First Epistle of John Applied Part 2, Sermon 10
THE FIRST EPISTLE OF St. IOHN.SERM. 10.
CHAP. I. Ver. 6.
If we say we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.
IT is an undoubted truth, that all parcels of holy Writ, are alike in respect of their divine authority, and un-erring verity. But it is as true, that there is some difference between them in respect of clear perspicuity and beneficiall utility, some parts of Scripture, being as more plain, so more useful then others. Such no doubt are those upon which the Holy Ghost, hath as it were set a mark, and to which he hath affixed an asterisme. Thus when we meet with a Selah in the close, or a verily, verily, in the beginning of any sentence, and yet when we find any dignifying clause placed in the front or rere of any discourse, it is no doubt the spirits intention to put us hereby on a more serious consideration on such Scriptures, as containing somewhat in them of more then ordinary importance. No doctrine more fundamentally necessary to be beleeved, then tha… of salvation by Christ incarnate; and therefore St. Paul doth not barely assert it,1 Tim. 1.15. but prefixeth an encomium before it, This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation: no lesson more needful to be learned by a beleever then that of maintaining good works, and therefore the same Apostle calling upon beleevers to learn it, annexeth a Preface, This is a faithful saying, Tit. 3.8.and these things I will, that thou affirm constantly. And surely upon this very account we have a great deal of reason to look upon this present Text, as neerly concerning us, since we find the doctrines of it ushered in with an Exordium, This is the message which we have heard of him, and declare to you, &c.
3. Having already led you through the porch, and given you a view of the foundation, I hope I shall not need to go back and take a re-view; passe we therefore into the rooms of this fabrick, which are a Reproof and a Promise, the one in the sixth, the other in the seventh verse, that is; as it were on the left hand inhabited by those whom Christ will one day place on his left hand, to wit, presumptuous hypocrites, and the other on the right, i…habited by those who shall be set on Christs right hand, namely sincere and holy Christians.
1. The Reproofe is that I am now to beginne with, concerning which (before I fall upon particulars) it will not be amiss to observe in general, that it is at once both sharp and milde, discovering those two graces to be sweetly conjoyned in this Apostle (which it is pity they should in any be severed) zeal & discretion, the one making him faithful, and the other gentle in framing his reprehension.
1. On the one hand it is very considerable, what plainness of speech St. Iohn useth in this reproof; he is not meal mouth'd, but sharp tongued, in home and down right language he telleth these sinners their own. It might have sufficed the Apostle to say, They who walk in darkness, can have no fellowship with God; but see, he useth more harsh terms, giving them the lye, who say they have fellowship with God, and walk in darkness: we s…y in our English proverb, a lye deserveth the stab; it is accounted by all Nations an high offence, to tell a man he lyeth: but the zeal of this holy man maketh him bold and sharp in his expressions. How well doth fervent vehemency become a Minister in all his addresses to the people, but especially when he reproveth? Some in dealing with sinners, and rebuking their sins, are like men that handle thorns, as if they durst not touch them; they are loath to rub too much upon their Auditors sores, and dare not peirce them to the quick: but surely as a cold and heartless Petitioner, beggeth a deniall; so a cold and heartless reprover, doth but harden and hearten the sinner in his evill ways.Qui timidè rogat, docet negare. T…tt 1.13. St. Paul bids Titus, not onelyonly to reprove, but to do it foreign sharply; so our Translators, cuttingly, so the force of the originall: like good Chyrurgions, that lance and search the sore to the bottom: indeed, a pittifull cruelty, is far better than a cruell pitty, yea, and there is found health in those smart wounds.
And indeed, if we consider with whom our Apostle had to do, we shall find it was not without just reason, that he is so bitter against them. It is the counsell of St. Iude concerning offenders, of some have compassion, Iud. v. 22, 23.making a difference, but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; we must put a difference in the persons whom we reprove, and accordingly, put a difference in our reproofs; those who offend through infirmity, and declare themselves penitent, are to be rebuked with lenity, least they be swallowed up of grief and dispair; but others we must save with fear, that is, by terrifying them with threats, and with a loving violence, plucking them out of the fire of those destructive courses. Such are all obstinate trangressors, who offending hainously, are to be checked severely, to whom (when they spurn at our rebukes) we returne St. Austins answer,Emenda…e vitia, & ego emendabo verba. Aug. When you amend your lives, we shall mend our language.
