation of the Doctrine of the Gospel, That the way of God may be known upon earth, and his saving health among all nations, Psalm 67. 2. Because the foolishness of God is wiser then men, &c. V. 25. The Power and Wisdom of God, by anironical concession, are here called, weakness and foolishness, i. e. admit this according to the opinion of the unconverted Jews and Gentiles; Let them say what they will; what they call foolishness is wiser then men, i. e. then the wisdom of men; and what they call weakness, is stronger than men, i. e. then the strength of men. Any thing that belongs to God, is to be preferred before that which is but Humane; the least things of God, do infinitely exceed the greatest of mens: When we consider that the Name of God is upon such a thing, it should create a reverence in us towards it; whatever is in God, is God. The way that God has made choice of, and the means he hath pitched upon, must needs be the best; for all things are great or little, weak or strong, as God makes them to be, by putting more or less of his fulness into them.
Obj. They who count the Gospel foolishness, are the wise men of the world, therefore sure they are in the right.
Answ. Not many wife are called, and when they are called, they see the folly of their carnal wisdom, by which they judged amiss of Christ before.
The APPLICATION.
LET us now consider seriously, how we stand affected towards Christ and the Gospel; whether we do receive the truth in the love of it, viz. Whether we do indeed believe in the Lord Jesus, and are persuaded that nothing is required as a Meritorious procuring cause of our Justification in the sight of God; but Christ and his Righteousness received and applied by Faith: And that all our Evangelical righteousness, so much contended for, is only to prove the truth and sincerity of our Faith, from whence it springs; (though I think there will not be any formal proving of such matters then): Yet if this be all, I would not contend about it, but leave others to their own methods, schemes and expressions, heartily wishing all may understand them, as clearly and Orthodoxly as they profess to understand themselves. Though I must tell you, those words will prove the most wholesome, and grow most in use among serious Professors, which they best understand, and which do most easily and plainly convey the Spiritual sense of the Gospel into their minds. If any should say our own Evangelical Righteousness, hath some causal influence into our Justification (though I count it a very Unorthodox expression) yet I would in Charity think, that the reason why they say so, is out of a zeal to promote practical Holiness, by the strongest motive imaginable: And if they who say Holiness of life is only an effect of Justification; making it as indispensably necessary, in all who are justified, as the former. Is not Holiness secured and promoted this way, as well as the other way, and without any suspicion of derogating from Christ? Pray then, Why should we contend so much for the former way, laying stumbling-blocks before others, who cannot get over them, when all our ends are better answered the other way? Let none say we are Solifidians who hold this: We know very well, that good works are required in the New Covenant, as well as Faith: but all that is required in the New Covenant, is not required unto Justification. Besides, Justifying-Faith doth many things by its influence, which must not be put into the justifying act of Faith, for then we shall confound Justification and Sanctification, and make them as the Papists do, all one.
As the Apostle hath stated the point of Justification, we are not only to consider how we are justified in God's sight, but in the first place to consider how God himself is Just in his Justifying-act, Rom. 3. 26. If God be just in that act, and can Pardon sin without any impeachment of his Justice, then sure there is sufficient ground and reason for it; God can do no unjust thing; and if God in justifying Believers be just, i. e. if there be merit enough in the Blood of Christ to bear him out in this act, then certainly we may safely rely upon this precious Blood for our Justification: That which Justifies God in his act of Justifying a Believing sinner, must needs be a sufficient cause of our Justification; else it could not justifie God in his Justifying act, there would be no equitable reason for it, besides, to say that the Blood of Christ is the only procuring Meritorious cause of our Justification, i. e. of the acceptance of out Persons and Performances: This is truth, but not all the truth belonging to Justification. For my next Query is, What is it that gives us an interest in the Blood of Christ, in the satisfaction he hath made for sin? Here nothing must come in as instrumentally necessary to our receiving and applying Christ▪ but Faith only; Repentance and new Obedience are the effects of the Faith; either they are the effects of Faith, or of Unbelief▪ None will say the latter, then they must necessarily flow from the real interest that Faith gives us in Christ; if not, I don't see how we can attain to them. At this rate, they must be done in our own strength, not in Christ's, for being conditions, as some say, of our interest in Christ, they must be performed, before we can have an interest in him.
