The Natural Mans Case, Part 1 · Sermon 3
SERMON, III.
EPHES. 2. 12.
That at that time ye were without Chriſt,—
WE come now to the 2. Queſtion, which I promiſed you to reſolve.
Queſt. What are the Characters of a Man without Jeſus Chriſt.
This Query is very neceſſary, becauſe hereby we may know, whether we are the men that are without Jeſus Chriſt Seven Characters of a man without Chriſtor no; now I ſhall reduce theſe characters of a Chriſtleſſe man into theſe ſeven heads, and go over them very briefly.
1. That man that is without the Spirit of Chriſt, he is without any reall actuall intereſt in Chriſt: this the Apoſtle layes down to us in ſo many expreſſe terms in Rom. 8. 9. If any man hath not the Spirit of Chriſt, he is none of his: Chriſt and Rom 8. 9the Spirit are inſeparable companions; have the one, and you enjoy the other; want the ione, and you are without the other; And here (Beloved) to apply this more particularly, you are without any intereſt in Chriſt, if you are without the Spirit of Chriſt in the threefold operation of it.
1. If you are without the enlightning work of the Spirit, to teach your minds to know Chriſt.
2. If you are without the inclining work of the Spirit, to draw your hearts to love Chriſt; And
3. If you are without the conſtraniing work of the Spirit, to impower your wils to obey Chriſt.
If you are thus without the Spirit of Chriſt, in theſe three particulers, you can lay no juſt claim, to any intereſt in Jeſus Chriſt. With what face therefore can any of you lay claim to Chriſts perſon, that are not guided by his Spirit, but are led by the corrupt dictates of your own hearts, and follow the deſires of the fleſh and of the minde? you that are thus, can lay no claim to Jeſus Chriſt, for whoſoever hath not the Spirit of Chriſt, he is none of his: this is the firſt character.
2. He that is without any ſaving power, derived from Jeſus Chriſt, enabling him to mortifie his boſome luſts, that man is without Jeſus Chriſt, as in Gal. 5. 24. the Apoſtle tels us there, that they that Gal. 5 24.are Chriſts, have crucified the fleſh with the affections and luſts, thereby intimating, that they that have not crucified the fleſh with the affections and luſts thereof, have no intereſt in the Lord Jeſus Chriſt: when Chriſt came in the fleſh, we crucified him, but if ever Chriſt comes into thy ſoul, he will crucifie thee; they that are Chriſts, they do crucifie the fleſh: Chriſt will be avenged on thy ſins, and crucifie thy luſts, and kill thy corruptions, when he comes into thy ſoul. But here (beloved) I do not mean a totall ſubduing of ſin, as if every luſt and corruption ſhould be quite ſubdued; but only thus far, to give a deadly blow to ſin, that ſin ſhall not reign nor bear ſway in thy ſoul as it hath done formerly: ſin in the heart of one that is in Chriſt, ſhall be like thoſe Monarchs ſpoken of in Dan. 7. 12. it is ſaid Dan. 7. 12.their Dominions ſhall be taken away, but their lives ſhall be prolonged for a little ſeaſon; juſt ſo it is with ſin in the heart of a beleever, the dominion of ſin is taken away, but the life and beeing of it is preſerved for a little ſeaſon: there ſhall be ſome remainders of ſin ſtill, in the beſt of Gods ſervants, but ſin ſhall not reign in their mortall bodies, and therefore you that never had any power to mortifie your ſins, that never had any bridle of reſtraint to any of your luſts, lay no claim to Jeſus Chriſt, for they Gal. 5. 24.that are his have crucified the fleſh with the luſts thereof. I might here make uſe of a ſtory (that I have often told you of) in the Hiſtory of Scotland, there is mention made of an Iſland, ſituate in the midſt of the Sea, between Scotland, and Ireland, and there was a great controverſie between the two Nations, to which of the Kingdomes this Iſland did belong, and a great Polititian to decide the controverſie, commands a great company of Toads and Frogs to be gathered together, and put into the Iſland, and if thoſe venomous and unclean beaſts ſhould live there, then the Iſland belonged to Scotland, but if they died, then it belonged to Ireland, for no unclean creature does inhabit there: juſt ſo it is with us; there is a great controverſie between Chriſt and the Devill, to which thy ſoul does belong, why now if poiſonſome luſts, & venomous ſins, can live and thrive in thy ſoul, then you belong to the Devil; but if theſe luſts and ſins dy in your ſoul, then you belong to Jeſus Chriſt.
3. Another Character is this, that man that is without unfeigned love to the perſon of Chriſt, that man is without any intereſt in Chriſt; for every one that hath Chriſt loves him; and every one that hath him not, loves him not: 1 Cor. 16. 2. If any man loves not the Lord Chriſt, let him be accurſed, he that does not love Chriſt, hath no intereſt in Chriſt, and ſhall be accurſed when Chriſt ſhall come to judgement.