More especially of this kinde, are presumptuous hypocrites, a sort of men with whom our Apostle had here to do, and which of all others, deserve to be roughly handled, and that upon a double ground; the hainousness of their sin, and the highness of their self conceit.
1. Hypocrites are the worst of sinners; we may wrong a wicked man, in calliing him an hypocrite, but we cannot injure an hypocrite, in calling him a wicked man: what the moralist saith of the ungratefull, is as true of the hypocriticall person,Ingratum si dixeris, omnia, dixeris. he is a very sink of all filth. Hypocrites are not onelyonly the children of the Devill, but as it were, his first born; Malus ubi bonum se simulat, tunc est pessimus, a bad man is then really worst, when he is seemingly best. No wonder if such sinners find what they so well deserve, tart and severe rebukes from the mouths of Gods messengers.
2. Besides, hypocrites, though the worst of men, have the best conceits of themselves, and it is no easie matter to take them off;Prov. 30.12. Rev. 3.17. they are pure in their own eyes, though they be not washed from their filthiness, and being miserably poor, account themselves rich, and increased with goods; they lull themselves asleep, sing a requiem to their souls, soothing up themselves with an omnia benè, so that there is need of loud cryes to awaken them. Indeed, penitent sinners are sharp to themselves, and therefore Gods Ministers must use lenitives to them; but arrogant hypocrites are indulgent to themselves, and therefore they must apply corrasives to them; no man needs a more severe reprover, then the self flatterer.
It is then a fit Item for all Ministers, when they have to do with hypocrites, to rebuke them sharply. True indeed, though none more need reproof, yet none are more unwilling to hear and bear it, than they. This sort of men, commonly have bryars hanging at their ears, to scratch those who deal roughly with them: condemn the feigned showes, seeming professions of hypocrites, and they will presently decry you as a scoffer at Religion, Railer against the godly party, and an enemy to the Saints ▪ But we must not neglect our duty, what misconstruction soever they are pleased to put upon it; we have the pattern of Christ himself, who speaking to the Scr…bes and Phar…sees, hypocrites, useth upbraiding language; whilest he compareth them to wolves in sheeps cloathing, to whited sepulchres, yea, to serpents and vipers, denounceth severe woes against them,Mat. 23.27.33. and in his Epistle to Philodelphia, mentioning those who were dissembling Iews, Rev. 3.9.he accounts them worthy of no better names than lyars, and the Synagogue of Satan. This was the practice of his forerunner, Iohn the Baptist, who observing the hypocritical Pharisees to come to his Baptism, resembleth them to the most venemous creatures, and calleth them a generation of vipers: finally, this is the example which this other Iohn, Mat. 3.7.his beloved disciple here sets us, giving hypocrites (and that no less justly than sharply) the lye.
2. On the other hand, it is no less observable, that St. Iohn in directing his reproof, useth not the second, but the first person, saying, not if you, but if we; by which his intent (no doubt) is to demonstrate the impartiality of his spirit, that if He, or any other of the Apostles, could or should be guilty of this fault,Vide Oecumen. in loc. he would be no less severe to himself and them, then he was to these hypocrites; by this means he plainly lets them see that these words were not written in passion, much less out of any hatred to their persons, but onelyonly to their practice; since he is no more violent against them, than he would be against himself upon the same, occasion: hereby the edg… of his reproof was much taken off, which otherwise might have been too sharp, and the potion sweetned, which else might have proved too bi… ter. It is a singular skill, and prudence in a reprover, so to qualifie his severest censures, as they may appear to be free from either wrath or malice. Indeed, froward, and much more malicious reproofs, do not corrigere, but corrodere, instead of healing, fret the sore, like too much winde, instead of increasing, put out the flame of devotion. To take off all such suspicions, and to render reproof the more acceptable, it is that the messengers of God have found out several wayes of mitigating their reproofs: for this end it was, that Moses composed his tart reprehension of Israels ingratitude,Deut. 32. 2 Sam. 12. 1 Cor. 4.6. in the form of a Song, that Nathan coming to David upon an harsh errand, begins it with a parable. Finally, that St, Paul rebuking the faction of the Corinthians, transfers it in a figure to himself; and accordingly here St▪ Iohn useth the first person, if we say, &c.
