Grace, Sermon 14
XIII. Sermon at Lawrence Jury London. April 20. 1651.
2 TIM. 2. 1.
—My ſon, be ſtrong in the grace that is in Chriſt Jeſus.
HAving in the laſt foregoing Sermons, treated of grace in its ſtrength and growth, I am come to ſpeak to this additional clauſe in the text, viz, That is in Chriſt Jeſus: which paſſage is here inſerted by the Apoſtle, that he might let Timothy know to whom he was beholding, for all the grace he had received, even unto Jeſus Chriſt. In the tenth verſe he ſpeaks of ſalvation that is in Chriſt Jeſus; and here of grace that is in Chriſt Jeſus: so note,
1. That Jeſus Chriſt is the fountaine and foundation, both of grace and glory. Jeſus Chriſt gives grace, and Jeſus Chriſt gives alſo ſalvation, with eternall glory, Ver. 10.
2. That thoſe who receive grace from Chriſt Jeſus, ſhall alſo receive ſalvation by him, for there is an inſeparable union between grace and glory.
The grace of God that is in Chriſt Jeſus. Grace may be ſaid to be in Chriſt
1. As a ſubject recipient, and ſo Chriſt is ſaid to be full of grace and truth; John 1. 14.he had the Spirit without meaſure, it pleaſed the Father, that in him all fulneſſe ſhould dwel.John 3. 34.
2. In Chriſt Jeſus, Col. 1. 19.as a fountain redundant over-flowing & ever-flowing to his people, for of his fulneſſe we receive grace for grace.John 1. 16.
Again, when it is ſaid that grace is in Chriſt Jeſus, we muſt conſider Chriſt
1. As God co-eſſential with the Father, and he is the Author and giver of grace, and of every good and perfect gift.
2. Conſider him as Mediatour God-man, and ſo he is the purchaſer and procurer of grace, and of all the bleſſings of the New Convenant, for the bleſſing of Abraham commeth upon the Gentiles, Gal. 3. 14. foreign, through Chriſt. Heb. 12.foreign, through Chriſt Jeſus. So that by this phraſe, In Chriſt Jeſus, there are three things implied.
1. That Jeſus Chriſt is the Author and Giver of grace; he onelyonly is the Author and Finiſher of faith, and every grace in his people.
2. That Chriſt is the purchaſe of grace, ſo that all the grace that is beſtowed upon us by God, it is through Chriſt, and for his ſake; Grace is from Chriſt as a fountain, and by Chriſt as a Conduit.
3. That Chriſt is the preſerver of grace, all the grace that is in us is in Christ Jeſus, he keeps all our graces for us: As the beams of the Sun may be ſaid to be the Sun, becauſe they are preſerved by their union with the Sun. Our life is bid with Chriſt in God, Col. 3. 3.hid as the life of a tree is hid in the root, and the being of a ſtream is hid in the fountain. And herein is the comfort of believers, that their condition is more ſtable and immutable and ſafe, then ever Adam was in innocency, for he had all perfections of a creature, but they were in their own keeping; but now all the grace that is in a believer is in Chriſt Jeſus, by whom and in whom grace is ſafely preſerved, ſo as it ſhall never periſh.
The point of doctrine I obſerve from theſe words is this:
That all thoſe meaſures of grace,Doct. whereof believers are partakers, they receive them in and from Jeſus Chriſt.
In the handling of which point I will thus proceed:
1. Shew you the truth of it.
2. Give you the reaſons and grounds of it.
Now to prove that all grace is received in and through Chriſt.
1. I will ſhew the truth of this by many reſemblances, to which Chriſt is compared in the Scripture.
2. By many types of Chriſt in the Old Teſtament.
3. By many expreſſe teſtimonies in the New Teſtament concerning this turth.
…. There are many reſemblances in Scripture which do illuſtrate this, that all grace is from Chriſt Jeſus.
1. He is compared to a root. He is called the root of Jeſſe,Iſa. 11. 10. not only becauſe he came of the ſtock of David, but that he gives grace to Jew and Gentile that do believe: for to him ſhall the Gentiles ſeek, as it followes in the next words. Now that the Prophet there ſpeaks of Chriſt, is plain by the Apoſtles expreſſe application of that propheſie unto Chriſt,Rom. 15. 2. calling him the root of Jeſſe, in whom the Gentiles ſhould truſt. And Chriſt ſpeaks of himſelfe,Joh. 15. 1. I am the Vine. As the branch cannot bear fruit of it ſelf except it abide in the Vine, no more can ye except ye abide in me; the life, ſap, nouriſhment, growth and fruitfulneſſe of a branch is altogether from the root, with which the branches have union and communion.