Object. Object. But ſome will be ready to ſay, If this be ſo, that the not loving of Chriſt, be an argument of the not having of Chriſt, wby then I think I am well enough, for I do love Chriſt with all my heart.
Anſw. Anſw. I will tell thee in the very words of Chriſt, who it is that loves him: Joh. 14. 24. He that loveth me not keepeth not Ioh. 14. 24.my ſayings; does not thy conſcience tell thee O man, that thou doſt not care for any command of Jeſus Chriſt? let him command what he will, you will do what you liſt; you ſee here Chriſt tels thee plainly, that he that loveth him not, keepeth not his ſayings; I beſeech you therefore in the fear of God, take heed of deceiving your own ſouls, in thinking you love Chriſt, when there is no ſuch matter, but labour to love him in truth, and evidence your love to him, by keeping of his Commandemants.
4. That man that is without any ſaving knowledge of Chriſt, is without any actuall intereſt in Chriſt, there is no man that hath Chriſt but knows Chriſt; (Miſtake me not) I do not ſay that every man that hath Chriſt knows he hath him, for a man may have Chriſt, and yet not know of it, for the preſent; but this I ſay, he that hath an intereſt in Chriſt, whoſoever he be, he muſt know Chriſt in part, Joh. 8. 54, Ioh. 8. 54, 55.55. You ſay that God is your God, and yet you have not known him, 'tis a very ſtrange place, you ſay that God and ſalvation by him, and all is yours, and yet you have not known him. (Oh my Beloved) you ſay you have Chriſt, and yet you have not known Chriſt, he himſelf will convince you at the laſt day, of laying a falſe claim to him, read Joh. 1. 12. compared with the 24. and 26. verſes.
Now when I tell you that a man without the knowledge of Chriſt, is without any intereſt in Chriſt, I do not ſay, that thoſe are without Chriſt, that have not ſo great a meaſure of knowledge as other men have; but when you are without the knowledge of Chriſt, accompanyed with theſe two circumſtances, then I can ſafely pronounce you to be a Chriſtleſſe man:
1. If you be without the knowledge of Chriſt, and yet ſit down contented in your ignorance, neither deſiring, nor labouring after the knowledge of him, then I may ſafely ſay, that for the preſent thou art without Jeſus Chriſt, if you are like thoſe ſpoken of in 2 Pet. 3. 5. For this they 2 Pet. 3. 5.are willingly ignorant of, that by the word of God, the heavens were of old, and the earth ſtanding out of the water, and in the water: or like thoſe in Job 2. 14. that ſay unto God; Iob 21. 14.Depart from us; for we deſire not the knowledge of thy wayes: if you are ſuch as theſe, I can ſafely pronounce you to be Chriſtleſſe men.
2. Not only when you are contentedly ignorant, but likewiſe when with obſcurity in your Judgements, you adde obſtinacy in your wils; when thou art an Ignorant, and doſt not know, and wilt not know, that haſt not learned, and yet will not learn, but art like thoſe ſpoken of in Pſal. 82. 5. They know not, neither will Pſal. 82. 5.they underſtand, he does not ſay, they know not, neither do they, but neither will they underſtand; a godly man may have the former of theſe: although you be very ignorant, yet if you deſire to know, you may have an intereſt in Chriſt; but I am bold to ſay (in caſe you are ignorant and yet ſit down contentedly and do not care to know more, and obſtinately and will not learn more) that you have no intereſt in Chriſt, and therefore keep off your hands from Chriſt, lay no claim to him, for you have nothing to do with him, he is none of yours.
5. Another Character is this, that man that is without a hearing ear to the voice of Chriſt, and an obedient heart to the mands of Chriſt, that man hath no intereſt in Chriſt: I ſhall give you two plain texts of Scripture to prove this, one is in Joh. 8. 47. He that is of God heareth Gods Joh. 8 47.word; you therefore hear them not, becauſe you are not of God; they that are of God, hear his Word; thoſe that belong to Chriſt, and have an intereſt in him, hear his Word, not only with the ear, but with the heart, and ſo in 1 Joh. 1. 6. ſayes the Apoſtle, We are of God, he that is of God, heareth us; he that is not of God, heareth not us; hereby know we the ſpirit of truth and the ſpirit of errour: and therefore thou obſtinate and ſtout hearted wretch, that canſt lie like a flint under the Word of God, and ſuffer no command to make impreſſion upon thy ſpirit; verily thou canſt lay no juſt claim to Jeſus Chriſt.