Having thus taken a survey of this room at large, come we now to the several partitions contained in it. And there are three things which our Apostle discovereth in this reprehension concerning these hypocrites.
The impiety of their practice, they walk in darkness.
The eminency of their profession, they say they have fellowship with God.
The incongruity of their profession to their practice, they ly…, and their practice to their profession, they do not the truth.
These are the three paths, through which, my discourse, and your attention must walk, beseeching God for the light of his holy spirit, that I may speak, you may hear, all of us may do the truth, and so none of us come under the censure of the text, for walking in darkness, and not doing the truth.
1. The impiety of their practice, is that which is described by that metaphorical phrase,Gen. first. of walking in darkness: for the right understanding whereof, we shall take a short view of both the metaphors, to wit, darkness and walking, there being in both an emphatical significancy.
1. For the better illustrating of this term darkness, be pleased to take notice, that there is a fourfold darkness, namely, naturae ignorantiae, miseriae, nequitiae of nature, of ignorance, of misery, and of iniquity.
1. Darkness of nature (properly and litterally so called) is the absence of light; when the Sun taketh its leave of our horizon, and all things are envellopped in the sable mantle of the night, then we justly say it is dark: of this darkness Moses speaketh, when he sayeth, God made two great lights, Gen. 1.18. Iob 3.4.to divide the light from the darkness, and this was the curse Iob wished, upon the day wherein he was born, that it might be darkness.
2. Darkness when used in a borrowed sense, serveth to represent in Scripture a state,
1. Of ignorance in divine matters, when the minde is destitute of spiritual knowledge, unacquainted with the mysteries of salvation. What is it, but as it were, wrapt up in darkness? in this darkness, the Gentiles, before the coming of Christ, are said to sit, Luc. 1.77. Eph. 5.8.and in this respect, the Ephesians are said to be sometimes darkness, to wit, in their unregeneracy.
2. Of misery, and that of all sorts, temporall, spiritual and eternal ▪
When the Psalmist speaketh of some who sit in darkness, he presently explaineth himself of those who are bound in affliction;Ps. 107.10. Iob 10.22. and more especially, when Iob speaketh of a land of darkness, he manifestly intendeth the grave and its forerunner, death, the last, but not the least, nay, the greatest of all temporal evils.
When the prophet Isaiah mentioneth, One that feareth the Lord and obeyeth his voyce walking in darknesse and seeing no light no doubt he is principally to be understood of the darkness of spiritual desertion,Is. 50.10. when God withholdeth the light of his countenance from the soul.
Finally, when we frequently read in the New Testament of utter darkness, Mat. 22.13. 2 P…t. 2.17. Iude 13.the mist of darkness, blackness of darkness, what else do those phrases mean, but the damneds everlasting misery, in being wholly deprived of the beatifical vision.
3. Of iniquity, in this respect it is, that the power of sin ruling in mens hearts,Col. 1.12. Eph. 5.11. Rom. 13.12, 13. is called the power of darkness, and the works of sin which they act in their lives, are called the works of darkness, especially, flagitious enormities, such as rioting and drunkenness, chambring and wantonness, strife and envying, which are enumerated by the Apostle, as the works of darkness. If you ask in which of these acceptions it is here to be construed, some Interpreters answer in two of them,In tenebris ambulare est versari in ignorantiâ & peccato Lor. in loc. Vide Oecumen. ibid. namely, for ignorance and iniquity, but doubtless more sutably, the latter is to be understood, namely, sin and wickedness; and chiefly, gross notorious sins, because the Apostle speaketh of the conversation; the darkness of ignorance, is that in which men are said to sit; but that in which they walk, is most congruously construed to be the darkness of sin.