2. Chriſt is called the Head of his people; He is the Head of the body of the Church. Now as ſenſe and motion is derived from the head to the members of the body;Col. 1 18. ſo alſo is grace derived from Jeſus Chriſt to every true believer, every living member of his body.
3. Chriſt is called the Sun of Righteouſneſſe becauſe as heat and light are communicated by the Sun to things here below,Mal. 4. 2. ſo there is a ſweet influence of grace from Chriſt upon believers.Niſi deſuper. As by vertue of the Sunnes influence the vegetable and ſenſible creatures live, move and grow; ſo alſo the life and growth of grace in the ſoul is from that divine influence which Jeſus Chriſt doth ſhed upon believers.
4. Chriſt is compared to a fountain,Zech. 13. 1. even a fountaine opened to the houſe of David, and to the Inhabitants of Jeruſalem, for ſin and for uncleanneſſe. So that as water doth ſtream forth in the river from the fountain, ſo grace flowes down from Jeſus Chriſt upon believers, who is a fountain, where all fulneſſe of grace for ever dwels, and from whence all grace is drawn and derived; and this is the firſt proof.
2. This truth may be demonſtrated by the many types of Chriſt in the old Teſtament which did ſhadow out unto us this, that all grace is from Jeſus Chriſt. I ſhall mention ſome.
1. Aaron the High Prieſt was to lay his bands on the People, and to bleſſe them. Lev. 9. 22.And herein he was a type of Chriſt our great and heavenly High Prieſt, through whom we are bleſſed with all grace.Eph. 1. 3. God having bleſſed us with all ſpiritual bleſſings in heavenly places Act. 3. 2….in Chriſt. Jeſus Chriſt is ſent by God to bleſſe his people, and to turn every one of them from their iniquities. And therefore it is recorded by St. Luke that a little before the Aſcenſion of our bleſſed Saviour,Luk. 24 50 he laid his hands upon his diſciples, and bleſſed them: and ſo he doth ſtill bleſſe all true believers with the ſpiritual bleſſing of grace.
2. Another type of Chriſt was Joſeph, who in many things was a type of Chriſt,Gen. 37. 3. Joſeph was the beſt beloved of his fathers children; Mat. 30. 17.ſo was Jeſus Chriſt,Col. 1. 11. the ſon of his fathers love: Joſeph was hated of his brethren, Gen. 37. 20, 21.and ſold for twenty pieces of ſilver; ſo was Jeſus Chriſt, he came unto his own, and his own received him not, he was rejected by them, and ſold for thirty pieces of ſilver. Joh. 1. 12.Joſeph was carryed into Egypt; and ſo perſection drove Chriſt into Egypt preſently after he was born. Gen. 37. 28Joſeph was falſly accuſed and condemned: Mat. 2. 20ſo was Chriſt. Joſephs troubles ended in his advancement;Gen. 39. 20 ſo all the troubles of Chriſt, wrought for him a far more exceeding and eternall weight of glory: Phil. 2. 9.God having therefore highly exalted him, and given him a name above every name, for now Chriſt is ſate down at the right hand of the Father; But eſpecially in this, Joſeph did type out Jeſus Chriſt, that in that dreadfull laſting famine in Egypt, Gen. 41. 55, 56, 57.Joſeph had the cuſtody of all the corne in the land, and he had the iſſuing out of all the Proviſion for bread, in all the land of Egypt: So the Lord Jeſus is the Lord Keeper of all that ſtore of grace, with which believers are furniſhed, which grace is given to help them in time of need. Jeſus Chriſt hath the Key of David, he hath the Key of the treaſury of grace.
3. Another type of Jesus Chriſt was Ioſhua, who gave unto Iſrael entrance and poſſeſſion of the good land of Canaan. Pſa. 84. 11.He will give grace and glory, and no good thing will be withhold from them that walk uprightly. Heb. 4. 8, 9.Our Jeſus gives his people a better reſt then ever Ioſhua brought Iſrael unto.
4. Another type of Chriſt was the Candleſtick of the tabernacle, the ſeven lamps whereof did give light unto the whole tabernacle. Now theſe ſeven lamps, Exo. 25. 37what did they type out but the graces of the Spirit of Chriſt, for ſo it is ſaid, that there were ſeven lamps of fire burning before the throne, Rev. 4. 5.which are the ſeven ſpirits of God. Zech. 42.The Holy Ghoſt and the graces of it, being ſo deſcribed by ſeven ſpirits in this regard, becauſe of the variety and protection of that grace which is in the Lord Jeſus, and by his Spirit communicated to all his members.