It is an excellent Note of Calvin, in his Commentaries upon Rom. 8. 30. Whom he did predestinate, them he called: and whom he called, them he justified, &c. Scimus enim, ubi de salute agitur, libenter homines à seipsis incipere, fingeréque sibi praeparationes quibus Dei gratiam antevertant, i. e. 'Tis natural for men in the business of Salvation, to begin at themselves, fancying some preparatory Works, by which they may prevent the Grace of God, and do something for themselves in their own strength, that may fit and qualifie them for an interest in Christ. In this rotten Principle, do many begin their Religion, which corrupts their minds ever after, from the simplicity that is in Christ, and puts them upon seeking Justification; Not by Faith, but as it were by the works of the law, Rom. 9. 32. Supposing something in themselves to be the first cause of their acceptance with God. I wish all who call themselves Calvinists, would read that place, and seriously consider the sense of that Holy man in this main point of our Religion. Some through mistake, have counted Luther an Antinomian, but none call Calvin so. 'Tis good to be zealous in promoting practical Holiness and Gospel-Obedience; but let us be sure it be Gospel-Obedience, flowing from a principle of Faith in Christ Jesus: For to Preach up Holiness, from any other Principle then that of Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, is not to Preach like Ministers of the New Testament.
Faith only is required in Justification, rather than to it, I so phrase it, because they are simultaneus; Repentance and New Obedience do follow Faith; let them be kept in their due place, and be allowed no causal concurrence unto our Justification, and we shall avoid all confusion; else there will be a fundamental difference between us; while some hold that Faith only gives us an interest in Christ, others, that Repentance and New Obedience do equally with Faith, give us an interest in Christ.
Some carry it, as if the end of Christ's coming into the world, was only to set up a New Covenant of Works upon milder and easier terms of sincere imperfect Obedience, which all men are to be exhorted to, and urged to the performance of, upon a supposed general sufficient Grace, purchased by Christ, enabling all men (who do not wilfully refuse) to come up to the terms of this New Covenant. This Opinion hath many ill consequences in it, viz. Of a General Redemption taking away Original sin, restoring man to a freedom of will in doing good; setting him upon his own legs again to stand or fall, as he comes up to, or falls short of the terms of this New conditional Covenant: So that all is resolved into mans own power and will, all being now put into an equal capacity of Salvation by Christ; and having said this, they have done with Christ, have all in their own hands, may set up for themselves, and love to be put upon duty as persons sufficiently furnished for it already: But notwithstanding this specious new scheme of rational Divinity (as some call it), I must in faithfulness to God, to my own Conscience, and the Souls of them that hear me, tell you plainly, That they who trust in a general Redemption, will fall short of their particular Salvation, upon the Principles that those Universalists go upon.
We are all by nature dead in trespasses and sins, reprobate to every good Word and Work, and shall so remain, till we do by a particular personal act of our own Faith, come to Christ for life, that we may be quickned by his Spirit, and made alive unto Righteousness. We must have life before we can live, or put forth any vital operations; we must be first quickned by Christ, the great quickning Spirit, before we can live to God, or do any thing that is Spiritually good. 'Tis Faith that unites us to Christ, which is the gift of God to some; for all men have not Faith; and till this Faith comes by hearing the Gospel, we are dead in sin. Christ came not only as a Lawgiver, to prescribe rules of living to dead sinners, but to create in us a principle of life, to give us strength to perform what he requires of us, as new Creatures created in Christ Jesus unto good Works: All our own endeavours after Holiness, while we are out of Christ, will prove ineffectual; we must be first engrafted into the true Olive-Tree, deriving all our fruitfulness from the root that bears us, else we shall quickly wither away and come to nothing. No acceptable service ever was, or can be done by man, till Faith brings us to Christ, without whom we can do nothing; when Faith comes, life comes, strength comes, a Spiritual ability to do the will of God in some measure. And as this Faith increases by the daily exercise of it, so we increase in Spiritual strength, perfecting Holiness more and more in the fear of God. Let no man think to be made perfect in the flesh, Christ came not to reform corrupt Nature, but to destroy it, and utterly to extirpate it; the old man will never learn to lead a new life; die he must, and be Crucified; he must be put off, that we may put on the New man, which after God, is created in Righteousness and true Holiness, Eph. 4. 24. This is the only way to true Holiness here, and to Eternal Happiness hereafter: To as many as the Lord our God shall effectually call to this Faith, to them, and to them only, doth the promise of Salvation by Christ belong; 'Tis the command of Christ, that all should Believe on him; they that do, and they only shall be saved by him, with all manner of Salvation, not only from Hell, but from the power of sin, that they may live no longer therein; Paul knew no other way of Salvation according to his Gospel; they that do, must invent another Gospel to support their New Divinity.