And indeed so truly, nay fully, doth this term of darkness agree to sin, that it taketh in all the other acceptions under some notion or other, each of which, may serve as a several reason, why this appellation of darkness is given to it.
1. Sin hath relation to the darkness of nature, as a concomitant, which it most delights in;1 Thes. 5.5. Prov. 7.9. Iob 24.13, 14, 15, 16, 17 most sins are such as flie the light, and love to be covered over with nights canopy, St. Paul saith of drunkards, that they are drunk in the night, and Solomon of the young man, that he goeth to the harlots house in the evening, in the black and dark night, and Iob of the adulterer, the thief, the murderer, that they rebell against the light, and the morning is to them, even as the shadow of death. To this purpose it is,Cl. Al. strom. l. 3. Nox & amor vinumque nihil moderabile suadent. Ovid. that Clemens Alexandrinus observeth of the Carpocratians, that they appointed their meetings in the night. Indeed, the night being a cover to wickedness, maketh men secure and shameless in committing it; no marvell if they make choice of that time, and there works are therefore deservedly called the works of darkness, because acted in the night.
2. Sin hath relation to the darkness of ignorance, both as an effect, and as a cause, in which respect, it is called by Dyonisius, obscure wickedness·
1. No sin is committed,foreign. Dyonis. de caelest. Hier. Prov. 14.22. Aristot▪ Eth. but the Iudgement is first infatuated; and therefore it is the wisemans question, Do not they erre, that devise mischief? and the Phylosophers assertion, every offender erreth; there is upon the heart of every sinner, atra nubes caeca nox (to use the Poets expression) a black cloud, a dark night, which causeth him to wander, and the blindness of our mind, is that which misguideth our feet, in which respect, sin is an effect.
2. The commission of sin, as it hardneth the heart, so it blindeth the minde; what mists, and fogs, and clouds are to the aire, that are corrupt affections, and flagitious actions to the soul, darkning, and obscuring whatever light of knowledg shineth in it; in this notion we may very well understand that of the wise man, P…ov. 4▪ …9.when he saith, the way of the wicked is as darkness, the darkness of ignorance increasing upon men, as they go on in sinfull wayes; and in this respect, sin is as a cause, and because sins are caused by, and withall, are the causes of darkness and ignorance in the mind, very fitly is this brand of darkness set upon it.
3. Sin hath reference to the darkness of misery as a cause, and that in its full latitude; Wherefore doth the l… ving man complain (saith the Church, Lam 3.40.in respect of temporal afflictions) man suffereth for the punishment of his sin, all the miseries of life; yea, death it self being the bitter fruits of sin, for so the Apostle saith expressely, death entred into the world by sin. It is the interposition of sin between God and us,Rom 5.12. that eclipseth his loving kindness towards us; so saith the Prophet Isay, Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you:Isa. 59.2. Noli cadere in peccatum & non tibi occidet hic sol si tu feceris casum tibi faciet occasum. Aug tract. 2. in Ioh. Mat. 25.30. finally, it is wickedn…ss that brings eternall wr…tchedness, that being the doom denounced by our blessed Saviour, against the wicked servant, Cast him into utter darkness, there shall be weeping and gnash…ng of teeth, so that in this respect, is sin most justly called darkness, because it brings so great a darkness of sorrow and calamity upon the sinner. And thus I have given a dispatch to the first of these metaphors.
2. The other of walking is no less considerable, a word that is very frequently used in Scripture, and that to signifie in generall a course of life. Ambulandi verbum latè patet & accipitur pro vitae ratione. Lor. in loc.Indeed, what is our life but a walk, and all the actions of our life, as so many steps? and as walking in a way, leadeth to some place or other, so doth the course of every mans life tend to some end, either of felicity or misery. To this purpose is that metaphor of sowing, which we so often meet with in holy writ, because sowing bringeth forth some harvest or other, according to the seed that is sown. And I would to God that all men might hence learn so to look upon themselves as sowers, as travellers; & therefore to make choice of their seed, and take heed to their wayes; more particularly this word is used, both in respect of a good and an evill course of life▪ and an instance of both, we have in this and the next verse; there it is applyed to a godly, and here to a w…cked conversation.