3. The third proof of this doctrine may be drawn from the conſideration of thoſe clear teſtimonies of this truth in the New Teſtament. St. John ſpeaks thus of Chriſt that of his fulneſſe we have received, and grace for grace. Joh. 1. 16. expounded. Plenitudo repletiva & dissusivaIn Chriſt there is not only plenty, but bounty; not only an abundance of all grace, but a redundance of grace. Chriſtians have the fulneſſe of a veſſel, but Chriſt hath the fulneſſe of a fountain. Plenitude vaſis Plenitudo fontis.Take a drop of water out of a veſſel, and it is not ſo full as before, but draw as much water as you pleaſe out of the Well of the water of life, and there is no want of water. From Chriſt we receive grace for grace, that is, ſay ſome, the grace of the New Teſtament, added to that grace which was revealed under the Old Teſtament.Perf…ctio partium, non graduum. Or grace for grace, that is, ſay others, a perfection of grace according to the Perfection that is in Chriſt. As in a natural generation, the childe doth receive from his Father limme for limme, and part for part: ſo in this ſpiritual regeneration, Jeſus Chriſt (the everlaſting Father) doth give grace for grace.Iſa. 6. 9. Or you may underſtand this expreſſion grace for grace, that Jeſus Chriſt is not only the Author of grace, but gives grace for grace, that is, one grace after another, grace upon grace; Gramati nova gratiâ cumulat…m.the being of grace, and the increaſe of grace are both from Chriſt. This alſo appears that Chriſt is the Author and beſtower of all grace, by that ordinary prayer wherewith the Apoſtle doth uſually cloſe up his Epiſtles,2 Cor. 13. 14. The grace of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt be with you all. The like Prayer we have to the Romans, Rom. 16. 24to the Galatians, brethren The grace of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt be with your ſpirit. Gal. 6 18So alſo in the cloſe of the Epiſtles to the Philippians, Phil. 4. 23.Theſſalonians, 1 Theſ. 5. 28.and to Timothy, Grace be with thee. Amen. 1 Tim. 6. 21All this is to note that Jeſus Chriſt is the fountain from whence, and the Conduit by whom all grace is conveyed unto believers.Zech. 4. 12. As in the viſion that the Prophet Zechary ſaw, There were two Olive Branches, which through the two golden Pipes, did empty the golden oyle out of themſelves: So Jeſus Chriſt, that true Olive tree, doth drop and diſtil grace upon his Church, whereby they receive from his fulneſſe grace for grace.
But in giving this honour unto Chriſt,1 Object. do you not derogate from God the Father, when you ſay that all grace is from Chriſt?
1. It is no derogation to God the Father to aſcribe this unto Chriſt,1. Anſw. becauſe it pleaſed the Father, that in him ſhould all fulneſs dwell.
2. And beſide, Chriſt and the Father are one. 2. Anſw.In ſaying all grace is from Chriſt, we alſo ſay all is from the Father too;Col. 1. 19. and in ſaying it is from the Father,Joh. 10. 30 we ſay it is from Chriſt too.Rom. 1. 7. And therefore it is an ordinary prayer prefixed in the beginning of moſt of the Epiſtles;1 Cor. 1. 3. Grace be unto you, 2 Cor. 1. 2.from God the Father, Gal. 1. 3.and from our Lord Jeſus Chriſt. Eph. 1. 2.So that in the ſubſcription,Phil. 1. 2. and in the inſcription of each Epiſtle,Col. 1. 2. grace is aſcribed to God the Son,1 Theſ. 1. 1, &c. but ſo as not excluding God the Father, and to God the Father not excluding the Son.
3. And then again, Jeſus Chriſt is commiſſionated and deſigned by the Father, to give out grace to his people: for ſo Chriſt ſpeaks of himſelf,Joh. 64… I came down from heaven, not to do mine own wil, but the wil of him that ſent me. Now it is the will of God, that from Chriſt believers ſhould receive both juſtifying and ſanctifying grace. Our ſanctification is Gods Will, 1 Theſ. 4. 3and Chriſt came to fulfil that will of God: for ſo ſpeaks the Apoſtle, Sacrifice and offering, Heb. 10. 9, 10.and burnt-offerings, and offering for ſin, thou wouldeſt not, neither haſt pleaſure therein, then ſaid I, Lo, I come to do thy will (Ob God;) by which Will we are ſanctified, through the offering of the body of Ieſus Chriſt once for all. So that the Will of God the Father, and the Will of Jeſus Chriſt are the ſame in the beſtowing of grace. Jeſus Chriſt received a commiſſion from God the Father, to beſtow grace upon his people; and will you ſee how that Commiſſion runs, you ſhal finde it in the Prophet Iſaiah; Iſa. 61. 1.The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, becauſe the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek, he hath ſent me to binde up the breken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the Captives, and the opening of the priſon to them that are bound. Chriſt had a Commiſſion under his Fathers hand and Seale,John 6. 27. For him hath the father ſealed: Joſeph received authority from Pharaoh, and it was no diſhonour to Pharaoh that Ieſeph was commiſſionated to iſſue out all the ſtores of corne to the Egyptians in the time of that famine: no more is it any diſhonour to the Father, that Jeſus Chriſt doth beſtow and convey grace upon believers.