I see no ground in Scripture for those preparatory Works that some urge, as antecedently necessary to our first Faith in Christ, because Faith brings all along with it, viz. Conviction of Sin, Humiliation, Repentance, &c. Faith never comes to Christ, but it shews us a reason why, and that reason is drawn from our lost undone Condition by Nature, which true Faith is never without some knowledge and sense of, and therefore sends us to Christ for help: By Nature, all men are equally indisposed to Faith, counting the Gospel, foolishness; when their time of their Coversion comes, whether prepared, or unprepared, whatever their present practice or frame is, whether legally Convinced, or Unconvinced, sitting in gross darkness and unbelief; the Power of God by the Preaching of the Gospel, works a convincing, saving Faith in all those, who are ordained unto life: God calls one, and not another, of his meer good Pleasure, being not moved thereunto, by any thing in us, that may render one man more capable of Conversion, than another; sometimes they who (in an eye of reason) seem furthest off from the Kingdom of God, and are most unlikely to be Converted; them doth God call by his Grace, even Publicans and Harlots. Before the stricter sort of formal Professors, who notwithstanding their Preparations, and seeming fitness for Conversion, are left behind in their Natural State; when others who sought not after God, are found of him, and brought into a state of Grace; God doth this, to shew that the Battel is not to the strong, nor the Race to the swift, not of him that runeth, but of God that sheweth mercy to whom he will, Rom. 9. 15, 16. Many may outrun others in their acquired Qualifications, and yet not so run, as to obtain the prize, 1 Cor. 9. 24. We are like to make but a sorry Market of it, unless we come without Money; many have been too rich, too well qualified in their own opinion for Christ; but none were ever too poor and wretched for Christ, whose hearts were stirred up by the Preaching of the Word, to come unto him, and cast themselves upon him: There is nothing required by way of Preparation, as antecedently necessary to our first Faith in Christ, but hearing the Word; let the Hearer be who he will, never so unprepared, if he belong to God, the Word will one time or other, make it's own way to the heart of that man, and work Faith in him; there is no resisting the Wisdom of the Holy-Ghost.
The Doctrine of Faith, and the Doctrine of Good Works, are both very sound Christian Doctrines; agreeing very well in their proper place and order: As no man can enter into a state of Grace by good Works, so no man can conclude himself to be in a state of Grace, without Good works; 'tis one thing to prove that I am already in a state of Grace, another thing to shew how a Sinner may now enter into a state of Grace, and what is first to be done, in order thereunto. 'Tis not said, he that worketh, but he that believeth, shall be saved; and 'tis the work of God, that we believe; and none but God can bring over the heart of a Sinner to trust in Christ; and under such a Faith, 'tis impossible not to lead a holy life.
We had need be clear and distinct in our Conceptions of these things, since our Salvation depends upon our right understanding this Point. I say, we had need consider, what we mean, and how we express our selves, lest instead of trusting in Christ, we trust in our selves, and drop the Gospel, whilst we seem to maintain it.
If any scoff at this Doctrine, and count it foolishness; I will only say, that the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God, is stronger than men.
FINIS.