6. That man that uſes greater induſtry, and takes greater complacency in the acting and committing of ſin, then ever he did in the exerciſe of any grace or the performance of any duty, that man is without Jeſus Chriſt. You have an excellent place for this purpoſe in Joh. 3. 8. 10. He that committeth ſin, is of the Devill, he doth not ſay, he that does ſin, is of the Devill, but he that commits ſin with delight, that makes a trade of ſin, he is of the Devill, and ſo on in the 10. ver. In this the children of God are manifeſt, and the children of the Devill; whoſoever doth not righteouſneſſe, is not of God, he does not belong to God, he that does not righteouſneſſe with delight, and complacency, with joy and induſtry: as he that doth commit ſin, that is, act it with delight, and makes a trade of it, is of the Devill, ſo he that does not do righteouſneſſe, that is, with delight, and joy, and chearfulneſſe, that man is not of Chriſt: you then that can ſin with delight, but perform holy duties with a flat, and dead, and dull ſpirit, you that never took ſo much delight to ſanctifie the Sabbath, as you have done in prophaning of it, you that never took ſo much delight, in the performing of duties to God, as you have done in ſinning againſt God, lay off hands from Jeſus Chriſt if your hearts be full of ſin, you can have no intereſt in him; In Joh. 9. 16. ſome of the Phariſees ſaid, this Ioh. 9. 16.man is not of God, becauſe he keepeth not the Sabbath: This had been a very good argument, had it been well applyed, had Chriſt indeed not kept the Sabbath: if it may be truly ſaid of you, that thou doſt not make conſcience of keeping of the Sabbath, or of performing any holy duties, I can truly ſay of you, that you are not of God: now then examine your ſelves by this argument, whether you are of God or no; if you do prophane the Sabbath day, and make no conſcience of performing holy duties, nor of ſinning againſt God; this ſhews that you are not of God; that man that acts ſin with more delight then he performs holy duties, hath no intereſt in Chriſt, as in 1 Joh. 5. 18. Hee that is born of God ſinneth 1 Ioh. 5. 18.not, that is, he doth not commit it with that delight and complacency as wicked men do; but he that belongs to God, he keepeth himſelf pure, and that wicked one toucheth him not; that is, not ſo, as to make him commit ſin in the former ſenſe, but he keepeth himſelf, he will not give himſelf to commit ſin with that cheerfulneſſe as wicked men do; and therefore ſaith the Apoſtle, we know that we are of God, and the 1 Joh. 5. 19whole world lyeth in wickedneſſe.
7. The laſt Character is this, that man is without any intereſt in Chriſt that backſlides from the wayes of Chriſt, both in judgement, and in practiſe: (Beloved) when a man ſhall backſlide from the truth of Chriſt in judgement, and from the exerciſes of holy duties in practiſe, when he backſlides both theſe wayes, he is not in Jeſus Chriſt: 2 Joh. v. 9. Whoſoever tranſgreſſeth, and abideth not in the doctrine of 2 Ioh. v. 9.Chriſt hath not God, but he that abideth in the Doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son; that man that ſins both in judgement and in practiſe, he is not of God; but he that abides in the truth of God both in judgement and in practiſe, he hath both the Father and the Son.
Oh therefore I beſeech you in the fear of God, look about you, to ſee whether you are the men that have a reall actuall intereſt in Chriſt or no. Are you ſuch men as are without the ſpirit of Chriſt? or are you without a ſaving power derived from Chriſt, enabling you to mortifie your boſome luſts? Are you without an unfeigned love to the perſon of Chriſt, or without a true and ſaving knowledg of Chriſt? Are you contentedly ignorant of Chriſt, and care not to know more? or are you obſtinately ignorant, and wil not learn more? Are you without a hearing ear, and an obedient heart to the Word of Chriſt? Do you take greater induſtry, and complacency in the committing of ſin, then ever you did in the performance of any holy duty? Or do you backſlide from the wayes of Chriſt both in judgement, and in practiſe? If there be a concurrence of theſe ſeaven Characters in you, then conclude that you have no intereſt at all in Chriſt, conclude then that at this time you are without Jeſus Chriſt. Thus now I have done with the ſecond queſtion which I promiſed you to anſwer I ſhall now ſpend a little time in winding up what I have ſaid in a practicall Uſe, and then come to the third Queſtion.
And in the application of this I ſhall direct my ſpeech to two ſorts of people: 1. To thoſe that are plunged into a ſpirituall deluſion, to ſay they have an intereſt in Chriſt when they have not. 2. To thoſe that ſay they have not an intereſt in Chriſt when they have.
Uſe. 1 1. To you that ſay you have an intereſt in Chriſt, when you have not; give me leave to propound theſe 3 or 4 queſtions to you: firſt let me ask this queſtion, Were you ever without Chriſt, yea or no? If you anſwer no, then let me tell you thus much, that that man that ſayes he had Chriſt ever, I may ſafely ſay he had Chriſt never: thou that doſt ſay that thou hadſt Chriſt ever ſince thou wert born, I can ſafely ſay that thou hadſt Chriſt never ſince thou wert born, for every man is born a Chriſtleſſe man.