That then which we are now to inquire into is, what this phrase of walking imports, concerning a state of sinfull living, the answer to which, will appear by taking notice of three properties in the motion of walking, as being motus voluntarius, continuus & progressivus, a voluntary, constant, and a progressive motion.
1. Walking is a voluntary motion; it is one thing to be drawn, and another thing to goe; the one is an act of violence, the other of voluntariness: walking is a free willing act, so willing, that it is an act of choice, and is never done,Ambulandi verbum indicat de flendam delectationem. id. ibid. but upon a preceding del…berate resolution; nor is it onelyonly voluntary, but delightful; running is painful, but walking a pleasant motion, and it is a great deal of content and pleasure men take in walking. All this representeth the temper of wicked men, who not onelyonly act sin, but affect it; a good man may be sometimes drawn into sin, but bad men walk in it; yea as Solomons expression is, They leave the path of uprightness; to walk in the way of darkness. Hence it is, that (as it there followeth) they rejoyce to do evil, Prov. 2.13, 14.and the wayes of sin are pleasant to them; for this reason, no doubt it is,Prov. 4.17. Iob. 15.…9. Eph. 5.14. that the acting of sin is compared to eating, and drinking, and sleeping, as well as to walking; nor doth the hungry man take more delight in eating, the thirsty in drinking, the weary in sleeping, than the wicked man doth in sinning.
2. Walking is a continued motion, an iteration of many steps one after another; this intimateth the most characterizing property of a wicked man: he is one who repeateth and multiplyeth sinfull actions; the cup of iniquity is never from his mouth, his imaginations are onelyonly evill, and that continually; the special bent of his heart, and the generall current of his life is vile and wicked, I have spread out my hands all the day (saith Almighty God) unto a rebellious people, Is. 67.2.which walketh in a way that is not good, the length of Gods patience argueth the continuance of their provocations, and to note this it is expressed by the phrase of walking. It is one thing for a man to fall, and another to lie, one thing to step, and another to walke in any way. The Moralist saith truly una actio non denominat any one evill action denominateth a man a sinner but not wicked; men, good men may sometimes step into an evill way, he only is to be adjudged bad, who frequently reneweth his sins and maketh it his constant practise to do iniquitie.
Ambulare i. e. de malo in pejus proficere Aquin.3. Walking is a progressive motion wherein we set one foote before another and so are still going forward till wee come to our journies end. And this is a fit embleme of a wicked disposition, which still addeth sin to sin; and groweth from bad to worse. The Prophet Jeremy saith of the wicked they proceed from evil to evil and againe they weary themselves to commit iniquity they walke so long till they are weary;Jer. 9.3.5. And when they are weary they will not give over walking. Ambula…e est ulterius tendere & peccato peccatis cumulare Serrar. 2 Tim. 3.13. Quis peccandi finem sibi posuit Horat.St. Paul saith concerning Hereticks they waxe worse and worse deceiving and being deceived; indeed wicked men never come to their maximum quod sic, in sinfull growths, sin like the sea never will set bounds to it selfe. This darke walke is a descent, wherein men go lower and lower, never staying of themselves, till they come to the bottome. And as in walking, a man is every step further of the terme from which, and neerer to the terme to which hee moueth; So sinners every day, go further and further off from God, and draw neerer and neerer to the suburbs of Hell.
By this time I doubt not but the meaning of this clause appeareth, and if we looke upon those whom our Apostle may be probably supposed here principally to intend to wit the Gnosticks we shall finde this fully verified concerning them. They were a sort of people that did constantly wallowe in notorious wickednesse and counted it pleasure to live in all manner of impiety Epiphanius, writing of them saith it loathed him to delineate, Epiph. adu. har. i. 1. T. 3.what darknesse of wickednesse they lived in, and I tremble to mention what he there relateth, concerning their impure and flagitious practices, in which respect it was, that (as both he and St. Austin observe) they were among other names called Borboritae, Aug. de haeres. ad qu…d ult de….the signification of that name being fully verified, in them who were a Generation of filthy unclean persons. And as this was in a very high degree to be charged upon them, So is it more or lesse, true of all wicked and ungodly persons; Wickednesse is their way, darknesse is their walke, in which they willingly give th…mselves up to a course of sin in some kind or other.