But doth not this put the Spirit out of office,2. Object. who is called the holy Spirit, and the Spirit of grace, becauſe he doth work grace and holineſſe in the hearts of the People of God?
What Chriſt is ſaid to work,Solution. that the holy Spirit alſo doth; becauſe by the Spirit of God Chriſt worketh. It is a good rule, that the works of the bleſſed Trinity ad extra are undivided,Opera Trinitatis ad extra ſunt indiviſae. all thoſe works which are external, and relative to the creatures, as to create, preſerve, redeem, ſanctifie, &c. are in reſpect of the things wrought equally common to all the Perſons of the bleſſed Trinity. So that we may ſay,John 5. 19. whatſoever things that the Father doth, thoſe things doe the Son likewiſe, and thoſe things alſo doth the Holy Ghoſt; the work of Sanctification is equally aſcribed unto all the Perſons.Jude v. 1. God the Father ſanctifies his people. God the Son doth ſanctifie his members,1 Cor. 1. 30. for he is their ſanctifications. He loved the Church, and gave himſelfe for it, that he might ſanctifie and cleanſe it, with the waſhing of water through the Word. Eph. 5. 25, 26.And yet the work of Sanctification is moſt frequently aſcribed to the Holy Ghoſt; Goodneſſe, Righteouſneſs and Truth, Eph. 5. 9.and indeed all grace being called the fruit of the Spirit; and the Spirit is called the Spirit of grace and ſupplication, and the Spirit of holineſſe and ſanctification. Gal. 5. 22.So our Regeneration is aſcribed unto God the Father. Bleſſed be the God and Father of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, which according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us again to a lively hope. 1 Pet. 1. 3.And ſo alſo we are the children of Chriſt by Regeneration, for in this reſpect Chriſt is called the Father of Eternity. Iſa. 9. 6.Behold (ſaith the Prophet in the name of Chriſt) I and the children which thou haſt given me; Iſa. 18. 8.and that there the Prophet ſpeaks of Chriſt, is cleare from the application of it to him in the Epiſtle to the Hebrews. Heb. 2. 13.Behold I and the children which God hath given me. Neither is the Holy Ghoſt excluded from this working of grace & regeneration in us, for Chriſt tels Nicodemus, that except a man be born again, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God. Joh. 3. 3, 4.So it is ſaid, that God the Father bleſſed Abraham; and yet the bleſſing of Abraham came upon the Gentiles through Chriſt, that they might receive the promiſe of the Spirit. By all which inſtances it doth appear,Gal. 3. 14. that though there are diverſ… ties of gifts, yet the ſame Spirit, and though there are differences of adminiſtrations, yet the ſame Lord Jeſus Chriſt, the Author of all grace through the holy Spirit.
2. The reaſon and ground of this, why Jeſus Chriſt is the Author, Purchaſer and conveyer of grace to his People, is,
1. Becauſe God the Father hath appointed Jeſus Chriſt, as Mediatour, to tranſact the great work of ſanctifying and ſaving his Elect.
2. Becauſe by this ſhall the reproach be rowled away from Chriſt, who in his life time was reputed the greateſt of all Male-factors, and accordingly ſuffered death. They were wont to ſay, can any good come … of Nazareth? God hath therefore given him a name above all names, that he ſhould not only be anointed with oyl above his fellows, by his receiving the Spirit without meaſure, but that the oyl that was poured upon the head of our High-Prieſt ſhould run down upon the skirts of his garments; and that grace which was abundant in him, ſhould alſo be redundant to his Church, and run down, and diffuſe it ſelf to all his members.