2. Thou that ſayeſt thou haſt an intereſt in Chriſt, let me ask you this queſtion, How came you by your intereſt in Chriſt? Do you think that Chriſt fel from heaven, into your boſome whether you would or no? How came you by Chriſt then? Did you ever make a powerfull prayer unto God for him? Did you ever ſigh, and ſob, and cry mightily unto God for him? Did you ever ſee your miſery without him? and beg the Father earneſtly for him? for God is not prodigall of his ſon to give him to thoſe that never ask him.
3. Let me ask you this queſtion, Did you ever ſee an abſolute neceſſity in your own ſouls, of getting an intereſt in Jeſus Chriſt? were you ever ſenſible of the want of Chriſt, and of the worth of Chriſt, of the need you have of Chriſt, and in what a ſad, and miſerable, and deplorable, and damnable condition you are in without Chriſt? if you are not ſenſible of this, you are to this day without Jeſus Chriſt.
4. Let me ask you this queſtion, How can you evidence that you have an intereſt in Chriſt, by your walking? what ſaith the Apoſtle in 2 Cor. 5. 17. If any man 2 Cor. 5. 17.be in Chriſt, he is a new creature, old things are paſſed away, and all things are become new; are you new creatures? are all your old ſins paſſed away? the Apoſtle tels you, that they that are Chriſts, have crucified the fleſh with the affections and luſts: why now, haſt thou killed any luſt in thy heart, or rather do not every luſt reign in thee, with as much power as ever they did? If it be ſo, then ſurely you have no intereſt in Chriſt at all.
Uſe. 2 Thus much for the firſt ſort of people, thoſe that are plunged into a ſpirituall deluſion, we come now to the ſecond ſort of people, thoſe that are doubting, and perplexed ſouls, that ſay they have not an intereſt in Chriſt when they have; thoſe which ſay they are without Chriſt, when indeed they are not, as there are many ſuch people in the world: now to ſuch as theſe I have two or three words of conſolation. 1. Let me ſpeak this for your comfort, it is a very ordinary thing with the people of God, to paſſe very hard and uncharitable ſentences upon their own ſouls, and to run upon very ſad miſtakes in reference to their own ſalvation. A childe of God he ſees ſo many luſts in his own heart, and ſo many ſins within him, that he can ſcarſe have a charitable thought of his own ſoul, as David when he ſaid, The Lord had forſaken him, and caſt him off for ever: godly men are very apt to paſſe very harſh cenſures upon their own ſouls.
2. Let me tell you this for your comfort, you may have Chriſt, and yet not know that you have him; it may be with you as it was with Mary Magdalen when ſhe was talking to Chriſt face to face, yet ſayes ſhe, they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him; ſo you Joh. 20. 13may have an intereſt in Chriſt, & yet not know of it; in Joh. 14. 4. Chriſt told his Joh. 14. 4.Diſciples there, ſayes he, Whither I go you know, and the way you know, Thomas ſaith unto him, Lord we know not whither thou goeſt, therefore how can we know the way? Now the reaſon why they did not know, as Auguſtine well obſerves, was becauſe they did not know their own thoughts, they thought they did not know, but yet Chriſt he knew that they did know. It is with a beleever ſometimes as it was with Benjamin, the cup was in his ſack, and yet he did not know of it: now Benjamin was the beloved of Joſeph, ſo you may be the beloved ones of Chriſt, and yet not know of it.
3. To you that think you are without Chriſt, when you are not, let me tell thee this for thy comfort, though the having of Chriſt, be indiſpenſably neceſſary for the bringing of our ſouls to heaven, yet the knowing that we have Chriſt is not ſo much neceſſary. As it is with a man aſleep in a ſhip, the ſhip may bring him home ſafe to the harbour, and yet he not know of it? ſo Chriſt may bring us through a ſea of boiſterous afflictions and temptations to heaven, our haven of reſt, and yet we not know of it, till we come there.
4. Let me tell you this likewiſe for your comfort, though you do not know that Chriſt is yours, yet Chriſt doth know that you are his: wil you count your child an unhappy childe becauſe he does not know that you are his father? 'tis no matter though the childe does not know that you are his father, ſo long as you know that he is your childe; ſo it is no great matter though you doe not know, that Chriſt is yours, ſo long as Chriſt knowes that you are his, for the foundation of the 2 Tim. 2. 19.Lord standeth ſure, the Lord knows who are his. Thus now beloved I have done with this uſe that belongs to this examination, both for thoſe that ſay they have Chriſt, when they have not; and alſo for thoſe that ſay they have not Chriſt when they have.