To apply this,L…m▪ 3.40. what other use should w…e make of this part, then that which the Chu…ch exhorteth to let us search and try our wa…es: And oh that every one of us would deale impartialy with our selves & passe a right censure upon our owne condition, according to this discription. It is a sad truth foreign —no man will acknowledge himselfe wicked though he be so. We willingly accuse our selves to be sinners, but we would excuse our selves from being wicked. But alas what will it availe us, not to thinke our selves so, if yet in truth we be so. Oh therefore let us bring our selves to the test, and faithfully examine whither we do not walke in darkenesse. Set thy selfe oh sinner in the presence of God, and aske thy conscience this question. Is there no-worke of darkenes that I delight in, is there no way of darknes that I constantly go on in, is there no sinfull practice that I allow my selfe in … perhaps oh sinner thou doest not walke in chambering and wantones, I but doest thou not walke in strife and envying. Is there not some deed of darkenes, or other to which thou art addicted, with which thou art enamoured, and from which thou wilt not be diverted.
And now if upon dilligent enquiry thy conscience accuse thee, and thine owne heart condemne thee, oh then be further (and that even from this very expression) convinced of thy deplorable and miserable estate, lugere (say Etymologists) is quasi luce egere; surely we have great reason to mourne over our selves, because we walke in darkenes. One of the plagues of AEgypt was a thicke dark… nes it is the plague of all wicked men, oh that they were sensible of it. And if you please a little further to trace the metaphor, you shall finde this phrase of walking in darknes, to denote as well the calamity as the iniqu…ty of transgressours.
There are three no lesse sad then common attendants on walking in darknes casus, error, terror, falling, wandring, trembling, all which are in a spirituall sence sadly true of ungodly sinners.
1. Darknesse is casus inductiva apt to cause stumbling and falling; these two are joyned together by the psalmist in his curse let their way be darke and slippery, Psal. 35.10▪in the darke men stumble at every ston…, fall into many a pit so that many have lost their limbs, nay lives by walking in darknesse, thus do wicked men by walking in sin wound their consciences▪ hazard their soules, whilst their table becommeth a snare; everything they enjoy a stumbling block, and they are continually ready to fall into the pit of perdition.
2. Darknes is erroris productiva apt to make men wander and lose their way; how many hath the night inclosed within some desolate wood, exposed to cold and raine upon some spacious heath, whilest missing the right path, they have not knowne whither to go, thus do wicked men walking in the darke,Psal. 14 2. Isay 53.6. misse their way to blisse, and wander up and downe in folly, in this respect the Psalmist saith of them, they are all gon out of the way and the Prophet compareth them to stray sheepe.
3. Darknes is timoris incussiva that which maketh men prone to feares and terrors, in the darke a man is in continuall feare of some danger or other to befall him, because he cannot see his way, nay he is apt to fall into pannick feares, whilest every bush is in his fancy a theef, and the least noyse causeth a commotion in his brest. Thus is it with wicked men many times, they feare (according to the Psalmists expression) where no feare is, though withall the truth is, they have alwayes reall cause of feare, in respect of the danger that deservedly hangs over their heads. Indeed as men in the darke sometime not seeing, Feare not the perill which they are very neere to; So wicked men being secure are feareles and not considering what they deserve feare not till they come to feele, but when once their sleepy conscience is awakened, oh what horrid feares, perplexing terrours, invade them whilest the cloud of vengence is ready every moment to raine fire, haile, and brimstone upon them.
To end all, what now remaineth but that this discourse of darknes serve as a light to discover to you where you are, what you do, and whither you are going; That so being enlightened to see your utter darkenesse, you may walke no further, but with incessant cries beseech him who is the Father of lights, that he would send his spirit to plucke you out of Sodom, and by his mightie working deliver you from the power of darknes, & translate you into the kingdome of his deare sonne: Amen.