3. To manifeſt that Jeſus Chriſt was the ſecond Adam, and came into the world to repaire the breaches which the ſin of the firſt Adam had made. For by the fall we did not only contract upon our ſelves the guilt of Adams ſin, to take off which we have need of the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt imputed, but we have drawn upon our ſelves the filthineſſe and pollution of ſin, to take away the power whereof, only the grace, holineſſe, and inherent righteouſneſſe of Chriſt imputed to us doth avail: and as the firſt Adam was the Author and conveyer both of the guilt, filthineſſe, and puniſhments of ſin to his poſterity; ſo Jeſus Chriſt the ſecond Adam conveighs the life of grace into all his. As the firſt Adam was the author to communicate natural life, as he was made a living ſoule; 1 Cor. 15. 45.ſo the ſecond Adam did communicate the ſpiritual life of grace as he was made a quickuing ſpirit. From the firſt Adam by natural generation and propagation, we receive corruption for corruption; ſo from the ſecond Adam we receive grace for grace.
1. Vſe of this Doctrine is for Confutation.
1. Of the Socinians errour, who ſay that all grace in Chriſt, whether his active or paſſive righteouſneſſe, was only to qualifie his perſon, and to merit his own glorification, without any reference unto us, unleſſe as an exemplar or patterne. But this opinion is ſufficiently confuted by this Doctrine, by which hath been ſhown, that as all our grace is from Chriſt, ſo that abundance of grace that is in Chriſt is for us. As the woman hath abundance of milk in her breſt, not for her ſelf, but for her childe; and the Sun hath abundance of light, not for it ſelf, but for the world: So Jeſus Chriſt is full of grace and truth, but this fulneſſe is in order to the filling of his members. As in the natural body there are ſome ſpecial parts, that do ſtand as officers unto all the reſt; the stomack receives much meat, not for it ſelf, but that it might communicate it to all the members; the head hath the ſenſes ſeated in it, not for it ſelf, but for the whole body: So it is in the myſtical body, whereof Chriſt is the head; the abundance of grace, which is treaſured up in Chriſt, is in order to ſupply every member with grace. For their ſakes (ſaith Chriſt himſelf of his elect,) I ſanctifie my ſelfe; Joh. 17. 19.that they alſo might be ſanctified through the truth. Some do refer this to Chriſt, being ſet apart to the office of Mediatour, that it was not for his own ſake, but for the ſake of his members, and though there be grace enough in Chriſt to qualifie his perſon, yet alſo there is grace enough in him to juſtifie our perſons too, and ſanctifie our natures.
2. This alſo reproves the errour, pride and folly of the Pelagians, Papiſts and Arminians, who derogate from God, and arrogate to themſelves. Theſe people like Sampſon, have loſt their ſpiritual ſtrength, but do not, will not know that it is departed from them; They are poor, and yet are proud,Sub laudibus naturae la…nt inimici gratiae. Aug. and while they are ſetting up the praeiſe of nature, they do prove themſelves the enemies of grace. Alas, while they boaſt of a liberum arbitrium, they have cauſe to bewail a ſervum arbitrium, a… Luther calls it. It is true, man by the fall did not loſe the faculty it ſelf, but he hath loſt the rectitude of it. And yet proud man will be like the ſpider, ſpinning out a thread of his own, and thinking to climbe up to heaven by threads ſpun out of his own bowels, but let ſuch who rejoyce in this Mihi ſoli debeo, Job. 8. 14.take heed at laſt, that his hope be not cut off, and that his truſt become like a ſpiders web. Alas poor proud wretch! who made thee to differ? Grevincovius the Arminian makes this proud anſwer to the Apoſtles queſtion, I my ſelf made my ſelf to differ. This is Divinity much like that of the Heathens. Seneca ſaid, That we live, this is of God, but that we live well, that's of our ſelves. And Cicero hath alſo this ſaying, and he tells us it is the judgment of all men, That proſperity and ſcceſſe is from God, and muſt be ſought of God, but wiſdom that is gotten by our ſelves, which gave Auguſtine occaſion to paſſe this cenſure upon him; …icero in endeavouring to make men free, he made them ſacrilegious. But let us take heed of this proud leaven of Arminianiſme, and learn from hence to be convinced of the emptineſſe and inſufficiency of our nature to any ſupernaturall good. For alas! We are not ſufficient of our ſelves to think any thing as of our ſelves, but our ſufficiency is of God. We have no grace but what we receive from Chriſt, And grace is no way grace unleſſe it be every way free. We have little reaſon to boaſt of the freedome of our will to any thing that is ſpiritually good, becauſe our wil is not free til it be by grace made free. Voluntas libera liberata. Aug.We have no power to become the ſons of God, till it be given us to believe on his name, and ſuch are born not of the fleſh, nor of the will of man, but of God.